Delivery driver reported us to CPS

Member Story: Delivery driver reported us to CPS

Mark Whitney's* phone buzzed. The call was from an unknown number. Mark answered it. The voice on the other end announced that she was from Child Protective Services and that she was calling to follow up on a report made against him regarding the neglect of his children. Mark took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves.

He then asked the investigator for more details about the allegation. The investigator told Mark that a delivery driver had contacted CPS and said that he had seen two young children outside unattended. Mark knew that this was false. Their younger children were never allowed outside the home without an adult. Mark told the investigator that he would like to get his attorney involved and asked her if he could call her back. The investigator said that would be fine and gave him her name and number.
chevron_right
Apply Today
Mark then called his wife, Julie, and told her what had happened. Julie immediately called Heritage Defense, where she was connected with an attorney. The attorney asked her if she remembered a delivery and what had happened. Julie told the attorney that the report had most likely come from a Walmart delivery. Julie told him that the delivery driver had dropped off the groceries and that Julie had her kids bring them inside. Julie said that her younger children were helping, along with her eighteen, fourteen, and eleven year old. Julie suspected that the delivery driver had seen her younger children and thought they were bringing the groceries in by themselves.

Our attorney told Julie he would contact one of our local attorneys near her, and they would contact CPS. Our attorney told Julie that all the attorney fees would be covered by Heritage Defense. Our attorney promptly contacted a local attorney near the Whitneys and told him about the situation. Our local attorney then reached out to Mark and Julie, and they discussed the situation.

Mark told the local attorney that he had at first thought this was a prank because of how ridiculous the allegation was. Mark said that the investigator had described the supposed unattended children as being two and three years old, yet the youngest child they had was 6 months old, with the next youngest being five. The local attorney agreed that the allegations sounded completely ridiculous.
chevron_right
Apply Today

The local attorney then contacted the investigator and explained the grocery delivery and that the younger children were under the supervision of their older siblings. He also told her about the age differences between the report and the actual ages of Mark and Julie's youngest children and that the Whitneys were very strict about allowing their younger children outside without adult supervision. The investigator then told the attorney that she would be in touch.

A couple of weeks later, the investigator called our local attorney back and told him that she was satisfied with the explanation and agreed that the allegations were unfounded. She went on to say that CPS would be closing the case. Mark and Julie thanked Heritage Defense:

“We were shocked that someone had called CPS, so we called you guys. We thought it was a prank because the whole thing seemed so crazy to us. You guys called CPS, and it was not a prank. It was really true. It is amazing that someone can make one call and cause all this trouble. Thank you so much.”
chevron_right
Apply Today
*Names changed for privacy
You may or may not already have legal protection for your right to homeschool, but what if a social worker knocked on your door and the allegation was not about homeschooling?

What if the social worker was there about something else, like a vaccination decision, an injury, an accident, a disagreement with a doctor/hospital, a young child outside unsupervised, a report by an angry neighbor or disgruntled family member, or any other false allegation of abuse or neglect? What would you do? Who would you call?

Since 2010, Heritage Defense has been providing member families with 24/7 direct access to experienced, Christian attorneys ready to protect your children and defend your parental rights on these and many more issues.

Membership with Heritage Defense also provides you an attorney beyond your initial call, including being with you for any meetings with CPS and representing you in court if needed… at no extra cost to you.

Your membership even includes phone consultations with our attorneys anytime you need answers to your parental rights questions.

And the peace of mind your membership gives you is only $21 a month or $210 a year.
settings
START YOUR APPLICATION

For as little as 58¢ a day you get

24/7 ACCESS
TO ATTORNEYS

Have access any time of the day or night to experienced, Christian attorneys ready to protect your children and preserve your freedoms.

FULL LEGAL
REPRESENTATION

Get full legal representation in any case with child protective services; we cover all legal fees and expenses. Just have questions? There is no charge to talk with an attorney.

DEFENDING
OTHERS

Be an important part of defending other Christian families, getting laws changed, and setting good precedents across the country.
settings
Join Heritage Defense Today!

37% of children

will be involved with a CPS investigation by the time they turn 18

American Journal of Public Health: “Lifetime Prevalence of Investigating Child Maltreatment Among US Children”

Start Your Membership Application

settings
settings
settings
settings
settings
Continue Application

Frequently Asked Questions

No. While Heritage Defense is not affiliated with or endorsed by HSLDA, we are extremely grateful for the heroic work of HSLDA and others in securing and safeguarding the right to homeschool and helping families navigate the homeschooling process. However, for child protective services (CPS) matters related to medical decisions, child discipline, and other non-homeschooling issues, HSLDA does not commit to assisting beyond initial contacts with CPS. Heritage Defense covers even non-homeschooling CPS matters for the whole case, including representation in court.
Yes. Issues with social services can arise at all ages. As long as your children who are “school-age” are educated at home, you can still join.
Yes. In addition to our staff attorneys, we have contact attorneys in all 50 states and D.C. to assist us in defending our members.
No. We handle social services cases, but if you are wrongfully accused and need a criminal defense attorney, we will help you find and work with one.
No. Our terms and conditions state, “We reserve the right to decline representation if, in our sole and absolute discretion, we believe that actual abuse, neglect, or other misconduct has occurred or is occurring, or that a conflict of interest exists. We condemn and will not defend child abuse.”
Membership is $21 a month or $210 a year.
settings
START YOUR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Can't join today? Create a free account to explore the entire Law and Policy vault!

As a parent, what laws affect your rights and freedoms to raise your children? Where can these laws be found? What do they say?

With more than ten separate 50-state surveys published and many more on the horizon, we are pleased to announce that our entire Law and Policy Vault is now available to everyone for FREE!
settings
settings
settings
settings
settings
Access the Vault
Simply by creating a free login, parents can now access our legal research database—regardless of your membership status.

The Vault covers subjects like:
  • Vaccine mandates for homeschoolers
  • When parents can leave a child unattended at home
  • Minor consent to healthcare
  • Corporal discipline
  • Child abuse reporting data/laws
  • And much more!

Every subject addresses the law in all 50 states plus D.C. and includes:
  • A brief summary of your state’s law, plus an article explaining the topic
  • Our grade based on the law’s effect on parental rights
  • Citations to the statutes, regulations, and court cases
  • Helpful links to government websites, where applicable

At Heritage Defense we believe in parents making informed decisions for their own children—free from unnecessary government interference. The more you know, the better decisions you can make.
       
COPYRIGHT © 2010-2026 HERITAGE DEFENSE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED – PRIVACY POLICY
       
 
 Heritage Defense Foundation contributed to the information on this site. Donate to help fund additional research.
Information on this site is not legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. 
 
[bot_catcher]