CPS came, then the police.

Member Story: CPS came, then the police.

CPS is at the door

One evening, Eric and Ashley Mackenzie* were getting ready to put their three children to bed when they unexpectedly heard a knock on the door. Eric answered the door, and was shocked at what he heard.

"I’m from the Department of Social Services, and we’ve received a report of neglect of your children.”

The CPS investigator went on to say that the allegations claimed their children were not being properly educated and that they were missing meals.

Eric remembered the instructions that Heritage Defense had given them in their membership packet, so he told the investigator, “One moment while I get my attorney on the phone.”
He stepped back inside and told Ashley, "It’s a social worker."

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“Let me call my attorney”

Ashley quickly grabbed her phone and, heart pounding, called the Heritage Defense emergency hotline. She explained the situation and was promptly connected with an attorney. Attempting to further familiarize himself with the situation, the attorney asked if they had any idea who might have reported them. Ashley said she suspected her mother-in-law, who had been vocal about disagreements with their family.

Heritage Defense was a godsend when a [CPS] worker came to our door with very serious false accusations from a disgruntled family member. [The Heritage Defense attorney] was there for us when we desperately needed his help.

When the Heritage Defense attorney got on the phone with the social worker, she told him that she wanted to interview the children and the parents separately. He responded that she could lay eyes on the children, but he was not going to advise the family to agree to any interviews without a local attorney present.

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Escalation to the police

At that point, the social worker became angry and called her supervisor, who threatened to call the police to do a wellness check. Following the advice of the Heritage Defense attorney, Eric and Ashley stood firm in denying the interviews.

Once the police arrived, the Heritage Defense attorney informed the officers that the family was not consenting to interviews of their children, but the family would allow them to step inside briefly to see there was plenty of food and that everything looked fine. Afterwards, Eric and Ashley also explained that the other allegations were completely false. Satisfied, the police told the social worker they were done there, and they all left.

While on the phone, he walked us through the entire process with the case worker. A very scary and seriously traumatizing event for our entire family was handled with such professionalism and guidance.

Eric and Ashley went back inside and sat down as their adrenaline slowly subsided. Still on the phone, the Heritage Defense attorney explained what was going to happen next. He said the next morning he would call and assign an attorney in their area to the case, who would be paid for by Heritage Defense.

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Heritage Defense provides representation

The next morning, Heritage Defense called the local attorney and filled him in on the details. The local attorney immediately sent a notice of representation and the applicable rules of representation to the CPS investigator.

The Attorney appointed to our case helped us out every step of the way and gave us comfort and affirmation that our situation would be resolved. Our attorney made our kids relaxed, he prepared us for the worst but with humor. He managed things very well. Having a fellow Christian attorney stand beside you praying for you and working on your behalf is an absolute answer to prayer.

For a couple of months, the Mackenzie family tensely waited, yet heard nothing from CPS.
Then around three months after that nightmarish evening, the Mackenzies received a case-closing letter from CPS.

You guys are all famous at our church now. We will continue to be members for sure. I would highly recommend Heritage Defense to any Christian family... Especially in today's world where Christianity is more and more being hated by the secular world. We look forward to sharing our positive experience with other believers.

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*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 $19 a month or $190 a year.

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For as little as 53¢ 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.

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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”

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 $19 a month or $190 a year.

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A brief summary of your state’s law, plus an article explaining the topic
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