The Child Protective Services (CPS) is an agency of the United States government, and its responsibility is to ensure the child’s protection. CPS responds to issues of neglect and child abuse.
It also has rules and regulations regarding a child’s room. These rules and regulations do ensure the child is safe and comfortable. The rules on rooms vary according to state.
Some states are more lenient than others. They are considerate of the wealth level of each family. The Sleeping arrangement for children in families that lack proper housing might be complicated. So, let’s get right to the commonly asked question.
Does CPS require a child to have their room?
No, generally no, CPS does not require a child to have their room. Although space should be spacious and ensure each child has his/her bed. However, there are several rules about who is to share a room with your child. These rules are to be strictly followed to avoid troubles with the agency.
Rules On Children’s Bedroom
1.Not exceed two children per bedroom
The occupancy rental limit for a bedroom is two people. This also applies to children. However, there is a 2+1 occupancy limit option, which allows the third person to stay in the living space.
2. Girls and boys of ages 5+ do not share a bedroom
It doesn’t approve girls and boys of more than five years to share a bedroom. From this age, children begin discovering their sexes. A sibling might unintentionally abuse the younger sibling sexually.
It’s therefore recommended to give each child their room. You can add a door alarm to alert you in case the child leaves the room at night.
3. Adults not to share rooms with children
The rules state that adults should not share rooms with children unless they’re infants. It further says that there shouldn’t be more than two infants and two adults per room.
4. Bedrooms should meet minimum requirements.
It should have a window that can be used during an emergency. It does not allow the use of hallways, closets, and other spaces as bedrooms. It can be dangerous in the event of an earthquake, fire, or emergency.
5. The bed should be safe.
The bed should be firm, have clean pillows, blankets, and a mattress. Those under 18 months are to sleep in a crib; without pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, etc., the upper beds should have side rails to prevent children from falling.
The children sleeping on the top bed should be old enough to climb in and out of bed safely. Generally, children below six years should not have the upper bed. It’s against the use of beds with more than two tiers.
Child Protective Services (CPS)
CPS is partly funded by the government and was established in 1974. CAPTA insisted that each state forms a body to investigate any incidents of child mistreatment.
Such as neglect, emotional and physical abuse. Its main focus was on child’s safety. CPS also offered parents the support to strengthen their families.
What Does CPS Do After You Report Abuse?
They investigate to know if the child is being abused. CPS protects the child from immediate danger. They then assess the risk of any continuing threat to the child. It decides on the type of interventions that will keep the child safe.
They implement the interventions with the help of other government programs or agencies. They decide on the type of support for the family, such as counseling, case management, or medical care.
Reasons For CPS To Remove Children
They only remove children from homes if they feel necessary to protect them from neglect and abuse.
Children are removed from a family in two ways, from a court order obtained before the removal or with a court order taken after an emergency removal.
The emergence removal is not preferred. It can only happen if; there is an immediate danger for the child, like physical abuse.
When it believes letting the child stay at home is not best for the child’s safety. It made an earlier effort to stop the child from being removed from the family.
Types Of Child Abuse
Child abuse is any form of neglect or mistreatment that harms a child. It applies to 18 years old and below. This can be physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect.
Mistreatment is done mainly by an adult. They always have roles and responsibilities in the child’s life. It can be a parent, family member, or someone acting as a caregiver.
At the time, it’s a person having authority over the child’s life like a coach, teacher, etc.
Neglect
It happens when the guardian fails to meet the child’s emotional, physical, and basic needs. They include; housing, clothing, food, education, and medical care. The signs of neglect are hard to recognize.
Less privileged families might not be able to provide the best for their children. Neglected children are always left in a situation where they might face other forms of abuse.
Physical abuse
It’s the intentional use of force on a child. This physical force can cause harm to the child, such as brutal punishments, excessive hitting, burning, poisoning, or withholding food.
In some states, corporal punishment is disallowed. It’s considered a form of physical abuse. Physically abused children show the following signs: bruises, burns, broken bones, etc.
Psychological and emotional abuse
They are invisible but mighty. It happens when a person purposefully destroys a child-safe worth. They do this by telling the child that they’re worthless, unloved, and inadequate.
This kind of abuse can be from physical actions or abuse. It includes things such as mocking a child, bullying, threatening, emotional blackmail, etc.
These may happen when someone is angry. That does not mean it’s child abuse. It becomes child abuse if it’s done continuously and is persistent. Emotionally abused children show signs such as being withdrawn and emotionally distant, inappropriate behaviors, anxiety, etc.
Sexual abuse
It’s when the child is coerced or forced to be a part of sexual activities. Sexual abuse can happen when the child isn’t touched. Examples of this abuse are; rape, penetration, touching, kissing, forcing a child to undress, etc.
Sexually abused children may show the following signs; too much sexual knowledge, having STIs, having nightmares, etc.
Effects Of Child Abuse On The Child
It has severe effects on the child’s emotional and physical development. Abused or neglected children might experience; decreased brain development, behavior disorders, emotional health problems, etc.
Children who have been through abuse are always put on immediate treatment. This helps them to recover in the short term and cope with the lasting effects.
Prevention Of Child Abuse
Necessary steps should be taken to prevent your child from being a victim of abuse. It might be from you, community and neighborhood. You can do this by providing safe and stable relationships. For example;
Give them attention and love
Be supportive of your child’s interest. You should also listen and encourage them to tell if there is an issue. Develop a great rapport between you and your child. A supportive environment fosters the positive growth of the child.
Manage your anger
If you feel angered by your child or anyone else, take a break. Don’t let your anger on your child. In case you have severe anger issues, visit a therapist for assistance. They will guide you on how to manage your stress and interact with your kid.
Supervision
Never leave a child alone at home. When in public, be keen on your child. You can even volunteer to be part of activities at school. This will help you to know the adults who spent time with your child.
Always ask your child to stay away from strangers. Encourage them to hang out with their age mates and friends only.
Teach them how to say no
Inform your child that he/she does not have to do anything they are uncomfortable with. Children should know how to leave a threatening environment quickly. They should also know the right place to seek help when in trouble.
Know your child’s caregiver
Check the credentials of the caregiver first. Make frequent but unannounced visits to observe what’s happening. Do not allow your child caregiver to be substituted with some you are not familiar with.
Reporting Child Abuse
Suppose you suspect that a child you know is mistreated. You can seek immediate help for the child by:
Call the child protective service
The agency will check out the child and move them to safety if need be. They help the parents to improve their parental skills. They do this by offering parenting classes and treating substance use disorder.
Call the police
They can act by moving the child to safety. They latter inform the child protective service about the situation.
Conclusion
There are a lot of causes of child abuse. The reasons are pretty complex and hard to explain. Most parents always want to love and care for their children.
Factors such as stress, lack of parenting skills, etc., make the pressure of caring for a child overwhelming. This leads to abuse. Children are defenseless and cannot stand up against abuse.
This led to the establishment of children’s agencies. These state agencies protect the child from abuse and ensure they live comfortably.
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