If child protective services are involved, what they are legally required to do can have a big impact on what direction they do and say and keep in mind they have a big influence in the courts. For example, in the state of Hawaii, the legal actions CPS is suppose to take is for re-unification of the family and I can't make this scenario up. Lets say the step-father is indited for molesting his step child, the mother provides him a home and CPS finds that there are documented concerns of her parenting ability. CPS will honestly want to give the step-father counseling sessions and have the goal to re-introduce him in the home down the road.