It really doesn’t matter. People are slick. They know when to expect CPS, the house & kids are all cleaned up, fridge is stocked & it looks like the Brady Bunch home. Or, like in the AJ case, the parent says the kid is sleeping (which might imply he’s in recovery from his last beating). Even if they checked 3X a day, an abuser can find ways. Ply a kid with candy or ice cream, he’ll look like the happiest kid on the block. Abuse does not have to leave marks. In my town, the head honcho at CPS has the nastiest houses in her subdivision. She lives in deplorable conditions, so she expects less or doesn’t recognize what another person might. To be fair, I do think the judge makes his decision based on CPS findings.
Why do I think of the song ‘The Rapper’, when I look at DV......not because of his music career. More like ‘you know what he’s after’.