By: Joel Stephen Mattson
“The greatest threat to your family may not be a criminal. It may be the agency that claims to protect your child.”
That’s not a conspiracy theory — that’s a statement backed by data, statutes, and cold financial incentives.
Child Protective Services (CPS) was sold to the public as a safety net — a last-resort agency meant to rescue children from real abuse and neglect. But that’s not how it operates.
In reality, CPS functions as a government-funded removal machine that profits — literally profits — every time a child is taken from their family. It’s not just unethical. It’s not just unconstitutional. It’s racketeering dressed in child welfare clothing.
Let’s tear the mask off.
The Dirty Secret of Title IV-E Funding
At the center of the CPS money machine is a section of the Social Security Act called Title IV-E.
Here’s how it works:
- When CPS removes a child from their home, the state receives federal reimbursement for the cost of foster care, placement, and administrative services.
- The longer the child is kept in the system, the more money flows in.
- If the child is later adopted out — the state gets a bonus.
In other words, CPS is financially rewarded for family destruction.
Let that sink in.
There is no bonus for keeping a family together.
There is no reward for proving an allegation false.
There is no incentive to restore a parent’s reputation after a wrongful removal.
But there is money — lots of it — for termination of parental rights.
And this isn’t an exaggeration. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
“States can receive thousands of dollars per child adopted out of foster care. These incentives increase when the child has special needs or is considered difficult to place.”
So if your child has a diagnosis, a disability, or simply looks “adoptable,” the state has more financial reason to keep them than to return them.
This isn’t child protection. It’s child trafficking with legal paperwork.
The Profit Chain: How It Works
The system is layered — and everyone gets paid.
- CPS Worker – Paid to investigate, remove, and manage case files. Promotions come from removals, not reunifications.
- Foster Agencies & Contractors – Paid for housing, feeding, and “caring” for the child.
- Court-Appointed Therapists & Evaluators – Paid per assessment, regardless of truth or outcome.
- Judges & Family Courts – Paid through state budgets inflated by federal reimbursements tied to removal stats.
- Adoption Agencies – Paid by the state when adoptions are finalized.
This is a multi-billion dollar pipeline funded by the federal government — and it only flows when families are broken.
False Allegations Become Revenue Streams
Don’t believe the myth that CPS only acts after verified abuse. In many states, anonymous calls can lead to a knock on your door, and your refusal to cooperate is used as “evidence” of neglect.
Here’s what they don’t tell you:
- You are not required to speak to CPS without a warrant.
- You are not required to let them into your home.
- You are not required to sign their so-called “safety plan.”
But once they step in, the machine starts. And the truth becomes irrelevant.
As one CPS whistleblower put it:
“The goal is removal. The paperwork is just the excuse.”
The System Doesn’t Want You to Know the Numbers
If this is about safety, then let’s look at outcomes.
- Over 70% of CPS investigations are unsubstantiated.
- Over 60% of children in foster care experience abuse, neglect, or instability.
- In many states, minority and low-income families are targeted disproportionately.
Why?
Because broken families don’t fight back.
Because poor families can’t hire lawyers.
Because adoptable children are seen as assets, not people.
This isn’t social work. This is legalized abduction for profit.
Real Quote. Real Law. Real Fraud.
Let’s be clear: removing a child without due process violates the Constitution.
The Fourth Amendment requires probable cause and a warrant.
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees due process before parental rights can be stripped.
And yet CPS routinely operates without either.
Even the courts admit it.
In Calabretta v. Floyd, 189 F.3d 808 (9th Cir. 1999), the court ruled:
“Officials may not enter a home without a warrant or exigent circumstances, even when investigating child abuse allegations.”
But that hasn’t stopped CPS. Why? Because it’s not about the law.
It’s about the money. The quotas. The bonuses. The appearances.
And you, the parent, are nothing but an obstacle in their financial transaction.
Conclusion: It’s Not Child Welfare — It’s Racketeering
When a government-funded agency engages in a pattern of:
- Coercion
- Deprivation of rights
- Fraudulent reports
- Obstruction of justice
- And receives financial gain from those acts…
That’s not policy.
That’s racketeering under 18 U.S.C. § 1961.
And Child Protective Services fits the definition perfectly.
This is only Part 1.
If you’re ready to see how deep this goes — and how you can fight back — keep reading the full CPS Racketeering Series at:
Next Article in the Series:
“Safety Plan or Trap? How CPS Uses Fake Agreements to Strip Parental Rights”
Back to CPS Racketeering Series Overview: [CPS Master Page Link]