I have to warn you......this might be a runaway post and if you are not in the mood, please stop reading right now. I went to a court hearing today for Angie's half-sister and I feel like Alice in Wonderland who slipped down the hole. Everything is so out of whack....
So, a parent who does not show up for her visits, has recently had her rights terminated for another child, and has no stable living situation gets 3-4 more months to work on it? After 8 months have gone by already? A father who has a history of repeated violence and is a registered sex offender and just spent two weeks in jail AGAIN gets "one more chance" because he begged for it?
Where is the sanity? This is the system that is charged with protecting children. And yet, the caseworker goes to court and lies repeatedly to make the agency look like they are making progress. I can't stand it. What about the kids? The only sane person in the whole room is the child's attorney (who is also my child's attorney) who argued that the most reasonable path is to allow the current caregiver to adopt the child. That is just too simple, though, so why would that happen?
Yes, I am feeling a little bitter. Our own adoption has been held up by the very same system and we have been given no explanation. The very same sex offender seems to be calling the shots, from what we can tell. Does this all seem insane to anyone but me?
I have kept quiet for a long time, but it is no longer an option for me. I have seen repeated cases of children taking a back seat to their parents' wants and needs. The system needs to make our children a priority. Every case is unique, and I can only really attest to what I know myself. Angie continues to ask me why she is not adopted. Every. Single. Night. She has been in foster care for seven and one half years. Does this make sense to you?
I feel so badly for you. We should have coffee. I did not make friends with DHS when I so frustrated and told them I understood why they changed their name from CPS (Children's Protective Services) to DHS, because they certainly were not protecting the children anymore. We are still dealing from the affect of repeatedly returning our precious baby girls to a home where they were abused constantly. You are in our thoughts and prayers!
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