OP, I believe you.
I have name-changed. Only in the last week I have had SS involvement for the first time with my little boy, which began because of a bruise sustained at nursery. Though everyone agrees it happened there (noticed late afternoon in their care, not noticed earlier in they day when they should have seen it if it was pre-existing), SS were called (after we took him to the GP to check it was just a bruise). Procedure because of the unusual location of the bruise and yes, I agree at this stage this had to be written down and checked out. Obviously I want to make sure my son is protected and safe.
A couple of days later, nursery thought they saw a mark on him - 'a few red dots, it's hard to explain' is how they described it on the phone to me. They said I didn't need to leave work, that it was all fine, and then they called SS.
SS immediately took my son to hospital from the nursery (he was driven away by people he'd never met before, though we met them there) and he was seen by child protection doctors - quite scary for a two-year-old. They couldn't even see a mark - they called in someone else for a second pair of eyes who also said he couldn't see anything. They noted that the first bruise was probably from walking into something at the nursery. They closed the case 'medically' though apparently will still follow up with assessment at our home because 'it's procedure'.
My point, albeit longwinded, is that on the basis of one bruise clearly not caused by us and one mark no one else could see, nursery have brought SS into our lives to the point at which they were able to take him out of nursery and to hospital for examination. They thought of them taking my baby tears me up inside, though I know it was for his benefit. They will now check up on us at our home, despite everyone admitting that a) he had a single bruise and b) the bruise was caused at nursery.
It has been the worst week of my life - all because the nursery (which I trust as far as care is concerned) were over-vigilant after the first incident. I want them to tell us when there are problems, I want them to care for my son, but I am now worried they will ring SS for every little thing that happens, and that it is us - not them - that will face the ramifications. I think they will have some checks now, admittedly.
Nevertheless, for me, it has really opened my eyes as to how easily these situations can escalate.
Yes, it is about protecting the child, but it is very easy to make parents feel criminalised and under suspicion even when they know they have done nothing.
I don't know what the answer is, the child has to come first, but I do feel there are completely innocent parents and healthy, happy children that will end up caught up in red tape.