Legally Kidnapped: The Case Against Child Protective Services

by Carlos Morales, Calvin Thompson (Editor)

In the second edition of the book,Child Protective Services Whistleblower, Carlos Morales, exposes the dangerous tactics and overt corruption that he witnessed as a CPS investigator. Through keen insight, analysis, war stories, and interviews with attorneys & judges, Carlos Morales speaks truth to power in this shocking book. Unlike anything ever published, he breaks down exactly what families should do to protect themselves from this monolithic agency that has destroyed the lives of children & parents. Parents across the country have already used his legal recommendations and saved not only thousands of dollars on lawyer fees, but also protected the future of their family. It is imperative that people understand Child Protective Services in order to save their families, and this book accomplishes that in a gripping and thought provoking manner.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Politics, Law, Family

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2014

Reviews

[Neil McGarry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to like this book because I support indie authors and I am always interested in works that examine the workings of the legal system. However, I found myself disappointed on both counts.

First, Legally Kidnapped is full of grammatical errors, misspellings and awkward style. I think Morales would have benefited greatly from the involvement of an editor. We indies can't be expected to wield the influence of a traditional publisher, but we should be held to the same standards of quality. Unfortunately, this book under-performs in this regard.

Second, Morales refers to a few studies here and there, but he never interviews other CPS staffers who echo his concerns, nor is the hard data and scholarly research sufficiently compelling to support the conclusion that the only way to reform Child Protective Services is to end it. That's quite a case to make, and I don't think the author makes it, particularly when he asserts that the state "steals money" to "kidnap" children. That's hyperbole -- CPS is funded by taxation and guided by law, both of which are established via the democratic process -- and it undermines the very serious point Morales is trying to make.

Given more rigorous research and a good editor, Legally Kidnapped could be a formidable work, but for now I just don't think it makes the grade.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

As mentioned in previous reviews, there are plenty of typos and grammatical errors; an editor is needed. However, if you can look past the lack of professional writing, there is a lot of valuable information contained in this book. I plan on passing it on to a social worker friend to get his take on it.

Every parent, in my opinion, should know what to do in case CPS comes knocking on their door. This book, though far from perfect, is a good first step. I hope someone expands on the premise in the future.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening

this was very helpful and empowering. the book reveals a good amount of information otherwise closed to mainstream. I would recommend this book to parents who veer from the norm in any respect - especially homeschool families.

[Kimberly Mccune · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super informative, but desperately needed a proofreader and editor.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found some of the info about the agency interesting, but it turned out to be more of a "How to fight the agency" manual.

[jessica beatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information

This book gives great information on what happens in the cps court room. It helps educate parents on how to deal with a knock on the door from cps. It thoroughly explains how the system is failing families, especially children. I suggest this book for every parent, because yes, you could be next! All it takes is one made up allegation from an alleged anonymous person and your kids can be ripped from you. You are guilty until proven innocent. You have more rights as a criminal than you do as a parent. Please educate!

[Crissa Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for speaking out! We need you!

Thank you, Could you please make an audio version for the reading and vision impaired and possibly free on YouTube for the severely impoverished? Could copies in more languages also be made available?

[Jess Lambert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written, poorly edited, poorly supported … I wanted this book to be so much more than it was. It was of half-cocked anecdotes that weren’t supported by very much data and then the advice section was very bland and obvious.

[Sarah - Beyond the Daily Grind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some missing words and grammatical issues, but a good source of information for those facing struggles against government entities designed to destroy and break up families.

[Eliza McCullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I understand the author's need to tell all about this failed system, I was quite disappointed that he did not share some of his experiences when working with the CPS.

[Kristle Pipgras · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but also a bit intense and maybe convoluded. I'm not doubting this is based off of real events but it's written in such a way to make it seem that this is the majority

[Jocelyn Joel Jeffries Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book had some good insight for dealing with CPS, the lack of a quality editor reduced the overall value of the book. I would recommend hiring one, then I would rerelease it.

[Teah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully filled with informative material that really makes you feel like you understand the process of this nightmarish reality for some.