On April 7, 2025, Danyelle Campos, a Colorado Springs mother, gave birth to her third child via C-section at UCHealth Memorial Main, expecting to return home with her newborn to her two other children, ages 10 and 6. Instead, within 24 hours, Child Protective Services (CPS), under caseworker Carre Munoz, removed all three children based on a false positive drug test, plunging Danyelle into a nightmare that exposes systemic flaws in Colorado’s CPS. Her story, shared with her consent, underscores the urgent need for reform to protect families from unwarranted separations and ensure compliance with state and federal laws.

Danyelle’s ordeal began when UCHealth conducted a drug test on her newborn without her consent, despite her explicit refusal—a potential violation of Colorado’s requirement for informed consent (C.R.S. § 19-3-304). The test returned a false positive for methamphetamine, likely triggered by over-the-counter medications like DayQuil or Benadryl, which Danyelle disclosed to her doctors a month prior. Instead of verifying the result or assessing the family’s home environment, CPS removed her children on April 8, citing no emergency or evidence of harm. Danyelle was denied contact until a hearing three days later, a delay that contravenes Colorado’s mandate for prompt judicial review (C.R.S. § 19-3-403) and federal due process under the 14th Amendment.

Colorado law defines child abuse or neglect related to substance exposure narrowly. C.R.S. § 19-3-102(1)(g) states a newborn is neglected if they test positive at birth for a schedule I or II controlled substance, unless the result stems from the mother’s lawful use. However, C.R.S. § 19-3-401(3)(a)-(c) prohibits removing a newborn in a hospital setting without a court order finding an emergency and serious endangerment, unless the infant shows withdrawal symptoms or is exposed to a drug lab—none of which applied to Danyelle’s case. Her court-ordered urinalysis was clean, and the hospital’s lab confirmation was inconclusive, yet CPS kept her children in foster care, ignoring evidence that should have prompted reunification.

Federal and state guidelines further highlight CPS’s missteps. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) require a Plan of Safe Care (POSC) for substance-exposed newborns (SEN) to ensure infant safety and family support, not automatic removal (42 U.S.C. § 5106a). Colorado’s Volume 7 rules (12 CCR 2509-2 § 7.107.5) mandate a POSC within 14 days for screened-in SEN referrals, focusing on collaborative, family-centered support. The POSC must assess infant health, caregiver capacity, and family strengths, yet CPS failed to engage Danyelle’s support system or consider her clean test results, violating 12 CCR 2509-2 § 7.104’s requirement for a balanced safety assessment.

Danyelle’s newborn, deprived of breastfeeding and maternal bonding, faces developmental risks, while her older children endure emotional trauma from limited weekly visits. This separation defies CAPTA’s emphasis on family preservation and Colorado’s Family First Prevention Services Act, which prioritizes in-home services over foster care. CPS’s actions also disregarded the Colorado Family Safety Assessment tool (12 CCR 2509-2 § 7.104), which requires evaluating caregiver protective capacities and child vulnerabilities before removal. No such assessment occurred, and the hospital’s non-consensual testing raises ethical concerns under CAPTA’s best practices for collaborative care.

This case is not an outlier. Across Colorado, families face similar injustices due to CPS’s broad discretion, lack of oversight, and failure to adhere to statutory mandates. There’s a pervasive lack of accountability for caseworkers who falsify records, abuse their power, act negligently, or retaliate against parents who challenge their decisions. Compounding the issue, financial incentives—such as federal funding tied to foster care placements—drive CPS to remove children from their parents and place them into the system, often prioritizing revenue over family unity. The consequences are devastating: children suffer trauma, parents face emotional and financial ruin, and public trust erodes.

As an advocate for CPS and family court reform, I’ve witnessed countless stories mirroring Danyelle’s, each highlighting the need for systemic change. I propose the following legislative changes:

  1. Require Clear Evidence for Removal: Mandate that CPS provide clear and convincing evidence of imminent harm before removing a child, similar to Oklahoma’s HB 1079, ensuring decisions are grounded in verified facts rather than assumptions or unconfirmed reports.
  2. Prevent Weaponizing CPS: Require simultaneous assessments of child safety and potential motivations for false reports, protecting the parent-child relationship from emotional and psychological harm caused by baseless allegations.
  3. Enhance and Ensure Due Process: Mandate hearings within 24 hours of removal (C.R.S. § 19-3-403) and provide immediate legal representation for parents, aligning with federal due process standards.
  4. Instill Accountability: Hold individuals accountable for making false reports and CPS caseworkers who falsify records, fail to protect due process, or engage in malicious or negligent behavior, ensuring transparency and integrity in the system.
  5. Family-Centered Policies: Shift CPS focus to in-home services and kinship care, as required by the Family First Act and 12 CCR 2509-4 § 7.301, to prevent unnecessary separations.

Danyelle Campos is fighting not only for her children but for every family at risk of CPS overreach. Armed with medical records, test results, and court filings, she’s ready to go public to expose these abuses. Her case demands action—journalists must investigate, lawmakers must reform, and communities must advocate. Share Danyelle’s story and join organizations championing parental rights. Together, we can ensure no family endures this injustice, and every child grows up in a loving, safe home.