Hi,
I have 4 children and quite the story on Child Welfare Services (CWS). That's what they call CPS in California. It's supposed to be more politically correct.
Only one of my children is in the custody of the state. Although the county has tried many times to get my other 3 children, ICWA intervened with my two youngest children (daughter now 4 and son now 3) and my oldest son (now 8) is quite capable of handling interviews by the social workers. They tried to get him to say we abuse him and he kept turning the questions back on them. He's also epileptic and they tried to get him removed by having a psychologist say I made his epilepsy up. My son reminded them that it is his choice to take the medication, I don't force him to. He described a seizure to that worker, an honest one. After she spoke to the neurologist she closed that referral which had been made by another social worker.
So now I get to the part about my daughter. My oldest child is now 10. she has been in 'protective custody' since December 12, 2006 when she was removed from a psychiatric ward where she had been placed for a 21 day evaluation. It was day 11. From December 1, 2006 my daughter has been out of my direct care. She was raging, trying to bash out the windows of the car and making suicidal and homicidal threats.
Then she decided she didn't want to be there anymore and said two men 'touched her'. Well, my county jumped all over these statements. They used that to have her discharged from the hospital. They took her off her medication for over 24 hours, then questioned her. They manipulated her into saying what they wanted to hear. What she said doesn't fall into the realm of 'clear and convincing' evidence. It was paraphrased by a social worker who was not present for an interview that wasn't recorded.
What they have on that recording is my daughter's face, but no audio. I have had 2 social workers who lied and manipulated the court. The one I currently have tried to give custody to my ex-husband who hadn't seen his daughter in over 3 years. CWS gave him my address and at one point he went AWOL from the Army. Then he text messaged a commanding officer something that led the Army to believe he was homicidal and suicidal. They contacted me and pointed out he knew where I lived and that I might want to find a safer location for me and my 3 children as well as the two men my daughter made those statements about. They caught him and sent him back to base.
While in foster care my daughter has gone through 8 foster homes. She has run away once. She has had law enforcement called on her 3 times and been physically restrained on at least 2 occasions. Currently, my daughter is in a level 12 group home for challenging children. They currently have her on Risperdal.
I have been through 2 parenting classes (that were useless). I have taken one class through NAMI voluntarily on how to deal with your mentally ill family member. That class taught me a lot. My daughter was diagnosed Bipolar at age 7 after years of unknown behavior. She was hospitalized to determine if that was in fact correct. Now they tell me she is ADHD with reactive tendencies (the definition of pediatric Bipolar Disorder). They go and get orders for medications after supervisors promise me they won't.
I have been waiting for them to get the psychiatric evaluation from **** for her and they are dragging their feet. In the meantime, I get to see her for 8 hours a month, her siblings are only allowed to see her for 6 of those hours. My second case worker is going on maternity leave this week, so I will be getting worker number 3. This one at least is a parent herself.
I have tried getting my file, and been told that a loop hole to the 1974 law protects them. I have tried to get my Assemblyman involved. They don't know what they can do to help me because CWS is an entity unto themselves. I have been assured that I would see my daughter's medical file, that has never happened. I have been retaliated against and there is no recourse that I know of to help me. I have tried to record the CWS meetings and am being told by their office that I can get a written summary, but I can't record it because of juvenile laws of confidentiality. I have asked for questions to be answered in writing and been told it is not the practice of CWS to put anything in writing.
They used my psychological evaluation which is half truths and mixed up facts to limit my visitation. They have threatened to cut off services to me. They lie and commit perjury as needed to fit them. I have yet to be honestly represented. They tell me to do something, then turn around and tag me for doing it.
For the record, law enforcement did not follow through with anything other than turning a report over to the DA's office which dropped the case.
I finally got the detective's statement on my daughter's interview. Something no one wanted me read (including my attorney). My current worker didn't even know what was said. They tell me I have to acknowledge and accept my daughter's statement. Yet they didn't know what they were telling me to accept. According to one statement I had seven children and only knew the location of 2 kids. (I know where all four of my children are.) I'd really like to meet the other 3. In another statement the babysitter bruised my daughter with a wet noodle. In the final statement, this one the detective took, the men in question would have to be aliens from outer space.
And I should remember that CWS claimed my daughter was in immanent danger in the hospital.
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This was sent to me in an email.
No names will be used. These stories are private. If you wish to leave a comment for her, please do so here.
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