Fighting For The Return of My Children!
- by: Erika Gragg
- recipient: Help me get my four beatiful children back from CPS/State of NC
First I only had my oldest three children and they took them for no good reason what so ever. I fought for them for over two years. They constantly said I wasn't making any progress even though I had a three bedroom home, a job, taking college classes, finished parenting class, took psychological evaluation, psychological assessment, drug screens every week (in which I always passed), weekly counseling, and weekly visits with my children (which I never missed). But they still said no progress on my end. So the question is what do parents have to do to make progress? What parents do get their kids back?
So while I was still fighting CPS I got pregnant with my last baby. They let me keep her in my home. When she was about six months old they told me that I still wasn't making any progress and that in order to keep my new baby and not have her taken also that I had to sign my parental rights over to my three oldest children.They said if I didn't that they were going to terminate my parental rights anyway and then they would take all four of my children. So I believed that I had no other choice than to relinquish my rights for my oldest three, so I DID! That was the most painful thing I have done in my life. I felt like I was choosing one child over the others when I truly wasn't!
Cps let the girl who called CPS adopt my children. Cps, the attorneys, and the girl who was supposed to be my friend promised that I could always see my children. Then the day the adoption was finalized the psychiatrist (that was hired by CPS) stated in court that he didn't believe that it would be in the best interest of my children for them to have contact with me. So after months of CPS lying to me and especially my children, I can't have any contact. Its been over eight months since I have seen them.
Cps filed a petition to take me to court for my new baby. They didn't take her to begin with. My social worker always said she didn't want to see me lose my daughter because she felt she was happy, safe, and thriving in my home. She told me the best thing for me to do is to move to another state and get away from this area and to transfer my case where they didn't know me. So I planned on moving to SC and I live in NC. So we went to court on that Monday and the judge told CPS that all they had were allegations and to NOT remove my daughter from our home and told me to take my baby and go ahead and move as planned. He told me GOod luck and I left. I went home and around three pm my worker called and said she needed to come out and see us before we left one last time. When she got there she had two officers and her supervisor. AND THEY TOOK MY SWEET CIARA! I asked why and the only reason they gave was because they could not verify my address in SC. COme to find out they had called the wrong apt. complex and admitted it was their mistake. DO you think they gave me my baby back? NO NO NO! I stayed in NC and kept the same apt and same job and they still didn't give her back. My baby has been in foster care for over seven months and I still don't even get unsupervised visitation. I have been contacting senate and congress to help me get all four of my children home. So please help me by signing my petition and I promise GOD will repay you for all the good you will be doing for me and especially my beautiful children. One more thing I want to share, My son said to me the last time I saw him. I told him I was still fighting, and He said "MOMMY FIGHT HARDER, FIGHT REAL HARD, so I made the promised to do just that! Thank you for reading my story and signing my petition and GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!
We the undersigned, want to address some major problems going on in our country today that is involving children. Everyday children are taken away from their loving parents by CPS. We believe the law needs to be changed where CPS no longer can take children unless they are able to press criminal charges against the parents. They should not be able to come and remove children just because they get an anonymous phone call and BELIEVE that the allegations are true. First they should have to investigate and involve law enforcement to help them do so. Then they need to have enough evidence just like any other criminal matter to press criminal charges. Then the children should be placed with a family member until the case is heard. If no family member can care for the children, then they should be put into foster care. The parents should be tried in a criminal court and have a jury. The CPS and state should have to present evidence proving their case against the parents just like any other criminal case. Then if the parent is found guilty this will prove there is good reason for these children to be removed and then the process to terminate parental rights should begin. BUT, if the parent is found not guilty, then the children should be returned immediately, because this means there was not enough evidence to prove the parents unfit. But right now CPS can come and remove children just because someone calls (and this could be someone who is just mad at the parent)and makes an allegation. Children are taken just because CPS's opinion is that the children are in danger, but in most cases, the children are very well taken care of. This all needs to be addressed immediately. Too many children's lives are being destroyed because of this nonsense. This should be illegal and is called kidnapping. An individual on the streets can't go and take their neighbors children just because they THINK they are in danger. They would be made to give the children back and if they didn't they would be put in jail for kidnapping. Why should CPS be treated any better. IT IS NOT FAIR FOR THE PARENTS OR THE CHILDREN! So we the undersigned are begging to be heard and to have a law passed that states that children should not be torn out of the only home they have ever known and from loving parents just because someone believes the parents are unfit. The most devestating thing that couldever happen to a parent is to lose their children especially for something they honestly didn't do. So this law would help parents and children tremendously. Also CPS workers should not be given bonuses on their paychecks for removing children and then another bonus for adopting them out. IF a job states that an employee will get bonuses for completing certain tasks, then what person in their right mind would not try to make sure that certain task was completed to receive the extra money? ANyone would. THis nonsense needs to be stopped. Our children are being mentally abused by CPS everyday and nothing is being done. We are begging for your help to get a law passed to keep this from continuing. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my petition and hopefully helping as much as possible.
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