PAS is real. Sometimes it backfires on the alienator, though. Be patient, most kids see through it after a while. Never say anything negative about their mother, don't pry into their home life, just be there for them. If they trust you and there are problems, they'll tell you or their father.
I am concerned with the remark about
CPS. My ex husband filed for divorce first and gave me sole
physical custody. After he found someone to marry, we got our first visit from CPS. The case was closed out, and I was advised to seek legal help against my ex. Which I haven't....yet. Too busy, no money.
For visit number two, please see my post over on the father's board. Pay attention to the part where ex and his wife visited the youngest one in the hospital. I don't tolerate that kind of language coming from a child, but she was loaded up on morphine.
Wouldn't you want to be a positive part of the children's lives, instead of the one they dislike? My "children" range in ages 10, almost 17, 21, and 25. I have a grandchild, and another on the way.
Something you may not know about CPS, and I'm sure my ex doesn't know, is that that agency gets Federal funding when they place children in foster care. If there is a legitimate reason to remove the children from the mother's care, you and your husband may not be able to get custody. Of course I don't know the concerns you and your husband have regarding the kids mother, so I can't comment. Good luck.