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Neither.
ACS is corrupt thru & thru, and are only interested in themselves and in destroying men, even if to destroy a man will mess up the children they supposedly are mandated with taking care of.
It’s prohibited. Like 147 said, the absolute last thing on these government bureaucrats mind is the welfare of the children. Nothing can be worse for the children than to seize them from their parents and put them into some foreign foster home or orphanage who they never met in their life, together with untold numbers of other uncared for children.
And it is especially disturbing that this question is being asked about a parent who has clutter in their home or bedbugs or is physically disabled. Being in a wheelchair or having clutter is a reason to throw children’s lives, and parent’s lives, into a situation of far worse turmoil?
so how does one go about helping these people?
Pay for a cleaning lady, buy them new mattresses, help them carry their groceries and give them tzedakah.
If you see bruises on the children YOU MUST call ACS and remove the children and get them out of there ASAP
Also if you are a mandatory reporter and suspect things like Malnutrition also call ACS ASAP
huh, bedbug bites is a reason to take children away from their parents?? What about mosquito bites, if the parents aren’t properly protecting the children from mosquitoes – should ACS put those children into foster homes?
How does one get bedbugs? If I got bedbugs, would you report me to the ACS and try to get my kids taken away from me?
There are plenty of other ways to help.
What do you mean by “problem taking care of their children… Overly cluttered… And mentally/physically disabled”?
These terms are all too vague (and perhaps subjective).
They could be extreme or they could be minor.
Minor? Why is it a parent’s fault for being physically disabled? The other “faults” are, too, a tempest in a teapot. Should the disabled now be prohibited from having children?
The community should help disabled people raise their children if their disabilities prevent them from raising children properly on their own.
Once ACS puts their boots into a families neck, it will be long and hard in coming before those government bureaucrats take it out, if ever before the children attain majority. ACS are not a bunch of loving, caring volunteers coming to help out families while minimally intruding into their lives.
We’re not talking about fault.
We’re talking about capability, with or without assistance.
In some cases, help may be refused or simply not suffice to meet the needs of the child in that home environment.
This is not about fairness, fault or equal rights and opportunities.
This is about “can do” with or without help.
The OP did not provide enough information for anyone to properly respond (nor, do I think, we should).
This is a question for a professional from a social services-mental health facility to address.
It sounds like the OP is convinced this is a case of neglect whereas we, fellow CR visitors, do not necessarily agree.
if the children were being mistreated to the extent of maybe abuse , then ACS must be called ASAP.
the situation that coffee addict describes seems like a family that could just simply use some money for like a “cleaner” home and money to get help watching the children-babysitter.
a cluttered and bedbug filled home isn’t safe nor healthy, therefore something must be done. but, I don’t think the answer is calling ACS. I think that the answer might be a new home(because bedbugs never go away, they just come back), and someone to help run the home and watch the kids.
“I think that the answer might be a new home(because bedbugs never go away, they just come back)”
So once a home had bedbugs it should be condemned and no one should ever live in it again?
What do you mean by “bombed”?
Bedbugs don’t live in the house itself, just in the furniture.
Calling an exterminator and buying a new house are not precisely the same things.
Had you meant bombed in the other sense…
Healthcrazy.
I believe in NYC the landlords are responsible for exterminating the bedbugs. (As unfair as it may be to landlords).
Bedbug treatment can be successful, albeit expensive, but only if the occupants are cooperative. And sometimes multiple units are infested so they must all be treated simultaneously to avoid reinfestation. The sooner it’s treated, the better as these bugs unfortunately do multiply. And believe it or not cleanliness is not really a factor, it’s more a matter of bad luck. (Although “clean” sensibilities come into play with how seriously it’s handled after becoming aware that one has them.)
My best advice would be to try to set up a fund and tackle these issues one by one as money is the answer to most of it…
Then report the landlord to ACS and to the city Department of Housing.
Aside from the legalities about the requirements to call ACS, one must be realistic. There has probably never been, anywhere in the world, or throughout history, a government agency as inept as ACS. We are often exposed to stories of where they were brought into a case that required true intervention, but never accomplished it effectively, damaging children. They have also needlessly traumatized countless families, treating them like criminals for absolutely nothing. I have witnessed both. The only thing I would hope is that ACS gets some sort of external audit, and that the logical conclusion is that it is dismantled, to be replaced by a new agency with competence. Wishful thinking.
The frum community needs to get involved. ACS reporting is mandatory for people in the health professions and social workers who are aware of a problem. If you are merely a neighbor who notes things going on, perhaps you can get your local shul involved, a Rov and Rebbetzin, Bikur Cholim, etc. to see how they can help.
Find out who their family members are and if due to their seeming lack of interest it becomes NECESSARY, let it “slip” that you heard that someone has been talking about calling in Child Services. That sometimes spurs errant family to get involved where they have made themselves “nisht visindig” prior to this, expecting other people to pick up the slack. And if they only do it because of fear of what other people might say (I have seen that, too), it is still probably better than social services getting involved.
the little that I know,
very true!
Does that mean you changed your mind?
coffee addict: The landlord has the legal responsibility of getting rid of the bedbugs irregardless of how they got in. The tenant should withhold the rent until the landlord cleans it up and if necessary use the rent money that he is withholding to get an exterminator and/or file a housing complaint. Housing and the courts will uphold the tenants right to insist the landlord clean it up irregardless of its source and withhold the rent until it is done.
How do you know its bedbugs and not something worse like Fleas (Yes fleas can get into apartments and bite kids)
picturesq, it’s not that simple. My aunt’s landlord kept sending exterminators but she refused to let them in. If these parents are doing the same, they can’t withhold rent
“Irregardless” is a non-word that means “not regardless”.
LC: I agree. If the tenant refused the landlords offer to exterminate it is the tenants problem. But the landlord is responsible to offer to send an exterminator.
Morah23: Thank you. 🙂
The exterminator already came to exterminate the house?
The house doesn’t need to be exterminated. Only the bugs.
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