child services

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Law's One-Word Change Results in Babies Being Taken

New moms following doctors' orders to take anti-addiction meds are losing custody

(Newser) - A story in the New York Times Magazine illustrates a nightmare situation encountered by thousands of new moms across the US: They risk losing custody of their newborns because they're following doctors' orders and taking anti-addiction medication. The story by Shoshana Walter traces the issue to a 2016 federal...

Cops, DCFS Called After Mom Lets Girl Walk Family Dog

8-year-old was gone for '5 minutes,' mom says

(Newser) - The mom of an 8-year-old in suburban Chicago is railing against a "crazy waste of resources" that ended in what CBS Chicago describes as a "legal nightmare." The Chicago Tribune details how on Aug. 2, Corey Widen's daughter took the family dog, Marshmallow, for a walk...

Mom's Harmless Twitter Joke Leads to CPS Investigation

Alex McDaniel recounts the craziest, worst week of her life

(Newser) - After a funny conversation with her 3-year-old earlier this month, Alex McDaniel did what she often does and tweeted about it. After recounting their back-and-forth, she wrote, "3-year-old for sale. $12 or best offer." Pretty harmless, yes? Well, no, as it turns out, because an anonymous tipster reported...

Cops: Mom Left Toddler in Maze, Realized Morning After

3-year-old had already been rescued by the time she called

(Newser) - Family members tell police they didn't notice that a 3-year-old boy was missing when they left a corn maze in Utah on Monday night. Nor did they notice his absence at bedtime, or overnight. Indeed, it was shortly before 8am Tuesday that the mother of the boy finally called...

Weiner: Yes, Child Services Is on My Case

NYC agency delivered investigation letter to his mom's house

(Newser) - There were whispers that child welfare authorities could be knocking on Anthony Weiner's door after his most recent sexting fiasco , and now that possibility has come to fruition. The former NYC mayoral candidate himself confirmed Thursday to the New York Times that the city's Administration for Children'...

Child Welfare Workers Charged in Death of Girl, 4

District Attorney wants to look at 'systematic failures' in system

(Newser) - A Brooklyn district attorney has convened a grand jury to look into “evidence of alleged systemic failures” in New York’s child welfare system, after the horrific death of Marchella Pierce. Authorities believe the 4-year-old’s mother, Carlotta Brett-Pierce, routinely starved her, beat her, drugged her, and tied her...

Mom Charged in Grandma's Plot to Sell Baby

The buyer: Her sister, who'd been given up for adoption as a baby

(Newser) - Police have charged Stephanie Bigbee Fleming with conspiring with her mother, Patty Bigbee, to sell her infant son . Fleming left the child with Bigbee, and Bigbee at one point told the Department of Children and Families that she couldn’t care for it. But then Bigbee got in touch with...

Teen Sailor Can Stay With Dad
 Teen Sailor Can Stay With Dad 

Teen Sailor Can Stay With Dad

Ruling paves the way for another attempt at round-the-world sail

(Newser) - A Dutch court ruled today that 14-year-old sailor Laura Dekker can remain in her father's custody after she ran away from home and traveled alone to the Caribbean. The ruling clears the way once again for Dekker to pursue her goal of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around...

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