As Child Abuse Investigators for over 10 years, Amanda Wallace and Tafarrah Austin have worked tirelessly to protect children from abuse and neglect while simultaneously protecting families from the convoluted Child Protection System. As the "system" became more powerful, their ability to keep families safe reduced. They had had enough. Drawn from a lifetime of frontline work in the field of child welfare, The Respond in Power Guide: A Parent and Caretaker Guide to the Child Protection System is a solution to a problem that has plagued the system for far too long. For the first time ever, parents and caretakers will have the playbook used by child protection workers across the country. By following and implementing the strategies in this guide, your actions will show CPS your child is safe. Your actions will also show your intentions to limit all attempts by CPS to assess your "appropriateness" to parent your child. Your action will show CPS that these are your children and you know the law. Whether you are a mother, father, grandmother, uncle or godmother of a child, the Respond in Power Guide is your go to resource for discovering HOW CPS became so powerful and WHY you should never consent to a power struggle with CPS over your safe children. The Respond in Power Guide helps parents and caretakers of safe children understand the law to ensure their parental rights are protected when engaging with the Child Protection System. By reading this guide and Responding in Power to the Child Protection System, you will be a part of the movement to change the way the Child Protection System is allowed to operate. About the Authors Amanda Wallace received her Bachelor's of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. With a 10-year career as a Child Abuse Investigator, Amanda worked throughout several counties in North Carolina. Watching the rights of families decrease and the power of CPS increase, Amanda realized that she had become the silent enforcer for an oppressive system. It was then that Amanda understood the system and the perceived power given to CPS by society. This insider knowledge will truly help families understand how to STOP CPS. The lack of knowledge of the system makes fear a natural response when families encounter CPS. That same fear fosters compliance with unlawful and unethical CPS policies. This guide is an apology to families on behalf of the system by acknowledging the problem and giving the solution directly to those who need it: "FAMILIES". "You MUST protect YOUR Culture, YOUR Rights, YOUR Families"-Amanda Wallace Tafarrah Austin started off obtaining an Associate degree in Office System Technology, Legal. Tafarrah continued her education by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. If that wasn't enough, Tafarrah pursued her Master's in Criminal Justice and Public Administration. Tafarrah, would later pursue a Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling. With the knowledge obtained Tafarrah secured a position as a Child Abuse Investigator in Child Welfare. The passion was there, the spark was there, and the need for protecting children was there. As time passed, the vision became clearer and clearer. Working day in and day out in a "system" for well over 10 years, The Blinders were removed. Tafarrah developed a desire to help families understand the "system" which ultimately wasn't designed to help families involved in the Child Protection System. When interacting with families Tafarrah was constantly reminded that to help families grab the ropes in this oppressive system she needed to help families understand how to STOP CPS. "We can either be part of the PROBLEM or part of the SOLUTION....You Choose, I Did"

Guide to Child Protection Services