Crisis Confidential: The Call We Did Not Want to Make

“This column relates accounts of family engagement by a nonprofit working to keep families together while avoiding child welfare involvement.

Our work is built around preventing family separation, so the last call we ever want to make is to the Child Protective Services (CPS) hotline. Families choose to work with us voluntarily, and we walk alongside them through crises rooted in poverty, instability and isolation so children can remain safe at home.

Over the years, we have supported hundreds of families referred through schools, community partners and CPS, helping families stabilize emergencies and, when possible, prevent deeper system involvement.

In rare cases, support alone is not enough. When we believe a child is not safe and a parent declines the help needed to change that, we are required to act.”