CPS "Service Plans"....Think Them over FIRST. Don't Sign without Full Review.

So-called "child protective" "services" (CPS), in many jurisdictions, now uses so-called "service plans," which they claim are "necessary" for you ti have access to children they would otherwise seize, or even (sometimes) to have any access to children they have already seized. We've written many times before in this blog about how CPS has often used the fact that you are desperate and panicked to sign these things without fully reading over what's actually in them, or without first consulting a parental-rights attorney.

The simple answer is DON'T SIGN anything you haven't reviewed with a good attorney YOU KNOW IS ON YOUR SIDE or if the agreement contains things you know are false or that you can't live with. CPS is notorious for inserting "fine print" or legalese that more restrict your rights (at least as far as their corrupted and duplicitous courts are concerned) and they count on you not knowing your rights, or not understanding the way they use words to trip you up.

Here is an article written from a more liberal (pro-CPS) perspective than I would prefer, but still containing some decent advice about "service plans:"

https://www.bryanfagan.com/family-law-blog/2019/november/what-to-do-if-you-no-longer-like-your-cps-servic/

Here is a key excerpt from the link above:

"While it is not necessarily true that CPS will slip language into the plan that is against your best interests, the caseworker involved in your case does not know you or your child nearly as well as you do. Therefore, there may be elements of their plan that do not suit you or your child. Make that known to the CPS worker. There may be a compromise to the language that can be inserted that works better for all parties involved.

The worst thing that you could do is to sign a service plan without first having reviewed it. There could be parts of the plan that are impossible for you to complete for any number of reasons. Do not put yourself in a position where you could lose your rights to your child over the failure to complete some portion of your safety plan. Work schedules, personal commitments and other circumstances that are important to you need to be communicated over and over to CPS to sometimes get the point across to them.

For instance, if you need to complete a specific parenting class that is only available on weekends, but you work on weekends, you should let CPS know about that before signing anything. Signing the plan with the assurance from CPS that 'something can be worked out' is not good enough. You should figure out alternative parenting classes that can be attended or a combination of other courses that you can attend to equal the completion of the parenting class that CPS had in mind. The bottom line is that there are often many different ways to accomplish things in a CPS case, but if you do not speak up for yourself you will be limited as far as your options are concerned."

No matter how hard CPS works to put you on the defensive and/or to trip you up, YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS as a parent and you need to know what they are, and how to enforce them against overzealous case workers. The lawyers at this firm sound like they know the drill. But, I would always suggest finding lawyers in your local area that have plenty of positive reviews on line and with whom you can enter into a working relationship without wondering if they are secretly working with/for CPS behind your back while taking your money. TALK TO OTHER PARENTS who have used them to defned their family against CPS. That is even more important than the on-line reviews.

Many, many parents do NOT need to be susceptible to these "service plans" AT ALL. No who might be, and which are the situations for which CPS is definitely looking to overstep their (very limited, Constitutionally, anyway) authority, and know the signs for when they are simply trying to frighten/cajole you into signing something that no judge (if you have a good lawyer) would dare affirm.

Being forewarned and educated is always best. Knowledge is key when dealing with any government bureaucracy, but especially with one that claims the power to have LEOs with guns come to your house and break up your family.

Stay safe, and God bless you and your family at this Thanksgiving season.