False positive drug tests are tearing families apart.
Drug-free parents fail tests and lose their children. Labs get it wrong, thresholds don’t match federal standards, and the burden falls on parents to prove a negative.
Records, court filings, audio or a story that needs to be told — confidentially.
Drug-testing cases we’ve covered
Jones County, Mississippi Youth Court Under Fire After Judge Denies Kinship Placement Despite State Recommendations
Jones County Mississippi Youth Court case raises concerns after judge denied kinship placement despite MDCPS recommendations and federal relative-placement law.
Scott County, Mississippi CPS Under Fire After Three Children Removed Amid Missed Hearings, Ignored Drug Tests, and Safety Concerns
Scott County Mississippi CPS case raises concerns over missed hearings, ignored drug tests, restricted visitation, and child safety failures.
Oklahoma County DHS Under Fire After Newborn Removed Hours After Birth Over Disputed Drug Test
Oklahoma County DHS case raises concerns after newborn removal over disputed drug test, missed deadlines, and denied kinship placement.
Greenville County DSS Under Fire: Unverified Drug Tests, Missed Deadlines, and Over 200 Days of Family Separation
Greenville County DSS under scrutiny after unverified drug tests and missed deadlines led to 200+ days of foster care separation.
Smith County CPS Under Fire: Mississippi Officials Accused of Constitutional Violations, Illegal Child Removal, and Due Process Failures
Investigation into Smith County CPS reveals due process concerns, delayed hearings, and child welfare issues involving Mississippi officials.
Jennifer Thompson McComas, Bryan County DFCS, and the Georgia Child Welfare Case Raising Serious Questions About Reunification, Drug Testing, and Due Process
Update: Father’s Advocacy Network reached out to DFCS on March 10, 2026 requesting comment on the issues discussed in this
Tennessee DCS Under Fire: Report Finds Meth Use and Sex Trafficking in State Custody Facilities
A state oversight commission has confirmed what many families have feared for years: children in Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
Georgia’s Broken Drug Testing in Child Welfare: How False Positives Are Tearing Families Apart
Georgia child welfare cases are increasingly exposing a troubling pattern: parents are losing custody — or being denied reunification —
She Followed the Plan. The System Still Took Her Child.
Inside the Murray County, Georgia Termination of Parental Rights Case of Kesha Burch Judge Jason Souther | Murray County Juvenile
What goes wrong
Child welfare drug testing often runs on looser rules than workplace or federal testing. FAN’s research documents lab scandals, a $1.3 million DOJ settlement, and parents who passed independent tests while failing the state’s.
- Screening results treated as confirmed positives
- Cutoff thresholds lower than federal standards
- Chain-of-custody problems and unsupervised collectors
- Missed tests counted as “positive”
If a test is being used against you
Ask in writing for the lab name, the test type, the cutoff level and whether the result was confirmed. Consider an independent test the same day. Keep every receipt. Then send your records to our newsroom. Not legal advice.
Go deeper on the issues
Was a drug test used to take your child?
Send us the results and your timeline. We investigate patterns across labs and counties.