Was it because of XXX?
My lived experience and why I'm asking you to call your state legislators today
One of my daughters asked me the other day why an acquaintance of ours had embarked on her rather unique profession. I’m not going to name the profession. Let’s just say you don’t hear of people who do her kind of work every day.
“Was it because of XXX?” My daughter asked, sharing that she, through the gossip mill, knew many sordid details regarding our acquaintance.
I cautioned my daughter that we don’t know all the facts of this acquaintance’s history — and to refrain from spreading rumors—, but that, yes, her lived experiences had presented her with an opportunity to embark on her unique path in order to help other people.
That conversation got me thinking about my life lately, and how we don’t know how it’s all going to turn out. As all of you know, we often cannot control life’s circumstances (or what people tell us), but we can do our best to control our reactions to them.
That’s why I’ve taken my wrath at being reported to New York’s Statewide Central Register (SCR) of Child Abuse and Neglect and turned it into advocacy.
What the (insert profanity)? The call to the SCR was a gross overreaction to child’s play and a gross overreaction to autism. At the time of the report, in 2019, my kids were 12, 10, and 6.
Ultimately, the “anonymous” call to the SCR that triggered the investigation was determined to be “unfounded” and my family’s case was “sealed.”
I could have remained silent, but I’ve chosen to speak out because I want to ensure that every parent knows that the knock at the door could happen to them.
Never once during our 60-day investigation was my family informed of our rights, that we didn’t need to allow CPS into our homes without a warrant. If I’d been accused of a crime, I would have been read my Miranda Rights, but that’s not how CPS works in New York.
But that could change!
For those of you in New York: Please join me in urging our state lawmakers to pass two bills now State Legislature:
S901/A1980 and S902/A2479.
S901/A1980, otherwise known as the Miranda for Families Act, would require CPS caseworkers to inform parents and caregivers who have been reported to the SCR both verbally and in writing, that we are not required, unless court ordered, to allow them entry into our home. It does not create any new rights; rather, it notifies parents of our existing rights. It would still permit CPS caseworkers to enter the home without a warrant and even temporarily remove the children if they believe the children are in imminent danger.
S902/A2479, also known as the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act, would make calls to Statewide Central Register (SCR) confidential, but not anonymous. To date, anyone can call the SCR and make an anonymous report without providing any identifying information or rationale for their allegations. The result is a system inundated with false and unsubstantiated reports. CPS, I’ve come to personally understand, is retaliation’s handmaiden. These calls make it more difficult for the government to determine the cases of true abuse and true neglect.
So, please, find the names of your state senator and state assembly member below and call his/her/their office today and urge them to pass these two bills.
I will be in Albany next Wednesday, May 15, meeting with our representatives. Please, if you can, join me. Most importantly, call your state senator and assembly member. Together we can get this bill across the finish line!
https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
Thank you!
Loren