Child Protective Services (CPS) investigates a substantial share of U.S. families, disproportionately low-income families and families of color, following allegations of child maltreatment. Notably, most cases close after investigation, meaning that CPS intervention extends well beyond families where children are in serious danger. This talk examines implications for families of CPS’s broad reach, drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews with mothers, CPS investigators, and mandated reporters. Specifically, the talk will trace how CPS intervention – even at the lowest level – or the threat thereof shapes mothers’ experiences of security, belonging, and help-seeking. The talk concludes by reflecting on these findings to assess recent calls for re-envisioning the child welfare system as a broader child well-being system.