From the December 2009 Idaho Observer:

Protecting Your Family from Child Protective Services

This month, CPS expert Mike Gibson continues The I.O.’s series on protecting your children from CPS. This third and final installment highlights the risks a family faces with children in school.

I.O.: Mike, you’ve mentioned that although the law states that initial contact with the child should be made at home, this is generally not the case. Why do investigators routinely approach a child at school first?

M.G.: Most first contacts with children occur at school because it is the easiest and least confrontational approach to dealing with a family. At schools, CPS officials are godlike. They have the authority to suspend staff and faculty on their belief that they are a threat to children. They can suspend the school staff for up to 90 days with no type of court or administrative review. What is even more repugnant, is that the law is structured such, that even if the CPS investigator acts under color of law he is immune from civil and criminal liability.

School officials are in fear of and usually have disdain for CPS officials. They will normally do exactly what they are told to do, even if it violates their own policies and the law because they are afraid of arrest and loss of career. Many school principals have been told they will be arrested if they call the parents to let them know CPS is at the school to interview their children.

Unfortunately, local law enforcement backs up CPS in doing this. I have been told repeatedly over the years by good law enforcement officers that they do this type of thing because they are also afraid of CPS. Most of them have families and children and know that CPS could also take their children. One officer described CPS to me as akin to Stalin’s secret police and that they have powers that are above the law. Although he was mistaken, it took a long time of working with this officer and his agency for them to realize that CPS can do nothing if law enforcement refuses to back up CPS.

As I mentioned last month, schools are also where the bulk of calls to CPS come from. Many teachers, counselors and staff have told me over the years, although they didn’t think there was any abuse going on with the child, they called in the report to CYA (Cover Your Glutus Maximus). Most officials are mandated reporters and can be jailed and fined if they have any suspicions of abuse/neglect and do not report it. The state has made school personnel into one large snitch corp. Parents need to understand that everything they say to a school official is on the record and that they will tell CPS any and everything the parents have said to the official. This alone is a good reason to home school your children.

If children are being removed from their parents’ custody, then school is the number one place for them to be taken. Children are totally exposed and vulnerable to CPS at their school. If CPS decides to take them, they are in an environment that is totally out of the parents’ control. It is much easier for CPS as there is no confrontation with the parents and no real chance for them being injured due to an angry, overwrought parent. They just take the child from school at the end of the school day and put them with another family. The parent, many times, is left waiting at the bus stop for their child. There are no words to describe the panic in the hearts of these parents as they frantically try to find out what happened to their child. If they call the school, they will only be referred to the local law enforcement, which may or may not refer them to the CPS official.

The CPS official is required within 24 hours to attempt to make contact with the parents and inform them of the time and place of a hearing in front of a judge. There are times when the parents come to court not knowing what happened to their children, why they were taken or where they are. CPS is under no obligation to give the physical address of a foster home if that is where the children are.

School is the most dangerous place parents can send their children. Many schools are more like prison camps or war zones than an institution of learning. One school I went into, although having less than 500 students, had four permanently assigned police officers to deal with the violence and drugs. This was not an inner city school but a rural school.

Considering the threats from other violent children, pedophile and predator teachers and staff, and the threat by CPS, if there are any other options for a family, I would strongly encourage them to take their children out of public schools and home school them. Understanding there are situations of only a single parent household or a parent who has to work to support the children, each family needs to look at their situation and determine if they can school their children. Perhaps the family might have to reduce their lifestyle and mom may not get a new car or may have to sacrifice having a vehicle to be able to school her children at home. My own family faced with those choices decided to downsize our lifestyle and protect our children. My children are much better today because of those decisions. The question that needs to be asked of all parents is what is the most important thing in your life? Is it your financial status, your own career fulfillment, the three cars and the large home? What you value most is indicated by your actions and your lifestyle. Are your children raising themselves or worse, is the television their best friend? Do you have what it takes to make the right decision for your children against the pressure that will come against you from family, friends and the community? Only you can answer that question.

I.O.: How would you answer someone who claims that homeschooling a child puts the parents automatically on a watch list?

M.G.: We are all on so many lists at this point, being on another list should not be of much concern, nor should parents live in fear of what the government might do. This type of fear is how tyrants make people self-impose tyranny on themselves.

Parents should concentrate on what is in the best interest of their child's long-term care. Especially with schooling, parents have a responsibility to God to educate their children in the nurture and admonition of God. That means God has entrusted your children's education to you, not the state. Why would anyone want to send their young child, who is forming his or her personality/world paradigms, to an institution that is in direct opposition to the Word of God; a place where the child's mind will be forcibly formed into a person who believes there is no absolute moral authority, and sexual promiscuity is normal and good, and if you happen to become pregnant, you can just murder an innocent life? I think we all know this is condoned and encouraged by schools. If they can’t take your children away full-time, they are temporarily satisfied to have them part-time at school to turn them into Godless, hedonistic, world citizens with no allegiance to any nation or family.

Once again, the fear of government equals tyranny. Parents need to put the fear of God back into their government officials (school officials) by understanding their rights and the laws which would equal freedom for them and their children. I remember reading that submission to tyranny is disobedience to God. Conversely, resisting tyranny would be obedience to God.

Mike and Linda Gibson are available for one day seminars. Contact them at 352-489-6521