CPS Friend or Enemy

My Name is April Carson and I am a mother of 6 and  I ask you  CPS friend or enemy?  Don’t answer just yet. Think about what I am asking. Here my story and the story of others like me then decide if CPS is friend or enemy….    In July of 2006 I left home with my children and filed a DVO on my boyfriend due to suspected abuse.  I notified the police and CPS and filed a report.  I then took my children and left the county to stay with relatives due to the threats of his family.  My father had helped me obtain a home and due to its current condition we stayed with my father while repairing this home we had found to make it livable.  On august 08 of 2006 CPS had made a trip to the home my father and I were repairing I had told the school to let the children off there that day due to the fact that we were working hard on finishing the repairs.  As I was saying CPS made a trip out to the house and stated that they had a report that my ex was living there with my children and I.  I told the worker that I had not seen him since I obtained the DVO back in July.  I had also told her that the children and I were not living at this residence and i allowed her to enter and I showed her that there was no furniture at all there and I continued to tell her that the children and I were staying with my father.  About 20 minutes later an officer arrived and within 5 minutes had pulled my ex out of the woods from and old barn on the hill it could barely be seen from the house.  I had no idea that he was around and with that the CPS worker took my children and he was taken to jail only to be released 30 minutes after he got there.  Thus the battle began.  I was forced to prove that i didn’t live there which I did and I was forced to prove that I had no idea he was there which I did.  I always thought the burden of proof was on the cabinet.  Not the case.  Even though I proved my case the judge ruled in favor of the cabinet.  

THE CASEPLAN

The caseplan consisted of dv counseling and a mental health assessment.  I completed both of these without the help of the cabinet due to the fact the worker wouldn’t even make a referral.  Upon completing my tasks 2 weeks before court the worker added.  approprate housing,  parent assessment,  viable income.

When we went to court the worker stated i had not complied with my case plan and did not bother to mention I had already done my assessment and was in counseling. My attorny sat and listened and did little to help.   The children were awarded to the state.  Before the termination hearing I had completed all my tasks the worker had stopped my visits a year before due to my sons psych. exam and they stated that further contact with me was not in the best intrest of the children. I sat wondering what I had done that was so wrong all I had done was try to protect my children. 

TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS

CPS moved on with the termination due to the fact I had abandond my children. First the worker stopped all the visits that was not my decision.  At the hearing the cabinet did little to prove their case.  Once again i proved mine even though the judge would not let me enter any evidence to support my claim.  Thus my rights were terminated and I haven’t the money for an appeal.