Legal Question in Family Law in California

While you may not want the children involved with "the system", the situation you have described involves matters that are best handled by the CPS agency in the county where you live. Your report to the county will be considered confidential so your identity should be protected, at least in theory. If you are not comfortable making the CPS report, take the child to a mandated reporter (teacher, ER docs and nurses) and have him explain the situation to those parties. While "the system" has its problems, if the children are in as difficult a situation as you believe, the matter needs to be reported to the appropriate authorities. You may be able to work with the social workers to maintain contact with the children. Good luck with this.