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goes on the State Central Register for Child Abuse and Neglect, even before you have a trial or hearing. (Sex offenders, on the other hand, aren't placed on the sex offender registry until after their trial.) People who have been accused of child abuse or neglect are punished even before they can prove their innocence because employers use the register to check on prospective employees.

In Missouri, several laws concerning Child Protective Services have been successfully challenged. The standard of proof for indicating a report has been raised from some credible evidence to a preponderance of the evidence, and your name cannot be placed on the registry unless you have been given due process through a trial or fair hearing.

Unfortunately, lawmakers will not bring about Child Protective reforms. Any attempt to reform either Child Protective or Family Court laws are seen as being soft on child abuse, rather than an attempt to protect innocent people, give people their due process rights and allow CPS the time to investigate real abuse claims rather than bogus ones.

CPS reform will take place in the courts, not the legislatures, just as it has already to some degree in Missouri. Parents who are falsely accused must challenge the laws and, if necessary, bring law suits against those who trespass on their constitutional rights.

While I dislike the idea of litigation, our politicians have cut off all other options. Litigation is our only hope for real child protective reform.

Read how CPS took my daughter at http://www.helium.com/items/85 2026-october-montgomery-county -daughter

For a fuller explanation of the problems with state child abuse and neglect registries see http://www.helium.com/items/91 9542-almost-everyone-knows-sta te

Read about how to prepare if you are falsely accused of child abuse and neglect at http://www.helium.com/items/94 0036-october-remember-septembe r-fades

Check out the National Coalition for Child Protective Reform http://www.nccpr.org/

Learn more about this author, Dan Weaver.
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