By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Grace Thomas holds her daughter Ashley, 2, on her back Thursday before she and her husband, Michael, talk to a Hamilton County task force hearing on changing state rules on how child abuse allegations are investigated. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ERNEST COLEMAN

The Sharonville mom thought she was picking up her two young daughters at their babysitter's house one afternoon last May. Instead, Shu-Ying "Grace" Wang-Thomas was met at the door by a social worker who accused her of child abuse.

The baby sitter had called 241-KIDS about dark spots on the back and buttocks of then-18-month-old Ashley Thomas. The call triggered an automatic investigation by the county Department of Job and Family Services.

The county social worker dismissed Wang-Thomas' protests that the spots were birthmarks.

The mother said she was pressured into agreeing to stay away from Ashley and Emily, then 3, while the charges were investigated.

But the investigation, like more than half initiated by a call to 241-KIDS, found no evidence of abuse. The marks on Ashley were Mongolian spots common on toddlers of Asian, African, Indian and Hispanic descent. Wang-Thomas is of Chinese heritage and husband Michael Thomas is African-American.

"I know 241-KIDS is protecting children, and that's great," Wang-Thomas said. "... But they assume I abuse my children. How can I convince them?"

The couple spoke Thursday to a county task force that wants to change state rules on how abuse allegations are investigated. The county Job and Family Services Department is cooperating with the task force, which will make recommendations to a subcommittee of the Ohio Supreme Court also studying the issue.

"There needs to be something in place to derail the process when it becomes clear the accusation is unfounded," said County Commissioner Phil Heimlich, who is leading the task force.

Under state law, allegations made to Hamilton County's child-abuse hot line must be investigated, whether they're made by a doctor, a teacher or an anonymous caller with an ax to grind. .

Meanwhile, the accused parent is often required to stay away from the children. Wang-Thomas was able to move back home after several days, but only because her daughters' pediatrician attested to the Mongolian spots and Heimlich - a friend of the Thomases - intervened.

More than 54 percent of investigations based on hot lines tips find no abuse or neglect, according to Job and Family Services. The charges are proved 38 percent of the time, and in the remaining cases there's some evidence but it's not conclusive.

There's room for improvement in the laws, Job and Family Services officials agree. Still, spokeswoman Laurie Petrie said, balancing parents' rights against children's safety is a delicate job.

"It's not easy," she said. "The first time you cut short an investigation and a child is seriously harmed or dies, everyone is going to want to look at the issue again."

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com