Need some info about CPS?

Question

This is kind of complex so I am going to try to explain it without confusing anyone.

A good friend of mine has 2 daughters.. When she was 6 months pregnant with the 2nd one she suspected that her husband was cheating on her but never did anything about it since she had no real evidence that he was. About a month later a 18 year old girl (her and her husband are both 25) knocked on her door and told her that she was pregnant with her husband's baby. She asked her husband and he confessed so she left. She and her daughter (15 months at the time) moved in with her mother. They started talking and trying to work things out for the sake of the children. He was there when she gave birth to their second daughter 3 weeks ago and everything. Then last week he called and told her that he was moving his 18 year old pregnant girlfriend in with him and wanted a divorce in which she gladly agreed.

Now her sister-in-law (her husbands sister) is causing all kinds of problems for her because she never really like my friend in the first place. She is telling everyone she is calling CPS on her and having her 2 daughters taken from her because she is living with her mom and its only a 2 bedroom house so there aren't enough bedrooms. She has the 2 babies (18 months and 3 weeks old) in the same bedroom with her. My friend is all upset cause she thinks they are going to take her kids because of this.

There is nothing else that her sister-in-law could use against her though because I see her and those kids often and they are VERY well taken care of. Her 18 month old daugther is almost completely potty trained, sleeps in a toddler bed, is always VERY happy and smiling. She is ALWAYS clean and wears the cutest clothes ever. She is NEVER denied food and she is very smart for her age. They have a roof over their heads, running water, heat, electricity and always have their mothers complete attention. Their house is practically spotless considering she has a toddler and a newborn. She has thousands of dollars of savings that they could live off it for well over a year. She also plans on getting a job when the baby turns 2 months old so she can find a place for her and the kids.

Has anyone been in this kind of situation or know how the system works and what would happen if her SIL does call CPS? Do you think they will take her kids just because they are all share a bedroom? Any advice would be appreciated, she just had a baby and doesn't need to be stressing about this. I really feel bad for her so I figured I would try to see what I could find out. Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Calm your friend down, CPS WILL NOT take her children away if they all share the same room... that's ridiculous! Yes, if the children were older, for example 14y/o male and 12y/o female and sleeping in the same room then there could be a potential problem but they would not take the children away even in those circumstances. The worker would ask to find suitable sleeping arrangements and then would arrange another visit to ensure that children were not sleeping in the same room....

Now your friends situation is different. Both children are young. As long as the children have a bed to sleep in I know that CPS cannot take a children away.

Let your friend know that if CPS goes to her house that it's not because they are going to take the children away but because it's their job to 'investigate' any allegations/reports. If the worker doesn't find any cause for concern she will close the case in 30 days (by law every case stays open for 30 days)

Again, tell her not to worry.

Answer 2

To the best of my knowledge most places only have laws requiring a certain number of bedrooms per kid for foster kids only.  Parents are allowed to sleep in the same room as their kid(s) if they choose, and male and female children can share rooms.

There is also generally a minimum number of square feet per person but trust me unless you have 12 people in a mobile home you're fine on that as well.

Answer 3

Legally you can have a child even of the opposite s*x share a bedroom with you (if it is your own child) until they are 5 years old.  Children of the same s*x you can have in the same room as long a you need to (my mom and I were sharing a room when i was 14 and my parents just got divorced).  Since it is two girls as long as they have proper sleeping arrangments in the room and the house is safe then it doesn't matter that they share a room with her.  I shared a bedroom with my two boys for awhile and even asked a friend at CPS about it and she said it was fine because they were under 5 years old.  My boyfriend has visitations with his 5 kids and they all 5 have to sleep in beds in his bedroom because he has only 1 bedroom right now and CPS and the courts said that was fine for visitations and he has them 3 nights a week.  As long as she makes sure there is food in the house and that the house isn't a mess (like trash and stuff all over the place) and her kids are clean and well fed and see a Dr as they should and everything she should be just fine.    

Answer 4

CPS is not going to take her children just because of where she lives.  She would have to be abusing or neglecting the children.

Answer 5

CPS won't do anything.  As long as those babies are well taken care of and living in a safe environment, they won't interfere with anything.  It doesn't matter that they are all living in the same room, the only time that's really important is when it's a foster child.  They have to have space to themselves.  Do you realize how many American families would be in trouble because their kids stay in their room?  My husband and I would be, our daughter sleeps in her pack 'n play in our room.

Answer 6

i dont think they'll take the kids.

as long as the house is clean, which im sure it is..

and as long as they arent abused [im sure they arent]...then everything shoulld be fine...

and thats normal for your children , being that young,  to sleep in the same bedroom as the mother. she should be okay !

Answer 7

if your friend and her soon-to-be ex are getting along ok, she should ask him to call off his sister.  

she might also look into getting a restraining order against the sister if she is harassing her family.

Answer 8

Best wishes to your friend! The SIL sounds like a troll and if she does call CPS they will possibly come out take a look and see that all is well and go on about their business. The babies are young enough not to need their own rooms and why wouldn't she stay with her mom? Grandma's are a great support system and great caregivers. I would encourage your friend to stay with her mom as long as possible for her own sake and that of the babies!

Answer 9

NO... by what you just stated they have no legal right to take those children from their mother simply because they share a bedroom...as long as they are not being abused, or malnourished then they will not do anything...

they may visit her a few times but i am sure they will conclude that she is a good mother and needs no intervention on their part...she does not need the stress make sure you tell her there is nothing they can do and shame on the sister in law for putting her through so much when her brother did such a horrible thing...

if CPS took every child out of their home for not having their own bedroom....wow they would have a lot of kids...

good luck