The Process of Closing a Case is Biased or Broken.

Yes, those numbers reflect the legally completed actions for that year. In the world of CPS, completed means the state officially opened an investigation or assessment, finished their work, and stamped it with a final decision. Here is the breakdown of what happened to those 53,343 children once their files were closed:

The Breakdown
The Founded (The 13%): Only about 6,900 of those children were in cases where the state actually found clear and convincing evidence of abuse or neglect. The Unfounded (The Majority): The vast majority—thousands of kids—were part of investigations that were closed as unfounded.

This means the state opened a file, interviewed the family, and searched the home, but ultimately found no legal evidence to back up the report. 

The Appeals (The Pushback)
Even after a case is closed, it isn't always over. At the end of the year, 193 cases of the minority of founded allegations were still being fought in administrative appeals by parents claiming the state's decision was wrong.

The Unfounded Video
Virginia closed 36,761 reports last year involving 53,000 kids. But here’s the kicker: they walked away from the majority of those homes admitting they had zero evidence. That's tens of thousands of families who had their privacy stripped for a completed report that went nowhere.

The Incompetence Video
88 out of 120 local offices (like Patrick County) were flagged for unfair treatment during these 36,000+ cases. It suggests the process of closing these files is often biased or broken.

Should we use the Unfounded vs. Founded Gap to show how many innocent families are being tracked in the statewide database?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cat Care and Safety Checklist

Your Cat's Temporary Removal Care +  Safety Checklist Daily Care 💭 They get dressed and cleaned in a way that helps them learn to do things on their own 💭 They sleep at the same time each night 💭 Adults notice if they're tired, sick, or hurt 💭 An adult helps them safely take medicine  💭 Adults write down changes so everyone knows Food and Meals 💭 They have food they like and can eat 💭 Adults make sure they have meals + snacks 💭 If food changes, adults tell each other 💭 Their body is respected and no one talks about dieting around them. Health and Doctor Visits 💭 They go to the doctor when they need to 💭 An adult goes with them 💭 Adults share what the doctor says 💭 Adults notice how they feel in their body + feelings School and Learning 💭 They go to school or learning activities 💭 Adults help them when school feels hard 💭 Adults talk kindly about school 💭 Adults share important school news Outings and Activities 💭 Adults tell each other about big trips 💭 They...
Read more

Stop False Reports and System Abuse

At seventeen, Jane was still living a childhood she should have outgrown—because no one in charge stepped in. Teachers noticed. Doctors hesitated. Systems delayed. So Jane became the adult: managing crises, protecting her sister, absorbing the chaos. When help doesn’t come, kids don’t get rescued—they get stuck. They grow up too fast, carry too much, and their lives become leverage. In a school hallway, Jane realized: this wasn’t concern. It was control. Right now in Virginia, people can file false reports over and over with little to no consequences. These reports can lead to forced hospital stays, custody fights, and permanent damage to someone’s name—even when there’s no real proof. The people who lie often face no punishment. “Concern” gets used like a weapon to control others and ruin lives while pretending to help. This isn’t rare. It happens. That’s why we’re asking for real fixes. 1. Recognize Coercive Control: Jane once walked home without shoes on the heated asphalt—not be...
Read more

Virginia OCO SFY 2025

In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025, which ended June 30, 2025, the Office of the Children's Ombudsman (OCO) in Virginia received 466 complaints regarding the conduct of local departments of social services.  While this number reflects formal complaints rather than a general sentiment of "unfairness," it is the primary metric for tracked dissatisfaction. The Most Common Issues of Complaints Include Staff Bias Allegations that agency staff were biased against the complainant. Improper Procedures Specifically regarding child protective services (CPS) investigation protocols. Inadequate Support Providing inappropriate or insufficient services to families. Improper Removals Concerns regarding the removal of children from their homes. Lack of Responsiveness: Poor communication or lack of engagement from agency staff.  Some Additional Data Points Regarding The Virginia  CPS interactions SFY 2025 include: Total Reports There were 36,761 completed reports of child abuse or neglect, i...
Read more