A message I received from a parent yesterday as a reply to a missed planned video discussion about 15 days ago got me punching my keyboard to write this post. She will be disguised as "Martha" and my helper who directed me to her diguised as "Eunice". Martha is a single mother of a beautiful 7 years old girl residing in one of the states in America. Martha message pasted below(Cleaned Version):
Eunice told me of your research into cases of parents who had passed through the CPS, I don't want to get too emotional that was why I decided to send you this message instead of video chat that Eunice suggested. I don't want to get emotional writing this either as a message, so I would be brief about it all and state to you the most important part of injustice I went through. I hope this helps you well and hopefully stop others from falling into my condition.
My daughter whom I love dearly with all my heart came home from school with bruises on her ankle and a slight cut resembling that inflicted by fingernails. I was shocked seeing this, and she told me one of the kids in school had done it to her. After tending to her bruises, the next morning I took her to school and confronted the principal. She refused to believe me, insisting that the kid did nothing of such to my kid, that my daughter was perfectly fine when she left yesterday. I insisted and I was so furious about what had happened, the kid in question happened to come from a wealthy home and perhaps that contributed to the principal adamant attitude to believing me, I threatened to sue for it.
To cut the story short(I am already getting all emotional), the principal called CPS on me!!!. they insisted that I was the one who abused my own daughter and came to "act up in school"!, I was accused by cps workers to have fingered my kid and bruised her also irrespective of the fact that my daughter was saying otherwise that it was the kid in school who got her injured. CPS charged me for this wrong doing, perhaps this was a plot with the boy's father whom had bruised my daughter.
CPS took my kid for a long time, keeping her up in temporary foster care for a long time. The charges against me gradually began to multiply, and I was charged for having a drinking habit and being drunk despite the fact that I have been off alcohol for more than 5 years now(I fell into my previous drinking habit when I lost my husband, the father of my daughter died). But I had stopped completely!, I didn't admit to it either because I know that will be the end of me seeing my lovely daughter.
I had no money and I couldn't get a good attorney to fight my case, I couldn't get any at all, so the court appointed me a court attorney. My problems were about to get much more complicated because of my attorney. The attorney often never replied my emails, I was pleading for him to seek out enough time for my case but it was not forthcoming. I kept on pestering him until it was about one day to one of the hearing. Thinking it was ideal to tell my attorney everything about my case, during our discussion I admitted to him that I had drinking issues years ago when I lost my husband but I have been sober for years and any other minute information about the bruises and finger marks.
On the hearing day, my court appointed attorney completely defiled my confidential agreement with him, and was indirectly telling the court that I had drinking issues and that I still drink alot "once in a while". This was completely false!, I was already crying and speechless, my attorney had worked against me and even lied about it!.
This message is getting too long, in shorter version, I got my baby back after I ended up selling all my properties I could lay my hands on, my ipad, old computer in the house, my jewelries and every other valuable things my husband got me. Sadly, even my ring!. I told the court previously that I would be changing lawyers and all that. Even that became an hurdle for me, they never wanted to permit it saying I can't change from the court appointed attorney. Well, I got a great attorney eventually who was able to fight my case. He was always present and knew exactly what he needed to do. I myself played my part in getting every information in fighting my case.
My beautiful daughter is at home now since 3 months ago after being taken for more than 157 days from me. I still feel the trauma and the hell they made me pass through. I am presently crying as I type this message to you, It was a painful one for me and my daughter.
I decided to send you this message to help you out on your research as Eunice told me about it that you needed it and I felt that would be a way of getting my story to many families, especially single mums out there.
Please change my name if you want to eventually use this, I don't want them knocking on my doors for any reason. Hope I was of help to you.
Bye.
Inasmuch as we would be made to believe that court appointed attorneys are supposed to be just and confidential, this skips through the cracks!. The worst situation you can find yourself when dealing with CPS is to have a buggy two-sided attorney like Martha initially had. That said, not all of them are like this, some actually care about your case as much as they can and are ever ready to work out your case with all confidentiality and with ethics.
Juvenile delinquent attorneys are always hard to come by, because it is a rare part of the law, but your kid is worth the search and expenses!. Court appointed lawyers are usually the most busiest of them all, they would have little to no time for your case and might likely indirectly work against you, or even directly. Very underpaid and mounted with many cases to even get to create chance for yours. So, consider all this if you ever face CPS, a private attorney who can genuinely put in the time, resources and energy to work out your case is prioritized. Don't go for a quack attorney either, cause you might end up in the same sorry state, never leave your case to an attorney to work alone, be there with him, bring as much documents as possible and work with him every step of the way.
My heart goes to "Martha", may you completely recover from the hell this Child Abuse Service (CAS) made you pass through and may your journey with your lovely daughter be always peaceful as you walk through life.
Rise up for this cause
A foe fought in Unity
Becomes a foe defeated
To be informed is to be forearmed
Keep loving your Kids and fight for their right to be loved by you!
Peace to you all,
@kryptocoin
(MakeBloom)
Please follow @familyprotection, a community here on Steemit, helping to enlighten, support and aid families passing through hard times at the hands of CPS and social injustice, and exposing their corrupt practices. Upvote, Comment, Resteem this post and Participate in the community.
Image-Credit : 1 | 2, 3 , 4 | 5 & 6
