Member Story: Sudden Infant Death Prompts CPS Investigation

Three-month-old Ethan had been in perfect health. He was breastfed, was on his growth curve, and had never been sick. The family did not have any history of SIDS.

Yet tragedy struck one evening.

After Mrs. Inkes had laid Ethan down for the night, she went to check on him and found him cold and lifeless. The Inkes performed CPR until the paramedics arrived, but there was nothing anyone could do. Their precious little boy was gone. 

A few days later, the Inkes received a voicemail from a social worker with child protective services (CPS) who stated they wanted to conduct an investigation of the Inkes family. The Inkes are members of Heritage Defense, so instead of immediately returning the call, they called the Heritage Defense 24/7 line reserved for members with urgent legal situations and spoke with a Heritage Defense attorney.

Heritage Defense immediately involved an experienced, Christian attorney in the Inkes’ home state who took on representation for the family. The attorney then contacted CPS on their behalf.

While CPS did conduct an investigation, the Inkes’ attorney was with the family every step of the way to ensure the conduct of CPS remained reasonable. By the grace of God, the case was soon resolved without incident. Heritage Defense provided the Inkes’ legal defense, including the cost of the local attorney.

The Inkes share their thoughts on the experience:

We are very grateful for Heritage Defense and the local attorney and all the help they gave us after our son’s death.  Even though CPS never tried to bring charges or escalate the matter, who knows what they might have done if we hadn’t had them involved right from the start.  It’s hard enough dealing with the unexpected death of a young child let alone having to keep a clear mind to handle a CPS investigation on top of it. Having experienced legal counsel to coach us through it was invaluable.

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 Inkes. If your family is ever falsely accused of child abuse or neglect through social services, we are ready to defend you and your rights.

If you are not yet a member, please join today to have 24/7 access to experienced, Christian attorneys ready to defend your family.

* Names changed for privacy