CPS is called because you are vegan/ vegetarian

That is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read!! WTF?? I have dealt with CPS concerning my grandchildren and my vegetarianism was NEVER an issue. Indiana sounds like a very "backward" state. I don't know if I would have had the courage to fight like that woman though... I probably would cave and let the child be omni until the case was closed. I can't believe the state of Indiana has such a prejudice against a proven healthy lifestyle. Maybe some other factors were at play here.....

I would do anything they asked of me. If we could stay vegetarian, of course I would, but having my son with me takes priority.

I agree with Limes but I also wonder if their is more to this story.

From the stories I've heard about CPS in Ohio, I can certainly believe it!

There were times when light skinned black people were encouraged to pretend to be white to ahead?

How about when women allowed their bosses to steal ideas from them in order to be promoted?

I would be concerned if this couple were to renounce their values. I applaud them for getting their story out.

As a vegan and a social worker, this story is very interesting to me. I'd really like to know more about this case.

A lot of people simply don't know much about vegetarianism and veganism. I've had my social worker peers ask me very strange questions and make weird comments about the way I eat: "You eat no protein, right?" You take people like that into a situation described at that website and it could be a recipe for a disaster.

Exactly, there needs to be more education concerning vegetarianism and veganism. Even DOCTORS are ignorant about this lifestyle. Hopefully some good will come of stories like this and more people will get the correct information and not just buy into the myths. There is always media sensation about "vegan parents starve children" and such .... we need POSITIVE stories.

There is almost certainly more to the story. The story is too long so I don't know all of the details, but except for very extreme cases of neglect or abuse, parents have many many warnings before CPS actually removes a child from the home. Just another case of "don't believe everything you read on the Internet."

The idea that you should "play along" and admit to anything that could be construed as a mistake without legal advice is a terrible one and exactly the sort of thing that can be used to incriminate you at some later date.

I would not trust CPS to have my children for a minute. I'd get a lawyer and do whatever they said to get them back.

People that stupid shouldn't be working in any area that has any impact over anyone else's lives.

Well, they do. There are quite a few extremely ignorant people who are able to influence the outcomes of children's lives.

Alright, so here's the advice I have for any vegetarian or vegan parent, foster parent, guardian, or adoptive parent who may have to interact with Child Protective Services/ Family Services:
- Do whatever it takes to make sure your child thrives in your care. Make sure this is completely obvious to anyone paying attention.
- Make sure your pediatrician is pro-veg. Ask around and find one who has zero issue with your diet/lifestyle.
- Study up on veg nutrition from reputable, mainstream sources. Have veg nutrition books, booklets, DVDs, etc in your home and easily accessible should you need them in a moments notice.
- If you can, keep a low profile. For example, use the word "vegetarian" instead of "vegan." If you're an activist, take a break for a bit. Etc.
- Use your resources. For example, if you have money hire a really good lawyer; it will be well worth it. If you have friends in high places, ask for help.

Lastly, if they remove your natural or adopted children, beg your friends and family to get licensed to be fostercare providers. Many states will prefer to put the children in the care of someone familiar rather than a stranger. This will end up being better for your children in the long run and might even make some other things easier for you (like visitation, etc). It can strain the relationship between you and the friend/family member who fosters but it's really much better for the kids, so long as that person is a good parental figure.

Thinking about this just makes me so FURIOUS. I would fight so hard.... people would lose their jobs. If they want to take away kids for improper diet, they should just have CPS agents waiting at the Exit of McDonald's.

Exactly! How many kids out there are eating absolute crap 100% of the time? Where is CPS then?

Didn't I see a thread here about CPS taking a kid away becuse he or she was obese?

It's a moot point Molly.

Anyone who takes your kids away because you feed them a vegetarian diet is hardly going to feed your kids a vegetarian diet now, are they?

It really depends on where you are and what's going on in the agency though. There are many cases in which CSD checks up and the children are not removed and should be, and obviously some cases in which the children should not be removed but are. I have definitely seen and know about cases in which it's clear CSD should have intervened but did nothing. I think it's kind of a crapshoot depending on how overworked and competent the workers are.

Yep.


Yes, there was a thread about that. Not all kids who are unhealthy are obese though, that's just one extreme case. Poor children


You sound like a better Mom than the average. You care about what your kids eat, most don't.

It differs depending on where you live but in my area CPS does not respond to every call made to their hotline - they'll tell you on the phone whether they're taking the call as "information only," or if they'll investigate. I should ask one of my friends who work at CPS if they'd investigate a complaint about a family feeding a child a vegetarian or vegan diet. I'm kind of curious.

People from all walks of life can be fairly ignorant about the way we eat. I just try to educate the people around me as best I can and hope it sinks in. It's a tough hill to climb when mainstream culture/society/whatever tells you that you need meat and dairy to grow big and strong.

Also poor people are way more likely to lose their kids to DCF.

In that situation, I would kill the CPS workers and feed them to my kids for extra protein.

Good idea.

According to my friends vegetarians and vegans don't eat protein at all, so they'd be in the clear.

I would make sure my (hypothetical) children were eating fake chicken burgers when they come over, and I would say "Vegetarian? There's no vegetarians around here. Look at what they are eating!" Then hopefully they would be distracted by another case.

With all the kids needing homes, I can't believe they waste time on this.

That is terribly frightening!

If this ever happened, I wouldn't fight for my beliefs, I would fight for my child. She is everything to me and I could close my eyes to meat-eating if it allowed me to keep her.

Still, here in Québec I don't think this sort of thing would happen! At least, I hope not.

And I've always tried to educate people as best I can. I've read enough nutrition books and looked up information to be able to hold my ground in a conversation. I think the best and simplest answer to the question ''Where do you get protein?'' is ''I eat food.''

With an explanation they actually learn something... and suddenly want to buy a whole bag of organic quinoa.

Teehee I like that one.

Keep in mind, its incredibly embarrassing for CPS to be called and the parents tend to lie to excuse the incident.
Sometimes big lies, sometimes little ones, but the testimony from the parents alone isnt a guarantee of accuracy.

For instance, I know one girl who would beat her infants until they were hospitalized, twice I think. CPS was called, she told everybody and their dog it was just a false report by a boyfriend because she stopped sleeping with him. Those not involved closely enough to know the son nearly got brain damage tended to believe her.
When the kids were older she still beat them and sexually humiliated them. CPS was called. Kids taken away for a couple months. People believed her again when she swore it was a false report by the kids 'evil' 'vengeful' father.
People tend to believe parents that play the victim.
No way to tell if these peoples story is true or fabricated.

Some people are sick...

What you say is true, especially when it comes to single mothers playing the victim. It is from personnal experience that I can say that here, the DPJ are more concerned about the child's health and well-being than, say, the police are. I firmly believe that the DPJ would investigate further, whereas the police tend to believe the ''poor parent'' more than the ''deliquent child/adolescent''.