Social Services threatened to take my daughter

[carsonjea]

What is the name of your state? GA

Here is my situation. I am in the military and while I was deployed my wife suffered through a depression state. She checked herself in the hospital and asked a good friend of hers to watch our daughter. My command went through our house (We live on post) along with the pest/health inpector. The inspector said we had a pest problem that is out of hand. They said the roach problem is not healthy enough for a four year old child. They said that my wife can no longer have custody of our daughter. Since, my wife was the only one there and I was deployed at the time they said if my wife is released from the hospital they will take my daughter from her friend.

When I got back home I found my house in decent condition. It was no where near the condition the inspectors said it was in. We do have a pest problem but it is a problem of the whole neighborhood.

My question is: Now that im back--we have to go through an inspection tomorrow. Even though our house was not in bad condition it is in better condition from when they inspected. If these people still find our house not fit for a child how can we protect ourselves?

 

[Hisbabygirl77]

Why are you even thinking about IF you dont pass? If I were you I would buy all the raid at the store along with bleach and clean your house top to bottom. Move furniture and appliances clean behind and around. Take a toothbrush to all the corners. Clean as if your life(your childs) depends on it. Make sure that you DO pass. Dont just make it passable make it for sure! It would take a VERY bad living condition for them to take your child not just a it was a bad week the house got a little dirty and you had 5 little bugs on the floor. Long ago I was on hud and they had housekeeping inspections. I failed one because they said the walls were dirty and the window seals were dirty so the next inspection I had I had taken bleach and a toothbrush to every nick and corner in my house! Mary poppins could havent found a speck of dust if she tried. My point is just keeping my apartment was on the line then. If it was my childrens lives on the line I would become the best pest control and housekeeper this world had ever seen!

 

[casa]

Talk to your base housing office. Many housing units do not allow you to use your own pesticides and that limits you- Find out if you are allowed to self treat pest issues in your quarters and if so, buy them and use them immediately.
Get written statements from your neighbors about the ongoing pest problem.
Formerly request from your command a transfer to alternate base housing. Get copy of the request for your own records.

Gather statements from neighbors or family members who have been to your home in the past and have seen the conditions were not what the professionals who investigated said. (If they were really not that way)

Was a pest problem the only reason they wanted to take your daughter away? I ask this because command and health inspectors know that most insecticide and pest problems are handled by base housing- so it's confusing to me how the situation came about the way you say it did.
For example if the pest problem is worse in your quarters and the home was also filthy or collecting trash or unkept- that could be one reason. If the home is not in the condition they say and it is only pest issue, that should be addressed by base maintenance/housing offices.

Have you contacted base legal yet? I think you should do that as soon as possible also.

Good luck to you

 

[carsonjea]

Yes Casa,
I have called the on post pest control many times in the past and yes they have sprayed through out the whole house. But, the bugs just dont go away. We live in a duplex type house so the only way to get rid of this problem is to spray next door as well. This is what they cant do because they cant force them to get sprayed.

I will request to move to a different unit because the problem is just not going away no matter how much you clean and spray.

Is it really true that social services take children from parents quick fast and in a hurry because they get federal funding for the amount of kids they take? I seen this on one of the websites I visited.

 

[casa]

Good start, in my opinion, about requesting transfer. Do you have any documentation of the times housing has sprayed your quarters? I would try to get that if possible, and try to see if they'll give you written explanation of why they cannot spray the connecting quarters. This at least demonstrates you have tried to remedy the problem.

I think it goes without saying your quarters should be inspection ready at this point.

I don't know that your state gets paid enough money to motivate taking children for that reason only- But then again I live in a different state than you. I have heard of children being taken away immediately if the case workers felt the situation was dangerous enough for the children. However, I have had false complaints made against me from malicious xspouse and the case workers were competent in their investigations and I was cleared. It can go either way I think, every case worker is different.

Have you contacted base legal? Try to see if they can help you in any way.

Good luck to you!

 

[carsonjea]

wow...thank you

 

[kat1963]

Yes, they do get federal funding. The largest amount comes in when they are able to adopt the children out. They like them cute, sweet & under the age of 5. This can easily happen if your children are in non-relative foster care for 15 out of 22 months (thank you Clinton.). Don't think this can't happen to you. It's very easy to stall for 15 months. All they have to do is keep adding on stipulation after stipulation. You can't jump the hoops high enough or fast enough...that's if they even tell you which ones you need to jump in the first place.
Learn your rights:
http://reliableanswers.com/cps/legal/handbook.asp
Good Luck!
KAT

 

[Teggie]

Casa, do I ever symphathize with you! I had a CPS visit 3 days after I got served papers that my ex was suing for custody. From some comments he has said I am 99.9% sure it was him. The charges were completley ridiculous and the caseworker saw no reason to keep the case open. Paybacks are heck though, the CPS worker now has to testify at my temp hearing in my behalf.

 

[casa]

to: Teggie

Wow, that's wonderful news!
In my case the state takes "anonymous" reports (I too, know who it is because of what was said- and sometimes he even told me he did it ) BUT they weren't even called to testify for me. However, their written description of my home and children was about as good as can be and at least that was filed verbatim with court, child's attorney and Family Court Services.

I hope this is the end for you~ It hasn't been the end for me.

Good luck to you!