Who do I turn to? HELP CA DCFS ruining my kids

[moonb8by]

.My children were removed from my ex-mother in laws house in January 11. I have taken care of my two BEAUTIFILL daughters ages 13 and 14 all their lives . They never went with out anything, and we were blessed . Unfortunately money hardships arrived and I asked for the comfort and safety for my kids if there grandma could let them stay at her house until I was to find suitable housing and some type of income to support us again. Well with in a couple of weeks my ex and his new girlfriend who reside on the property were causing problems with my older daughter .In return the girlfriend was jealous that my daughters were reunited with their father and she (with out me knowing) was a heroin user. Because she was not honest when asked, my daughter reported to the school that she threw a hammer at her and had needles hidden within the dresser . Nobody told me anything ! I saw my kids 3 times a week brought them grocery and all thats needed for there care. My daughter called me the night before crying asking g me to pick them up from school the next day because she did’t want to be at grandma’s anymore. I agreed i would be there at 3 . Arriving i waited until 4 never seeing either of my daughters. A social worker told me that they were being detained at a police station and asked if i could come down to be questioned. I waited 3 hours to find out where my kids were and why they were detained. I explained i was not the custodial parent at this moment but i have full custody of them. None of the allegations were about me .it was just the opposite both my children said please let us go with my mom and explained why they were temporary at grandma’s. I was interviewed somewhere around 5 hours after they detained them apparently i seemed under the influence of something according to a worker. wow the police who have hours of detecting training for under the influence people said nothing of the sort. but after 5 minutes of talking with a worried ,frustrated, and in shock mother .That 1 social worker pinned that in the report. I have no criminal recored not even traffic tickets. but she said i was unfit to have my daughters. My kids are my world . She told me when i called her ill see you in court . what court? nothing more than a card with this woman name on it did i get for info. This of course was a Wednesday i called up until Friday night with no answer where or what to do .a court hearing was scheduled that Monday but i was not notified my ex husband told me about it since it was his case not mine. I attended, and they were shocked and I was the last case in the whole court building to be heard. They were trying to build a case out of nothing on me .They had nothing on me, I had a home that the kids could return with me. All that would of been needing to be done would be a school transfer. AT the court i demanded a trial but no one cared just next date to come back . leaving my kids abandoned in foster care . Fortunately there foster home was down the street from where i lived and my oldest daughter came over and would call me from school with out them knowing. I was stupid by telling the social worker about the communication i have with my kids and of corse she moved them across the valley. once again my daughter who loves and wants to be with her mother found ways to talk to me. Social worker now moved and separated them one stayed 17 miles the other one sent to a group home 33 miles away. My daughter would awol and find her way back to me ...and tearing me up inside i would take her back to the DCFS office so none would get in trouble for kidnaping or runaway. This happened 3 times !!! she got a tattoo (she was 13) spent the night with a 17 yr boy ran way with other kids in the group home that were 17 and there from probation .and this is better for her that living with her own mother!!!! she would of never done this living with me .they also medicate her against my will. the judge ordered un monitored phone contacts and 3 visits week but the social worker denies me of anything un monitored. What can I do ? There ruining my kids

[noroses4u2c]

You really need a lawyer right away. And not a court appointed one. The court appointed ones really work for them instead of you. Maybe legal aid if you cannot afford one. But you need to get a lawyer. And stop telling the case worker things. You will never, ever win her to your side. They are all about power/control. They can not be reasoned with.

I hope you get your children back.

[monkette31]

Do you have the court order copy that states you are to have visits with your children? If you do and you see your csw is not complying, try calling her supervisor, and her supervisor. I am in San Fernando valley and these people are snakes, they will do and say anything to destroy you and your children. If your csw is still not complying, I would ask for an administrative hearing from the state. There is a link to the cal document somewhere on this site about an administrative hearing for california. You have to file this within 30 days of alleged misconduct though. How long has visiting not been occurring? You could also go to the court (Monterey Park?) and try and file a 388 yourself, to modify the visits or at least get the visits. When you file the 388 (form is on net), the county will have to respond to it (all negative), but at least by doing this, you can make at least the court aware that you are not getting your visits. If you are in southern cal, here is the website to your court apppointed lawyer, they will be in one of the four law firms you see on the page. They have email and phone numbers as well. My case is out of the northridge office, lots of scummy investigators and supervisors over there. www.ladlinc.org . Facebook has sprouted up some family rights groups as well and is full of helpful people going through this as well.

[DanZ]

Your daughter's under a lot of stress, so I wouldn't judge her. The important thing is to get them back; and at least to quickly get visits. So I'd make a clear point, and stick to it- don't reason with the social workers, just repeat the main point over and over again in slightly different ways. Maybe that point is, "You've taken my children unjustly, and I want them back." Also, get the best lawyer you can (don't try to save money here)- children are the most important thing.
And make a nuisance of yourself! Phone everyone, call everyone, write letters to everyone, and keep repeating the same thing- I want my children back. I want to rescue my children from the people who snatched them from me.

[moonb8by]

Thanks everyone for the reply. I got to go visit my eldest daughter last weekend I,m in Reseda and she is in Monterey park by the children’s court. The judge ordered my social worker also to provide me with a monthly bus pass . Fantastic it really does me good to be given to me on the 24, almost at the end of the month. Waist of the counties money don’t you say? That pass is $75 It gets at least 6 days use! Another thing Id like to mention Do foster family’s get aid for the children? I used to have a few times that we could afford to go out of the normal budget for things like magic mountain and a couple more during the year,but it gets more expensive every year. My daughter who has a single stay at home foster mom, informed me that she gets to go to summer camp,she got a new kitten,clothes and had a birthday party (I could’t even call her to say happy bday!) She turned 13!! and I could’t even talk to her ,I cant call and she got a whole 3 min call to me on a speaker phone with her foster mom talking the entire time telling me what we were saying was not allowed!! Give me a break.They have torn my whole being apart. Those girls are my blessing from God. Not theirs. They are just securing their jobs by meeting the number of out of home placements the county needs for funding.What makes me sick is the social worker that was assigned to me does’t even have kids herself . How can she truly understand what im feeling as a mother with the bond and concern for safety of my kids. She says I do have nieces and nephews so i understand! BS!! Nothing like having your children kid napped held for ransom and there is no contact lets just top it off with separating siblings who have never been a part since birth. lastly lets put miles between them and add psych meds !!

[monkette31]

Yep, sounds like you are in DCFS Hell like the rest of us. I get a bus pass too but they won't give you July's until July, Friday or Monday. Yes, foster families do get payments, here's where it get even worse. If you daughters are not on any medications, the DCFS people pay somewhere around $1200 per month and it goes to the FFA (foster family agency), who in turn take their cut out of it and pay the foster parent about $480 per mos. , per child.

When children are taken, they are usually assigned to a foster family agency, where they will also have a caseworker. That caseworker (at the FFA) is supposed to visit your kids once a week and they act as the liason between the foster parent and DCFS social worker. The foster parent probably reports everything and anything to the caseworker at the FFA, who in turn turns around and speaks to the DCFS social worker.

The most disgusting thing about all this is that IF your child is on medication (they like to PUT children on meds), the county can claim more money from the government and the pay to the FFA is much higher. That is why they will put children on meds, so now they can say they are being "medically monitored" and the FFA gets about $1500 per month now. It's all a money making scam. Of course we and our children are upset but they use this to put children on meds, so they get more money and can write even more awful things. Don't be suprised if your child is reported as having behavior problems, this will also get them on meds. The foster parent has been trained on how all this works and they have meetings at each FFA where all the foster parents get together and exchange notes.

Basically, your children's detainment is paying for a lot of people's salaries, including the doctor and psychiatrist that your child sees. It's all about money and now that they've got your child, they won't let go. My csw told me a long time ago, that they NEVER let children go home at the 6 mos. hearing. I think it's their internal policy.

Then she tells me that children NEVER go home from monitored visits stage, so that means you have to at least get to the unmonitored visits stage before your at least 12 mos. hearing to even have a chance. If you like, you can write me at [email protected] . I feel for you and try to at least take care of yourself now, it's very hard not to be or become depressed over all this....

[DanZ]

I've noticed this too- case workers are people without children. I felt really ridiculous having this silly young uneducated social worker, without children, telling me how to bring up my children like she's some sort of expert on the topic. Needless to say, her advice was at the level of her expertise.
The professional word for this phenomenon is "theme interference". These social workers have their own issues (can't have children; racism; childhood trauma...), and they're acting them out on us. The people who need to be in care are the CPS workers, not our children.

[KDus]

My experience is with Ventura.
Say as little as possible to the social workers. They will never be on your side.
Call Parents with a Purpose and United Families . See if there is and equivalent in your area.
805 384-1555

A court appointed attorney will be part of a good ol'boys club. They work behind the scenes; making deals with CPS.

Yes, they will try to label your child special needs. They're worth more that way. They put my boy in a spanish speaking home and then said he had speech problems.

CPS will say you are wearing red socks when everyone can look down and see they are blue. It is your job to get the judge to look at your socks.