Child welfare agencies are supposed to do everything they can to prevent removals. That includes creating a "safety plan" with the parent's help. Court documents claim Theresa refused a safety plan, but Theresa says the caseworker never even brought one up. A 911 call log raises further questions about how much effort the agency really put into keeping Theresa's family together.

The investigation

Theresa Fogel moves with her four children to a small town in rural Ohio, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, unsubstantiated allegations of abuse prompt the local child welfare agency to take her children. As Theresa struggles to regain custody, she discovers what critics call the dark secret of child welfare: that your children can be taken for reasons the state may never have to prove, and getting them back is anything but guaranteed.