My daughter-in-law has a huge problem with post partum depression. It has been apparently going on for about two months, and the sweet baby is 3 1/2 months old. She needs desperately to see a therapist and probably needs immediate medication, but her family has grabbed her up and they are in denial there is a problem. To her family it is all the huisband's fault. She has been delusional; she has accused him of abuse (both physical and mental), and then pedophilia! She can go into a jealous frenzy shouting expletives and waving her arms wildly right over the baby, seemingly unaware of her presence. She has diaries containing horrible depression utterances, has self mutilated in the past, was abused by her own parents as a teenager (they do not believe in spanking, but it was OK for the father to hold her down while the mother hit her in the face until there was blood coming out of her ears!) HELP! We called CPS when she took off with the `denial` family, got clear polygraphs on the allegations against the husband, etc... so she cannot leave her current abode... but she has not seen a therapist or doctor or psychiatrist and it has been 2 weeks! I am afraid we need to do something legal but don't know how! We called 911, but she can appear perfectly normal.

Me again... I guess I never put a question in this summary of the problem. Here is the question... what can we do to get the mother some help before she harms herself or the baby or both? What is our next step here? I am the baby's grandmother. I do not want the mother to lose custody of the baby, unless it is a temporary thing while she is getting the treatment she needs. What can we do to force some action to protect both?

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Originally Posted by desertbred

My daughter-in-law has a huge problem...We called CPS...We called 911, but she can appear perfectly normal.

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I assume she is married to your son.
CPS did not take up an attitude to the problem .Thus you have very little resources .
It must be your son's primary problem because she is a part of his family,she is not a part of your family.

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Originally Posted by desertbred

I am the baby's grandmother.What can we do to force some action to protect both?

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Generally as a grand parent you have no rights/unless granted by Court/
Again-CPS did not take an action and probably your son's last resourse is to ask for parental evaluation.A Parental Evaluation is usually done at the request of one of the divorcing parties, but may also be court-ordered. It involves personal interviews with the parents by trained evaluators, psychological testing of the parents and most importantly, it allows for "collateral contacts" to be interviewed. A "collateral contact" can be almost anyone; a daycare provider, family friends, employers, marriage counselors, etc

Yes, they are married. He had hoped it would not go into a divorce... but with the view from the other family, I suspect he is going to be caught `flat-footed surprised'. Can he request a Parental Evaluation if there is no divorce pending?

I had also been previously told by a professional counselor that any report to CPS of possible harm to a baby under the age of 3 months was acted upon as highest priority. Nothing happened.

Is there any possibility of a Court procedure without a pending divorce?
Thank you for your time and responses.

What state is this in so we can help you further.

Texas

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Originally Posted by desertbred

Can he request a Parental Evaluation if there is no divorce pending?

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Probably yes.

Unfortunately the judges have so broad discretion to accept or decline such claims. No one can predict the way the judge will proceed...