It probably does seem that way because they have to be suspicious (would you want them to not be?), and they do put kids back in homes that are dangerous. My wife has told me a hundred stories like this and I always say "Why do they put the kids back?", but like anything it comes down to case law, RCWs and liability. The state has tried to take all judgment away from the social worker, and give them automatic triggers for how to act/proceed. But really the people who do this work are always forced to make judgment calls, and do you think that the most talented work force is doing those jobs? No way, they are not even close to that.

Sol is right, and some kids have learned that they can get away with more because all they have to do is tell their teacher that they got beat. My wife has to go through this all the time, kid comes in to her office with a black eye. "What happened Johnny?" Johnny replies "My mom hit me with a broom". Counselor asks "Why did she do that?" Johnny says "I hit my little sister". Now the counselor is thinking "This little sh!t had it coming", but then they look in their book and it tells them they have to report it. They call CPS, and tell them there is no history of this, he probably had it coming, and it is probably not a big deal.

CPS looks in their book, it says "Bruising or contusion due to purposefully being struck with an object" and the CPS worker is like "Awwww crap." but does their job anyways, because it is their job. Believe me they try and find loopholes not to bother people as much as they can, they do it all the time.

On the other hand it could easily be abuse, and at some point it is caught. The kid is given to granny, "But the school/CPS knew about this abuse and never caught it" Helloooo - negligence case for the person who did not report the issue.

Who is to blame for this issue? I blame typical buereaucratic knee jerk reaction-law making. That is broad brush but the best I can come up with.