Renegade Agency: A Memoir of a Family in Crisis and the Systems Meant to Protect Us

by Andrea Verbanic

Andrea Verbanic began December 2, 2013, finger-painting and practicing yoga with three toddlers. By 9:00 p.m. that evening, she was the main target of a felony child abuse investigation that upended her life. The ordeal that unfolded over the next six years is equal parts social commentary, whodunnit mystery, and drama-filled soap opera that will challenge what you think you know about the systems we trust to protect us.

Andrea’s worlds collided in a devastating way when the police and Child Protective Services (CPS) came knocking. Once a CPS social worker and now married to a detective, she suddenly found herself being investigated by her former agency and railroaded by the police. Renegade Agency is both an acutely personal account of a mother investigated for child abuse and a social worker’s critical analysis of what goes wrong in child abuse investigations and why. Andrea seamlessly weaves together these storylines to give an insider’s view that is deeply felt and astutely observant.

The voices of those most impacted by the child welfare system are rarely heard because they are typically poor, disadvantaged, and ashamed of being accused. We are conditioned to view the suspects as villains and the police, social workers, and doctors as heroes when reality is sometimes the opposite. Drawing from her experience investigating over 1400 reports of child abuse and neglect, Andrea reframes the narrative and sheds light on the hidden suffering of families.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2024

Reviews

[Deena Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t believe it will happen to you until it does

I was familiar with Andrea when she worked for DCF and always respected her practice. As a social worker, making decisions that impact children and families, I try my best to make fair and rational decisions that protect children. I depend on the agencies discussed in the book to also make fair and rational decisions, knowing that is not always the case. We are humans with a lot of competing values, intentions and opinions. Andrea details what we all hope never happens, failure at multiple levels, leaving a small child vulnerable to further abuse. When investigators make up their mind who is guilty, then try to find or create evidence to support that position, the system fails and innocents suffer. Kudos to Andrea for her detailed and honest account of when things go horribly wrong. Hopefully, this memoir can trigger change and oversight where it’s needed.

[Sharon Lewis Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, what a frustrating experience. Writing this memoir was very brave. Andrea admits to her own mistakes which may have been the catalyst to the prejudice against her. Incredible story that personally made me examine my own biased thinking.

[Nicole Wilbourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.. the fact that this happened so close to where I currently live is scary. This is Andrea’s story about how she used to work for CPS then she was investigated herself by them as well. Andrea worked in social work for 10 years. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. She used to watch a little girl, Abigail, until one day, Andrea received a phone call from the mother of Abigail and that is when Andrea’s nightmare began. She was immediately blamed for the broken arm. Andrea feeling guilty about possibly have caused the injury by giving a hug, she confessed. However, that wasn’t enough for Detective Holland. He would continue to lie and misrepresent what Andrea meant in her interviews. When Holland mentions this injury could not have been caused by a hug, Andrea knew she did not hurt the little girl. Andrea fights for years to clear her name and to tell her story but no one would listen and no one would take accountability and acknowledge their mistake. Andrea was able to do Holland’s job and figured it out. But again, there was no changing Holland’s, KBI, doctors, etc. it is sad to know that this system continues to fail children. Getting tunnel vision and not listening to anything else can have major repercussions. Andrea is a very courageous person. I know to this day she continues to bring to light that this can literally happen to anyone. This story does not have a wrapped up ending because there isn’t one. This story is not over until people take accountability and acknowledge their wrong doing and change for the better.

[Jamie Loughmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally know Andrea so reading this book made me very sad to know that she went through this extremely difficult ordeal for six long years. And not only that but during a time in her life when she was raising three children. As a mandated reporter myself it really gave me pause to think of the repercussions that can come from the reports DCF receive day in and day out. It helped me recognize that despite our best efforts we all have biases and sometimes get fixated on one possibility of the way things occurred in a situation that causes us to put blinders on to any other outcome. It’s extremely scary to read this story where a child was allowed to stay with the person(s) who most likely caused her harm and wonder how many others do we get it wrong and the implications of that. Truly a make you think, well written memoir that I’m glad I had the opportunity to read! Thank you for sharing your story!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read and I prefer “everyday people memoirs” over celebrity memoirs. I loved how Andrea allowed the story of this six years event to unfold in her book. It kept me guessing throughout. As a mandated reporter (public school educator) I know that we must have DCF to keep kids and families safe. It’s necessary and important. I hope that the people working in these systems are able to read this book (or her report) and truly process it. Having this information will hopefully help all involved in these types of investigations to be able to recognize their own biases.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courageous story that will leave you upset at the system

Courageous—this story is one of courage and strength. When wrongly accused of abuse, the author did not shrink in telling her story, in trying to ensure that the truth came out. The book was at once heartbreaking and inspiring, and it took courage not only to repeat her story over and over to the various agencies that bungled the investigation, but to give it to us—as a warning about what can go wrong.

Having been a social worker in the very agency that was investigating her, the author is able to give readers special insight into the way the investigation should have gone.

This was a captivating read!