But the family in this article got reported for messy hair and too short pants.
That report was by an onlooker, not a CPS agent, and did not constitute any determination of neglect. My post was specifically in response to a question about why not bathing for a week is not deemed to be neglect, and the standards CPS workers use to make that *determination*.
Naturally, the standards for starting an *investigation*, either by CPS or by the police, are lower.