5 Steps to Dismantle the Child Protective System in America
When reform is ignored, reckoning becomes necessary.
Across the nation, families are waking up to a painful truth: Child Protective Services (CPS)—known in some states as DHR, DCFS, or DFPS—is not always protecting children. In too many cases, they are removing them without just cause, bypassing parental rights, and operating with immunity from accountability.
The goal of this article is not to criticize protection where it’s truly needed but to expose a system that profits off broken families, lacks oversight, and thrives in secrecy.
If you’ve ever asked, “What can we do to stop this?” this is where we begin.
Step 1: Expose the Foundation
You cannot dismantle what you don’t understand. CPS operates on a framework of fear, coercion, and silence. They show up with authority, often unannounced, and pressure families into signing safety plans or agreeing to placements all while avoiding proper legal process.
- Educate your community about how CPS gains access and authority.
- Break the silence by sharing stories, creating media, and speaking out.
- Help people understand that CPS doesn’t need to “win” in court they just need families to comply.
Step 2: Know and Assert Your Rights
Too many families don’t know that they have constitutional rights when dealing with CPS:
- 14th Amendment: protects your right to raise your child without government interference unless there’s clear evidence of harm.
- Right to remain silent and refuse entry unless a court order is presented.
- Right to legal representation before signing any plan, agreement, or confession.
Dismantling starts with empowering parents to stop consenting to their own oppression.
Step 3: Track the Violators
Every agency is made up of individuals caseworkers, supervisors, judges, and contractors who carry out the harm. Start building records:
- Collect names, dates, case numbers, and patterns of misconduct.
- Connect with others in your area to compile data on repeat offenders.
- Create public-facing platforms (anonymously if needed) to track and expose unethical behavior.
Step 4: Mobilize Your Community
One voice can be silenced. A hundred can’t.
Organize town halls, school board inquiries, and peaceful protests. Build committees of survivors, advocates, and informed parents to:
- Demand accountability at local CPS offices
- Show up to public hearings and judicial elections
- Educate teachers, pastors, and neighbors about how CPS operates
Dismantling happens from the inside and the outside simultaneously.
Step 5: Push for Legal & Policy Change
This system will not change on goodwill alone. It must be forced to change through:
- Lawsuits for due process violations and unlawful removals
- Policy demands for recorded interviews, body cams, and transparency
- Repealing immunity protections that shield workers from liability even when they violate rights
File FOIA requests. Support parental rights legislation. Connect with legal advocacy groups already in the fight.
Final Thought: From Silence to System Shift
Dismantling CPS isn’t about anarchy it’s about accountability.
It’s about demanding that protection never come at the cost of parental rights, family integrity, or due process.
If reform is ignored, we bring reckoning instead.
This is how we begin.
