I just got through with an interview with Greg Cunningham, the public information officer for the Department of Family and Child Protective Services. I had preconceived notions about what it was all about. In the public eye, CPS is the bad agency, whether children are taken away from the home or remain with the family and something later goes awry.
In a calm, rational conversation, where all I wanted was the facts, I got more than I bargained for. For example, Cunningham said all the agency does is investigate and make recommendations to a judge. The judge is the person who makes the determination that a child is in danger or not. FCPS doesn't go into court alone, Cunningham told me. Court-Appointed Special Advocates are also involved. The top priority of both agencies is the safety of the children.
How can anyone argue with that?
The full conversation with Cunningham and some caseworkers is still a couple of weeks away from being published, but when it is, I hope a lot of people will take the time to watch out for children in their neighborhoods and understand that FCPS can't be everywhere at all times. It is the responsibility of neighbors to get involved. A phone call won't get a struggling family in trouble, but it may help keep the children safe.