I was reported for too few prenatal visits
Paul and Carol White* were very excited about the upcoming birth of their fifth child. Since all their previous children had been born at home, they planned to do the same with this delivery.
However, due to some potential complications spotted during an ultrasound, Paul and Carol changed their mind and decided to do a hospital birth.
Everything was going according to plan. Carol had gone into labor on schedule; she and Paul checked into the hospital; their baby boy was born; and everyone was healthy and happy.
However, once the Whites told the hospital how many prenatal visits they had done, the joyful atmosphere quickly took a turn.
While filling out paperwork after the birth, Paul mentioned that the pregnancy center they were using had closed down a few weeks before Carol’s due date. Since the delivery date was so near, Paul and Carol had decided not to try and find a new agency.
After hearing this, the hospital told Paul that they had filed a report with Child Protective Services. Their exact allegation was “Not enough prenatal visits.”
The hospital also told Paul that he and Carol were not allowed to leave the hospital yet with their baby.
Paul, alarmed at this sudden turn of events, quickly called Heritage Defense. We then engaged one of our local contact attorneys to handle the case.
The local attorney reached out to Paul and Carol. Paul told the local attorney that he had scheduled a follow-up appointment with a pediatrician to help satisfy some of the hospital’s concerns.
The local attorney advised Paul to let the hospital know this right away, since it should help alleviate the hospital’s main concern.
Paul spoke with the hospital about the appointment with the pediatrician. After hearing this and watching Paul’s and Carol’s care for their baby, the hospital told the Whites that they felt the baby was safe with his parents and that they would be discharging them the following day.
Paul relayed this to the local attorney, who then contacted CPS and updated them about the appointment with the pediatrician and that the hospital was discharging the family.
CPS responded to the local attorney, telling him that they still wanted to conduct a home visit and do an interview with the parents.
The local attorney made it clear to CPS that since the hospital did not think there was any abuse or neglect taking place, it seemed obvious that there was no need for CPS to investigate further. The attorney firmly declined the home visit and the interviews and requested that CPS close the investigation.
Only a short while later, CPS contacted the local attorney again to notify him they would be closing the case.
Paul and Carol gave their thoughts:
“Our local attorney was amazing. He did such a great job. He was extremely helpful and explained everything very well. The hospital made a report. The reason for the report was basically that we had not had enough prenatal visits. The hospital was saying some pretty crazy stuff about us not being able to leave. Y’all really bring peace of mind.”
If you are a member of Heritage Defense, we hope it is an encouragement for you to know that your membership is going to help families like the Whites. While we cannot guarantee outcomes, if your family is ever falsely accused of child abuse or neglect, we are ready to fight to defend you and your rights.
If you are not yet a member, please join today to have 24/7 access to experienced attorneys ready to defend your family.
*Names changed for privacy