There has to be a middle ground between the current situation, where government intervenes almost at will in family matters, and the Roman concept of the pater familias, the father who had the power of life and death over his children. The situation that existed prior to about 1960, where there had to be clear evidence of true abuse or neglect before a judge would remove children, evidence equivalent to the habeas corpus standard used in criminal law, better protected the rights of families and individuals.
Also, prior to about 1930, churches and private charities, rather than government, took care of orphans and abandoned chidren. Despite all the negative stories about orphanages, such as in Dickens' novels and in the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, the orphanages and even the much maligned "orphan trains" provided an invaluable service to the nation, without one cent of taxpayer money being spent. Given the horrors of the foster home program under the present state-controlled system, it is hard to imagine how the former system was worse. If the old system was like Tsar Nicholas or Batista, the current system is like Stalin or Castro.
The best solution would be the abolition of CPS agencies, with the transfer of foster care to organizations like the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities and with the prosecution of child abuse and negligence, with the same safeguards to accused parents as afforded other defendants, to police agencies and district attorneys.
It sounds as if this kid has been beaten for years, and it's not going to get any better. I can only imagine what the father would be using in another five years.