CPS Calls

As a teacher, I am a "mandated reporter," meaning that I am required to report child abuse, proven or suspected to Child Protective Services.

During my seven years at Garfield, I had to call twice. The first was because my student's mom hit her on the head with a shoe. The result? CPS visited the family and the mom was told that she could hit her children as long as it wasn't with foreign objects or a closed fist and she couldn't leave a mark. The second time was because a student's uncle had molested her. The result? Before the cops could get him, he ran off to Mexico. But it also opened up communication about the incident with her mom and my student was able to come to terms with the experience and be empowered by her choice to do something about it by telling me.

In just a year and a quarter of teaching in Huntington Park, I have called CPS four times.

Today was the fourth. And the conversation went like this:

CPS Lady: Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services. How may I help you?

Me: I need to file a report.

CPS Lady: Who are you?

Me: Darron Evans. D-A-R-R-O-N E-V-A-N-S.

CPS Lady: And what are you?

Me: I'm a teacher.

[I can already tell from her voice that this is not your typical incredibly helpful CPS person. Usually they are very calm and understanding and they know that you're calling because of something horrible so they're really, REALLY nice]

CPS Lady: And what do you want to report?

Me: *** told me today that her father drove her to school on Friday morning and he was drunk. I actually called about this same thing last year. Her father has a drinking problem and he sometimes drives the family home from parties when he has been drinking.

CPS Lady: And what do you want US to do about it?

Me: Excuse me? [I'm so surprised by the response that I stall for time]

CPS Lady: What do YOU want US to do about it?

Me: Well, I'm worried about her because *** or her family may get hurt in a car accident. When I called at the end of last year, a social worker was sent to the home and left a business card in the door, but ***'s family didn't get in touch with her because they were scared and nothing happened. He's continuing to drink and drive with the family in the car.

CPS Lady: [sounding like I've offended her agency] SIR, what did you expect us to do? We can't do anything unless we go over there with a CHP.

Me: You need a CHP?

CPS Lady: SIR, we're not police officers. [the tone of her voice says that she thinks I'm an idiot] Unless we go over there and we catch the father drunk, and there's ZERO PERCENT CHANCE OF THAT, there is nothing we can do.

Me: Well, I thought that you could send someone over there to visit the family. Maybe if someone official comes over and talks to him, he'll take the problem seriously.

CPS Lady: Unless a CHP pulls him over, gives him a breathalyzer, and sees that he's drunk, there is NOTHING WE CAN DO.

Me: What would you suggest then? If you can't do anything, do you think we, as a school, should call her parents in and talk to them?

CPS Lady: [with a tone that says "This call is so ridiculous, I'm going to go home and blog about it" in her voice] Sir, what are YOU going to do? Are you a police officer?

Me: No.

CPS Lady: Then what can you do? You can't arrest him.

Me: I don't want to arrest him. I want to help him.

CPS Lady: But you're not a police officer.

Me: I don't need to be a police officer to help him.

CPS Lady: [accusatorily] Why is her mama letting those kids get in the car with her drunk father?

Me: [Ummmm...] I don't know.

CPS Lady: She shouldn't be letting those kids in the car.

Me: I agree. But mom doesn't say anything. Nobody in her family says anything. *** is the only one saying anything and that's why I called you.

CPS Lady: [pause]

Me: Do you have the record of when I called last year?

CPS Lady : *If* you called last year, then we WOULD have a record of it in the computer, but everything that happened is confidential and I can't tell you anything.

Me: You can't tell me what happened?

CPS Lady: Sir, I will send a social worker to visit the family within the next five days.

And so it ended.