Just lost my grandchild to CPS

[kzcamp]

Hi. I Googled "took, baby, services" and I found this site. I am so grateful that it exists.

My daughter's 2 1/2 month old son was taken from her last Thursday. He had been diagnosed as 'failure to thrive' at one month, because, unbeknownst to my daughter, her milk had dried up and he had lost weight. He was immediately put on formula and has gained almost 4 pounds! He got a clean bill of health at his last two checkups.

I understand that failure to thrive can be caused by neglect, but I've done a bit of reading, and have discovered that it's not that uncommon in breastfed babies. There is a law that a doctor has to report any failure to thrive diagnosis, but it needs to be changed to exclude those that are obviously not neglect. Andrew was NOT a neglected baby! He is very much loved, and the light of our lives, especially his mom's. He was just starting to laugh, and he smiles and 'talks' a lot.

We've been told by our attorney that there is actually a judge here who refers to CPS, in court even, as "the baby-snatchers." The att'y said that CPS is the most powerful governmental agency in the state, and that they ALWAYS take a baby if they open a case, no matter the circumstances.

To back up their 'case', such as it is, they used MY mental history; I went through some years of terrible depression. I asked the CPS 'investigator' how my mental history was pertinent to whether or not my daughter was a good mother, and she said, "You're her support system." Well, I'm NOT her only support person, and since when does a person's 'support system' have to be above reproach? I am not raising this baby, his parents are. They also put outright lies in the affadavit, saying my husband is an admited sexual abuser. That is simply untrue. If it WAS true, wouldn't CPS have taken OUR kids?? My husband wants to sue for defamation of character; the lawyer says not to even waste the time, because he'd never win.

Anyway, we've just entered into this nightmare, and all of us are heartbroken and very, very angry.

Katie

[Dazeemay]

There are many steps your daughter can take on her behalf.

You also have steps you can take as a grandparent.

Have you had a hearing yet?

[good dad]

Welcome to the site..

How much does the baby weigh now?

How did they take the child into custody? warrant?

He got a clean bill of health at his last two checkups.

Before cps took him or after?

I understand that failure to thrive can be caused by neglect, but I've done a bit of reading, and have discovered that it's not that uncommon in breastfed babies

I know we have a few threads on this...try looking in "Medical issues" on the main forum page

[kzcamp]

CPS took him 2 days after his last checkup.

[grandmatotwingles]

Hi Katie, I'm a grandma too. My grandkids haven't been taken but CPS is there all the time like watch hounds.

My daughters case worker has "said" that my daughter is severly bipolar... she is NOT nor has she ever been diagnosed with it. They lie. Listen to what everyone here says they are very smart.

From reading posts CPS seems to be very against men in the home... I don't understand that, but it seems to be a big issue in quite a few cases on here.

I would have your daughter read up more on failure to thrive to the point of almost being an expert. Faliure to thrive can be present in a new born who hasn't even left the hospital yet. Was your daughter by chance weighing the baby while she was breast feeding? I see that new moms now are being sent home and not even told to weigh the baby regularly... it was something mothers were told to do wayyyyy back when, and they aren't stressing that anymore.

Can you get the doctor to write a letter to the court or judge?

I really feel for you, and mostly I feel for that baby who has been taken durring such a bond period of his life.

[TracyP]

From reading posts CPS seems to be very against men in the home... I don't understand that, but it seems to be a big issue in quite a few cases on here.

'they' actually told me that if I left my husband of 14 years that I would recieve free housing, free health insurance, free babysitting, free food and money to raise my kids and stay at home and not work. Then if I wanted to go back to school they would pay for that too.

Blew my mind....of course I said no so they are still pestering me.

And no, they never accused my husband of any type of neglect or abuse. Apparently they get more money for single women with children.

[Dazeemay]

kzcamp,

It is pretty hard to sue them for defamation of character.

What hearings have you had so far?

There are some forms you can file to get your whole side of the story in the court. A hearing just does not present your full side. Also cps gets to tell their side first and sometimes it takes months before you get on the stand.

This is why these forms are important and attorney's do not tell their clients about them because many times it gets the hearings over quickly. Attorney's do not like to inform people of this because then they do not make as much money.

You are in the beginning of this and you need to hit them hard and fast with your facts. This way the judge sees the whole picture and not just cps lies.

You and your husband and your daughter and her husband need to do these forms.

They are called a Declaration of Facts and Objections and Corrections form.

Here is a link to them.

www.geocities.com/whosyurmamma/start.html

The parents need to state their parental rights in their forms.

http://forum.fightcps.com/viewtopic.php?t=1870

Here is a case law they can give the lawyer and also put in their forms.

http://forum.fightcps.com/viewtopic.php?t=2281

You need to get your side filed in the court instead of waiting for them to present their side then you present yours which would not be your whole side due to limitation of time.

[pebbles04]

Well I know what I went through with my kids and I know that when my youngest Daughter was placed in foster care she was three months and finally placed with her father when she was like almost 9 months old and of course leave it to CPS to tell her father that she was diagnosed with "failure to thrive" within the first 3 months of her life. What the hell do they honestly do in the first 3 months other then eat and sleep. I mean yes a little holding here and there but she was held all the time. And needless to say...well she was in two different foster homes between september and feb. when she got placed with her dad. I think she suffers from PTSD..but of course you know my ex is not going to listen to me on that..he blames me..so I totally feel you. And they tried to state that my mom had been molested as a child. If she was so what. We werent. And they should not have been able to obtain that information anyways. My mom is over 50 and that is something that shouldnt even really even be accessed all that easy...they went out of their way. Stated my father had issues because he liked my daughter (my oldest one) as opposed to my other kid and that something was wrong with that. And let me see my sister tried to file and initially my kids went into foster care and they stated that my son HAD TO have been sodomized and that my sister was wrong for wanting my son around her boys and what kind of mother would do that. MY son had been evaluated and it had been proven that nothing ...NOTHING had happened to him. My best advice to you is that you fight it..dont get them any ammunition...dont tell them things that you dont want them to know. If your gut instinct is telling you NOT to tell them something then DONT...your gut is telling you the truth..THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED..this is coming from the parent that lost her boys and they are pretty much gone forever...

[Frustrated]

That's right, they will use anything to make a "case".

They made my partner gone too as well and they are happy, BUT they are still watching me anyways, even though that he is gone. They seem to think that Single Mother with Children "can't handle" it on their own or something...and they even think I had severe problems with something, that was never mentioned. They just assume and grab at the "get go" and use it what they can to make a "case".

Best solution: Talk less, don't talk too much, write down EVERYTHING, and Document, document, and document...everything. Be aware of everything around you, you don't know if they are watching you...be one step ahead of them, always! You got to think ahead instead of one day...think 6 months ahead, which they are targeting "TPR, Adoptions" So work fast, and FIGHT before they even think about it. Mention Renunification Plan right away. Ask them where is the Renuification Plan to get the baby back to his Mother? They are supposed to offer Services by now. If they aren't, then you know they are up to something...which is trying to adopt him out. Don't let that happen. Stop it. Fight and write Declaration of facts in Court during the Hearing, and give to the Judge, Lawyers...BEFORE it starts. Make sure the Mother gets a COPY from the Doctor saying that he was already checked out and was getting better. Get that EVIDENCE entered in Court!

I will keep you in my Prayers, and yes, that is what they do...just tear Families apart.