Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"Lilly" Will Not Go Home

In a short email last week I learned that Lilly's mother will not be able to raise her. Lilly's mother was lied to by the department (tricked) into signing termination papers. As a baby Lilly's grandparents raised her until she was three.

Told the grandparents would be able to adopt Lilly, the mother signed papers.

Once the papers were signed...CPS called the grandmother in to the Mt. Vernon office ostensibly to get the paper work started for the adoption.

CPS took the 3 year-old...and placed her in a foster adopt home for a "quick adoption" to a 26 year-old single female.

I made a call to the very influential and wealthy great-grandmother on the deceased father's side of the family. I was right...CPS did back down on the out of family adoption because of the significant status of the great-grandparents who until that time had only seen Lilly twice. If they had not entered the picture....Lilly would have been adopted out to a non-relative over a year ago. Lilly's heritage and family rights have been preserved. That certainly was not the goal of CPS though it is the goal of the law.

The grandparents who raised Lilly should have been able to adopt her. They are working, have a new house, are younger than the greats. The young mother who was lied to has turned her life around...she is working and going to school...and should have been allowed to have her child.

The great-grandparents are nice people but unwilling to help Lilly in any other way but to "keep" her. There is enough sadness all around for this family. Hopefully, the greats will allow the grands and the mother to see their child. Hopefully, the greats will not leave Lilly unattended with their relatives who have drug problems. Very wrong there, folks! There is a reason that Lilly was not involved with the ex-con grandpa on the father's side. Now Lilly will see him regularly. Who will "get" Lilly when the greats are incapacitated?

I hope there will be family reconciliation for everyone. God bless this family. May there be healing and openness and pure motivations.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

My prayers go out to the Willards,their daughter and especially "Lilly." That little girl will grow up resenting the great G.P.`s as someday she will be old enough to know the truth. A great injustice has been done to this family. The fact that she was taken from her grandparents based on lies and not returned PROVES that Secretary Dreyfus does NOT care about the children of our state. When she was told the story of the Willards, she should have demanded that child be returned. Senator Roach, you need to be our next Governor!!

Anonymous said...

I'm confused, if the grandparents and mother have discredited the state in this case, why is Lily NOT going home?

Anonymous said...

This whole system is just insane. Do you know how many grandparents get turned down for being too old that don't even come close to their age? Money sure talks in this state. This is another good reason why people should get involved with government. It is not what you know, but who you know.

Anonymous said...

To comment above,
It is because the GreatGrandparents have money and political contacts and the state is afraid to admit that they screwed up in this case to give Lilly back to the grandparents. They have lied, cheated & manipulated information to go their way and do not want to loose this case. Everyone knows the truth but they are not willing to admit they are wrong and give the child back to those who truly love her!
Lilly is the one who is suffering in this case with the loss of the family that loves her so much (mother, grandparents, aunts & uncles). She has been lied to repeatedly by the people she has around her now and I fear for her safety with the criminal element that is around her now with the great-grandparents permission and support.

Terri Michler said...

Because CPS no matter what state they are in, do not want to prioritize placement with family. In my case, I am a young grandmother (38) with 2 grandchildren. They are in foster care with a lesbian foster/adopt couple. CPS is trying to pressure/intimidate my daughter into signing termination papers so they don't have to look at me if she fights & wins. What does that tell you? I'm not a criminal, abuser, or anything like that. My only "crime" was that my daughter unfortunately ended up with severe mental health problems. From her father's side. So now I am to blame for it all. I am terrified I will lose my babies, they both lived with me since birth, etc. I was their psychological parent, while the court gave them to me twice previously, now I'm not good enough.

Anonymous said...

This was posted on your site before, and should be posted again now that the inspection is coming in September:
Call, give your story and insist on an investigation for financial fraud among other things. Forward this to everyone you know who would want to call them as well.

I have some information regarding the review coming the week of September 13. It is the Child and Family Service Review (CFSR) and here is a link describing their purpose: http://www.acf. hhs.gov/programs /cb/cwmonitoring /recruit/ cfsrfactsheet. htm
Finding an email or who to contact is near impossible but here it is:

For further information about the Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and
Stable Families programs, contact: Vicki Wright at (202) 401-0406, email:
vwright@acf. dhhs.gov.
For more information about the Child and Family Services Reviews, please visit
the Children’s Bureau website at: http://www.acf. hhs.gov/programs /cb

Also: info@childwelfare. gov

Anonymous said...

This is almost EXACTLY my family's story as well. So in essence CPS throws out the entire "in the best interest of the child" to "whomever has the most money, to hell with the child" reason. DSHS is establishing a pattern that show little concern as to what is best for kids and much more bowing to money as their own "best interest". The mother was tricked into giving up her rights with empty promises as what happened in my family. The truth is, as I have said all along and WILL say in court, relatives are used because we cost nothing while DSHS rakes in the $6-8000 per month funding to "park" little kids until they can find a way to get more funding and cause more trauma to a child's life. In the meantime the chaos and heartbreak is intentionally inflicted in order to make a buck. Money, money, money is what it is all about, who gives a damn about the child????

This is beyond disgusting, it is a crime and a sin. Please feel free to give my contact info to the grandparents. The utter and agonizing intentionally inflicted pain CPS have caused is something I know intimately.

Cat in Seattle

Anonymous said...

May Lily and her mom should sue DHS for unauthorized practice of law - I doubt the DHS employees advising her were attorneys.

Anonymous said...

To the person who posted the first comment about being confused: CPS can do whatever they want to do without any consequences.If you or I went into a store and stole something,we would be held accountable because we`ve broken a law. Lilly should have been given back to her grandparents immediately when the first accusation was discredited. Yes, she`s with family. But it doesn`t make it right. That little girl was raised by her grandparents. Being so little, wouldn`t you think someone would have a heart and get that child back where she belongs? My cousin was heavily on drugs and had threatened to kill her kids at one point. After 3 years, she got them back. They are doing great though. If they had been younger and not drug babies,I think the State would have found any excuse possible to adopt them out. Lilly`s mom has proved she is doing well. The best thing for the child is being with the parent if possible. I`m with you, I`m confused and my heart breaks for this family. I hope the Great Grandparents will truly think about what`s best for Lilly. Why waste time on making laws to protect children? The State is so motivated by money, they have foster-adopts who have placed their "order" for whatever child they want. The kids don`t matter. Sorry this is so long. This is something that haunts me everyday because we`ve lived it. Our attorney really helped us. Once she informed the parents` attorneys that the child was taken from us after being with us most of her life and filled them in on everything, they stuck with it till the end. They were state attorneys and they were angry about what had been done. If anyone needs an attorney, Contact Renee DeFreece at the Tuohy Minor Kruse Law Firm in Everett. Having the parents` attorneys on our side was like having 3 for the price of 1. If you truly think you have a case, contact her.