daughter in the system

[jennirosenberg]

i am not new to this sight just have a new situation. i have a daughter who is 14. she lived with her father up until i found out he was beating on her and doing doing drugs. i took her one day after he had just got done beating her with a belt until she bled in some places. i took her straight to the police station and got a protective order on him. well srs got involved and they put her in temperary srs custoday but in my care. well when they first interviewed my daughter about what was goin on (someone had called them on her father before i found out what was going on) she told them that the report they got was untrue. then after the interview is when he beat her real bad and she called me and aske me to help. well when she talked to the srs worker the second time she told them the truth. when asked why she didnt the first time she told them she was scared they wouldnt believe her and send her back to her dads house any way. well she started living with me like i said in the temperary srs custoday and we started family preservation. right before halloween i got put in jail for back child support on her for a whole $550. i had to stay there until my fiance could come here (he works in gorgia) and get me out. i was in there for 8 days. while i was there the familt pres woman came for her usual weekly visit and my daughter lied to them and told them i was out of town on a medical emergency. that monday they found out i was in jail and removed both my daughters from their schools and took them to a foster home. i got out the same day. they had a 24 hour emergency case plan meeting (they didnt know i was out) on tuesday. they had to tell me about it causei went to the srs office to find out what was going on. then they invited me to the meeting they had scheduled with her dad. in that meeting they told my daughter that they dont think that what she was telling them about her father was true (her father was at this meeting and it was the first one he had ever been too) and that they wanted her to go back and live with her father. she told them she didnt want to live there and why but the srs worker told her that she was just a defiant child acting out her anger. then after the meeting the srs worker told me to try to talk her into living back with her dad then everything could be dropped and me and her father could go to civil court and fight for custody. i talked to my daughter about it and she was crying telling me if she went back she knew something bad was going to happen. we had court the same day and the da gave her a choice to go back to her dads that day or stay in foster care. she chose foster care.(i got my other daughter back the same day) well the family pres worker told me that srs was pushing for her fathers house and that he admitted to beating her on 1 isolated incident. that my daughter had to be convincing about what went on at her fathers house. by this time my daughter became very untrusting of everyone in the system and told the family pres that no matter what she said they didnt care they were going to do what they wanted to. well we had another case plan meeting and her father was there again. this time he was drunk. i mentioned that fact and they told me it was ok as long as he was beligerant. then they told my daughter she had to go on a 2 hour visit with him or she wouldnt be able to have visits with me. thats a crock i know. well she did without fight then called me later. told me she was just going to suck up then she could come back home with me inthe end. well she came to my house on thanks giving then that saturday she went to her dads. he got drunk and fought with her and told her he wished she would just die so he wouldnt have to be going throught this and that she wasnt worth the child support they were asking for. she called me that night highly upset. thats when things started going down hill in the foster home for her. she started acting out and telling the peoplethere where to go. i knew then what was going to happen. she came to my house for a visit the following week then she ran away. she called me and told me she ran so she wouldnt have to go back to her dads. all i can say is that i know she is ok and is being taken care of. i know its a long story to read but if you dont know that whole thing then you dont know whats going on to give me some advice. i want my daughter to write to the judge himself and tell him what it was like at her dads and why she doesnt want to go back. she wrote the srs before on the same thing but they told me that they thought the letter was a fabrication. so i told her to write the judge the same letter so he can see for himself what she has to say and not listen to what the srs wants him to know. she is scared that they wont help her that they'll just keep trying to send her back to her dads. can anyone giving me some suggestions

[jennirosenberg]

i forgot to add that the srs refuse to look at the pictures that the juvenile intake person took of her fresh bruises the night i got the protective order on her dad. they told me they didnt need to look since he admitted to the one isolated incident

[kegansmom]

Ok this is my suggestion,
I think you need to get your daughter a good lawyer someone who will fight for her. You also need to try and get the judge to listen to her. This isn't going to be easy. But if she had a good lawyer then it will be alot easier for you both. Or if you could get her father to sign off all rights to her it would be better too. " I don't see that happening" but it is all worth a try. I wish you the best oh and you could also write or call your governer. He or she might help too. I hope this helps you a little..
Kegansmom

[jennirosenberg]

ok i have good news and bad news. her dad has withdrawn completelty and doest want her now. bad news is i have to deal with srs now and its sad to say that i hope the judge puts her in jja custody then srs

[Michael]

If there is a Court Appointed Special Advocate Program in your area contact them immediately. They will have someone to go to court to represent your daughter and only your daughter. CASA does not represent parents only children.

[Gary Shaw]

That is good news. From our experiences I thought CASA was used only to validate CPS' stupid allegations and claims.

Michael, I know what you are saying is how it is supposed to be. In reality very little CPS does is in accord with the law or how it is supposed to be. The Child Welfare League of America does an outstanding job in providing Training Materials for Agencies that teachs how to manipulate the laws and the system.

[scarfyrre]

Most CASAs in GA could give a crap about the kids. Ours hasn't even bothered to show up last two court dates, so now our case is extended yet again.

I'm about to have a nervous breakdown between trying to be a single mother to a damaged 7yo, battling CPS to keep them out of my house, and trying not to tear all my hair out.

I was told Tuesday I was 'lucky' because my son was home. True, but am I lucky because he was removed from his home because some bitch at the Georgia Center claims proof of sexual abuse because he nibbled at his arm and said he 'accidentally lied' instead of just 'lied'? Am I lucky my son has nightmares, can't be alone for a minute, is terrified DFCS is going to take him again?

CASA doesn't give a shyte about the kids or anything other than their goshdarn appointments with other courts more important, eventhough the juvenile date was made a month in advace.

Sure, find a CASA if you want to try. Just make sure they're not CPS whores like the first office we were sent to. The brother of the hack counselor that made the abuse claim was a CASA. Tell me she didn't have an agenda.

[Frustrated]

Scarfyrre:

LOL you make me laugh, I had to snicker about that CASA don't give a damn shyte, and CPS Whores, and blah, blah...

Sad but true!

CASA DOES NOT CARE ABOUT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS< BUT THEIR OWN~!!

I have seen them with my own eyes, and would say "what the heck?"

Why are they going the opposite way where they were supposed to defend the Child? INSTEAD they are defending what CPS says.

Good Grief.

I can imagine how the Child feels. (feels alone and feels left out and I bet they don't even KNOW they had CASA to begin with!)


I heard one of the Kid out there, said to me "I had a Lawyer? I didn't know I even had one! Why didn't you say so? I would have told my Lawyer my own side to get myself out of this hell hole- he means Foster Care". This Kid was 13.

I BET you almost 99% of the time that the Kids did not even know they had a CASA Lawyer to protect their interests, or even saw one, I don't think so. CPS would make sure that Kids don't see the CASA AT ALL!

Why do you suppose you never hear that Kids even see one at all?


Ridiculous!!!

The sad thing that the CASA are not supervised, to make sure they even saw the Child at all. I think they should have a Witness to see and claim that the Child spoke with this CASA.

OH I know, "We don't have the funds to pay for 'Independent Inspector'...."

Gosh darn it, I heard that one before, eh? I am getting tired of this "We don't have the Funds..." blah, blah....but THEY DO!!!!!!!


"I am from the Government and I am here to make you suffer".

That should be a new quote from now on, beside I am here to help you, nah! more like to make you suffer!

I have seen the Court Proceedings for Years, up to 15 years and I have seen CASA just went home, and did nothing jack about it and letting CPS win their Case. I am sure that CASA and CPS are in bed together, as their fundings are together from the Same State!

[pebbles04]

I had a totally different experience with CASA..but there is one thing I do know...they were advocating for me the whole time and then the people that were working on my case disappeared and the new supervisor told my mom they hadnt been advocating for some time and I know that was crap.

But I also know that since the ones that worked on my case left that the son of a bi*ch that helped and kept my kids from me *the GAL* has pics on the net of him with the new supervisor like they are all buddies together now...

[jennirosenberg]

ok i called an attorney to get for my daughter but he told me that he cannot represent her. that she has to stick with the gal that the courts gave her. but he did tell me he could represent me, which he is good so i put the retainer fee. my problem now is she is in a group home and i get to see her 2 hours a week. but the catch is i can only bring 2 of my children (i have 3 at home). i dont have a babysitter til on the weekends when no one is working. i have told the case worker this and she had this really dumb suggestion. she aske me if one of the kids can keep themselves occupied for a few hours whilei go visit my daughter. she is really stupid for asking such a thing considering the oldest is 9 band the youngest 2 are 5. anyway i let her know that it wasnt possible. she makes me see her on tuesday evenings, which isnt even the rules of the group home. the rules are that visitation is saturdays and sundays. well the first hour i spend with the case worker and my daughter then i have 2 hours just with my daughter. this has been going on for more then a month. i have asked several times why cant i spend the 1 hour on tuesdays then the other 2 on saturdays and she keeps telling me that her boss says no because my daughter wont maintain her levels. i dont see where that matters when the visits arent supervised. so my attorney is working on that. but i know my rights and they dont seem to think i do. i know that since reunification is to be with me that we are to have so many supervised, then unsupervised, then ovre nights, weekends, then 30 day trial. i could understand if my daughter has been put in the group home for breaking the law but she hasnt. she has been put in there souly for running away from the foster home. she is not in jja custody (which is for delenquents) but in srs custody. she is labeled foster care. now my attorney like i said is working on it but not fast enough for me. which i understand he is a busy man but i want more time with my daughter and i want all her siblings to see her. does anyone know what i can do myself to get them to do the right thing. i told the case worker that its suppose to be reunification not seperation as punishment. i know my daughter can work that program but she is 14 and does have a mind of her own. she gets in trouble for small stuff like nose ring and stuff like that. funny thing is she didnt have one till she got there. theres alot of things she didnt do till she got there. they told her she had to earn her right to see me and have a day pass with me. i dont get it she is not a criminal. they labeled her child in need of care. but they dont treat her that way. and believe me i am not quiet about this with the case worker. and whats even worse is me and my daughters case is this case workers first case. she has no children and it makes me laugh. so ne way. ne 1 have ne suggestions as to what i can do personally??

[jennirosenberg]

My daughter wrote this poem for me on valentines day i thought it was sad for her to feel this way but it shows how cps has a way of making the kids feel everything is their fault.


i'm sorry for all the pain i caused,
and how i let you down.
i see it in he tears you shed,
and how you always frown.
i betrayed your trust,
again and again
thank you for loving me,
and always letting me back in.
over and over,
i always broke your heart,
now its me that hurts and cries,
since we have to be apart.
i know that this is all my fault,
to you i apologize
for that the decisions that i made,
all my secrets and my lies.
i hope you can forgive me,
for all the mistakes i've made,
i know i can count on you,
by my side you've always stayed.
for this i will always love you,
i hope yo still love me.
although i have many flaws,
your daughter i will always be.

your loving daughter, shell-shell

[jennirosenberg]

this is crazy. my only task on the case plan is to not talk bad about the system to my daughter.