By Vickie

My name is Vicki Lambou and I am reporting some horrendous struggles I am having with the Department of Family Services in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I have been fostering to adopt two sibling boys for three years now! The adoption was suppose to be finalized by June of this year or the Judge on March 17th 2011 had threatened to fine the D.F.S. with multiple "ASFA" fines! We began picking out our new last names in March of this year.

This has been a real struggle but the boys and I have come a long way and we have overcome many obstacles. They were flourishing in my care.

The children have a history of neglect, FAS/ADHD/PTSD/DEPRESSION, and SEXUALLY ABUSE. They were five and two when the came to live in my care. Neither was potty trained, they both had abandonment and attachment issues. They were underweight and developmentally behind. By the grace of God, prayer, consistency and lots of love, today you would never know. Matthew and Brandon are too very wonderful and amazingly resilient little boys that have brought great joy to not only my life but to many others also that have been a part of it these past three years.

Over the course of three years we have had 4 - 5 different permanency case workers, and no case worker at all for a while sending a CPS worker in the process of training a new CPS worker to our home for a permanency check! Our adoption paperwork has fallen through the cracks and lost having to be done over by me. I understand that the department is overwhelmed, understaffed and has looming budget cuts! I get that.

In short; I had a babysitter in Jan of 2011 that I was going to hire and I began to train her and start the process as I have done in the past. Quickly I felt uncomfortable with her presence around the children and I so I released her after a very brief training period of only three weeks. Being disgruntled she contacted the D.F.S. with all kinds of outlandish accusations about me! These accusations have not been substantiated!

Needless to say before they had substantiated any claims of neglect or abuse on my part they removed the children from my home on Thursday March 24th one week after our last status court hearing. The children who had been in my care for three years now and were soon to be my adopted sons!

This Thursday it will 7 weeks that the children and I have not had any contact with each-other for the first time in three years! I now know that the oldest child, Matthew now 8, is now is living in a group home due to "behavior problems" and Brandon now 5 years old with another Foster Family, separating the children. This was Matthews greatest fear! To be separated from everything and everyone that he considers his home and family! The children have been taken suddenly while we were all doing well! They have lost their places in their schools, tutoring, counselling, doctors appointments, all contact with me and their friends, and now they have lost each-other! This has to be extremely traumatizing and confusing to the children! I am traumatized as well and missing the children terribly.

The DFS and CPS to my understanding have not been able to substantiate any claims of abuse and/or neglect by me or others while in my care. Still no one to my knowledge has contacted the teachers, the counselors, the schools, the doctors, my housekeeper, my co-workers or other people that really know me and the children to find out the truth! No one has contacted me to provide any information what-so-ever. Meanwhile the children suffer. I am not asking for anyone to advocate for me but the children need a voice. This is a horrible thing to do to these children who have already been through way more than any child should ever have to.

Not everyone is a scumbag!! I have no problem with an investigation if it is done forthrightly, expeditiously and all the while keeping the best interest of the children in mind. This is not in the best interest of these children. I'm horrified that they have been removed from my care and separated from each-other two months before the judge mandated that our adoption process be finalized!

The children deserve better than this. They deserve a loving forever family free from the fear that they can lose it all at any moment.

Vicki Lambou

Las Vegas, Nevada

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

—Mark 10:13-16