Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Washington State Stealing Children From Families

OK...so you think my headline is "yellow journalism." But I can only call them as I see them.

Last February I received a call from grandparents in my district. As it turns out, what I will relate is happening all over the state. And, Child Protective Services is unrepentant.

The gig is simple:

1. A troubled young woman in a normal family has a baby. She really does have some problems and the parents are concerned for their grandchild.

2. CPS is called. The grandparents may even be the ones who report the potential hazard because they are concerned.

3. The state takes the child.

4. The state does not allow the grandparents (or ANY relatives)to see the the child. Time goes by.

5. The state argues in front of a judge for termination of parental rights. Grandparents have no rights in the court and can only cry as they watch.

6. The parental rights of the parent are terminated.

7. The state claims there is no relationship between the grandchild and the grandparents or other family members(a situation DSHS created).

8. The judge is told that the child has bonded with the foster-adopt person and that it would be in the best interest of the child to never see the biological family again. The faster-adopt parent then adopts the child.

The grandparents in my district are wonderful people. The state even said so in their own early emails. Then the state began to work against the little girl's family.

Here is what we have today (after I hired a personal investigator, personally testified in court on behalf of the child, and spent enumerable hours talking to multiple sets of the deaf ears in DSHS).

Little three year old Lisa (named changed) is in the home of a single foster-adopt woman. The woman is currently unemployed. (She couldn't hold a job with a transit agency more than two months.)The woman has already been given an infant by the department. The woman has a restraining order out on a former lover who pulled a gun on her. Little Lisa is bussed to two daycare facilities each day!!!! Childhaven does not stay open long enough, I guess. So, little Lisa gets on the bus again at the end of the day and then goes to Kindercare. (This situation is outrageous!) Two weeks ago Liza showed up at daycare with a "significant black eye," according to the attendant at Childhaven.

NO ONE REPORTED THE BLACKEYE. The teenage mother saw it when she was visiting her daughter. She reported it to me, a state senator. The law REQUIRES that this blackeye be reported. The mother later received an email from the head of Childhaven describing how Lisa showed up at the minibus with the blackeye.

ALL RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE BROKE THE LAW. AND, NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THAT. THE CHILD IS NOT LOOKED AFTER AND NO ONE IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR FAILING TO REPORT. The daycare centers were...UNDER THE LAW...suppose to report this. The court appointed child advocate knew about this and did not report it. Even when DSHS was informed...they did not report it to the police and the Department of Licensing. Thankfully, the teen mother did make sure it was reported but all responsible adults in this case ignored the blackeye and ignored the law.

Tomorrow I will be meeting with DSHS, the Attorney General's staff, and the private investigator I brought into the case. Your tax dollars at work....

5 comments:

oklahoma1899 said...

What does it take to stop this insane treatment of children and grandchildren - It will take the money to go away. This is the worst thing I have ever had to deal with. It is the death of the american family.

oklahoma1899 said...

I also want to add that the Attorney General's office is backing up CPS all the way to the bank. If you can get anything other than half-truths and bs out of them good luck

Unknown said...

Unbelievable...

starfire1962 said...

Are you aware that Pres. Clinton passed a bill in 1998 called "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND". It gives federal funding to D.S.H.S. every time they place a child outside the family home. And if that foster-adopt parent adopts the child the state gets an additional $4000. to $15,000. per child! Since 1998 childern in foster care just on the west coast has rissen 350%! But if they place with family, D.S.H.S. gets nothing. So you can see where D.S.H.S. stands.
it's all about the money! This is a multi-billion dollar a year black market baby ring. If the government put those incentives to reletive placement instead, you would see those numbers drop dramatically. So you see, it's NOT family first, it's MONEY first. And it's our childern and our families that are paying the ultimate price.

Anonymous said...

You just described our case. Drug addicted mother and violent angry father have baby boy--abused, neglected,sick. Finally taken away-rescued by loving grandmother who is PRAISED by CPS, doctors, teachers! 3 years of health, safety, love, nurture and joy. Then...grandmother complains to ombudsman about the lack of permanency for the child, and also about concerns about the father's harmful statements and actions during visit. Immediately--the boy is taken from the grandmother, and a few weeks later is returned to substance abusing, angry, violent, lawbreaking and non-compliant parents who have no job, no money and no support system. The state is paying their housing, gas, food, lights, heat, phones, speeding tickets(!), daycare for 3 kids although no parent is working...and much more. Grandmother and her huge extended family in the area have been told they will NEVER see the child again. Broken, evil system.