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Thanks for the Hugs Rainbow...
We talk to the Guardian almost weekly, although she was in on the " deal" that was made in Oct that got us into this big mess. Actually there is alot more.
There is also a one year old brother and another baby due any week now to top off the three I already have. (Get this b-mom didn't "know" she was preg until March.. I told family services in Dec that she was.. but who ever listens to the dumb foster mom....) The one year old is in another foster home, and the court is allowing b-mom to have unsupervised visits with that baby. The state is not even sure if they will pick up the new baby when it is born. All of the kids have the same dad, who finally got arrested, he was wanted for attempted murder (shooting someone) and on the run for over a year. Yes b-mom got preg while he was on the run, and they did nothing to her for helping him on the run. He is waiting trial now. Prior to this he was on probabtion for armed robbery. B-mom is on probabtion for assulting a police officer. These people have a 4, 3, 2, 1, year old and another soon to be born, and the bio-mom is only 20, b-dad is 23. Neither of them can read or write. They have no car, and I personally know of three different times that family services paid their back utilities so they could get their power turned back on. (Gotta love those tax dollars at work!!! Esp when the state turns around and cuts services for foster kids!!!)
As for talking to the media. Family services here is very strict on the law reguarding confidentiallity. We sign a statement that tells us the "rules and punishments". Basically we can (and will be) (1) fined up to $1000, (2) can spend up to a year in jail (both of which I would do in a heart beat to keep our baby), but #3 get me... (3) take our foster license and we loose all of our foster kids. For us it would be only one foster child... the one we are fighting for. And yes it has happened, they have shut down foster homes for talking to the media.. I don't think any one has ever actually had jail time, but loosing your license and your kids is real.
All we can do is keep fighting and praying. It seems stupid that they would send a child to that kind of home. We thought about sending b-mom a vacation package.. one way trip of course... maybe China or Iraq but... (I still say it would be cheaper than the attorney fees). By the time she got back we would have won the case based on abandonment (?spelling). Not sure if that would be legal though, then we would just have to fight an appeal...
I've decided that the foster care system does not have cracks.. it has hugh craters. Once we get through our case and hopefully have our baby adopted, we will be all over the media and capitol to get things changed. We are done with the foster care system other than to advocate for the other foster kids. I'd gladly pay the $1000 fine to keep another family from going through this!!! And they wouldn't dare send the mother of 7 to jail... (6 adopted from the "system") but maybe they would... then I could make national news. Now there's a thought.. and the sleep I could catch up on too... (Yes even my sense of humor is suffering.. I am sure it is lack of sleep). I stay up half of the very short night I already have researching the laws and statues trying to find what we need to win. (I have kids who won't settle down to sleep at night and other ones who pop up before dawn, and one who likes to wander through-out the night... at least now I am up to catch him..)
Well thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. I just keep hoping for the magic answer that will solve everything.
Kathy
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