A Southern California mother, Deanna Fogarty-Hardwick, filed a lawsuit against Child Protective Services (CPS). She claimed caseworkers had unjustly taken her children in February 2000.
Because of this, the children were placed in the Orangewood Children's Home and kept there for a month, then transferred to a foster home for two months.
The mother recovered from the injustice done to her enough to file a federal lawsuit based on violations of Constitutional law. On March 23, 2007 the jury found the Department of Social Services and caseworkers Marcie Vreeken and Helen Dwojak liable for violating the mother's parental rights and violating the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
In a press release after the settlement the attorney gave this list of illegal practices of the caseworkers involved:
... detention of children without a finding of imminent danger or serious physical injury;
... interviewing children without a parent present;
... continuing detention after learning there was no basis to do so;
... using trickery and fabricated evidence;
... failing to adequately train employees regarding the Constitutional rights of parents.
Comment: Detention of children without a finding of imminent danger or serious physical injury is common in Norway too. The Norwegian CPS, the so-called "barnevernet" interview detained children without the presence of their parents. Also it is a common practice of Norwegian CPS "barnevernet" to continue the detention of children after learning there is no basis to do so. The power to keep the children detained is in the hands of the so-called "barnevernsleder". The Norwegian CPS regularly fabricate evidence against parents by twisting facts and writing subjective "reports". Also, hearsay is allowed in trials against parents. Fosterparents are allowed to witness without disclosing their identity.
As far as I know, no Norwegian parents have filed nor won a lawsuit against "barnevernet". It is tremendously good news that a US mother has successfully sued the CPS, and I hope Norwegian parents will sue the Norwegian CPS "barnevernet" for unlawful detention of their children.