Here is my story: 

Let me start off by telling you that I am a 34 y/o single female, with 3 children-boy 7, girl 11, boy 13.

In June of 2002, my 3 children and I were living in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, in a 5 bedroom house. I had a female roommate from the beginning of August to the beginning of February 2003. She was 24 at the time, and had 2 girls, ages 5 and 7. I wanted to help her and in the meantime, get some money for caring for the girls while she worked. I was able to doin-home care. Since I was a mom myself, and if they lived with me, why not take care of them, too. I wanted to help her get on her feet, as she was a recovering addict. We made sure that everything checked out with Washington state child welfare and her P.O. They were more than willing to let them live with me (the girls were wards of the state). Periodically, my oldest son, whom at the time was 11, would do things deliberately to make her angry or to hurt her. In fact, he waited until the girls came downstairs and made sure that the mother was upstairs and lit the staircase on fire.

I could never understand just why he would do the things that he would do to her. I tried couseling. I took him out of public schools (since he was having trouble there, too) and put him in alternative ed. I did everything that I could to help my son. But nothing would work. Finally, in February, the roommate had used drugs, so I had evicted her from my home immediately. I had my boyfriend move in with us, and things were a little rocky. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the support that I needed to have him move out. I was scared of him. He never hit me, but he was intimidating. When June 21st came around, I had learned that I was getting an eviction notice for non-payment of rent. My boyfriend was supposed to pay it that month, and didn't have the money to do it. I learned that day, that he was cheating on me. Then, out of the blue, my youngest boy and my daughter came downstairs, after about 15 minutes of checking in with me. 

The youngest boy blurted out that she and my oldest son had sex. I was shocked. I was going through the other things, and then this. My oldest son had just turned 12, 3 weeks before this incident. I was not feeling well at all, due to all of the stress that I was enduring that day. That just topped it all off. I called my oldest downstairs. I separated all of the children, and interviewed them one-by-one. At first, I didn't get the same stories. I was upset, and I spanked all of them (believing that all of the children were involved, and in fact, the youngest was not). I felt so bad. This was a crisis, and my children needed some help. And so did I. I called my mother to come to my home (she lived in LaGrande, Oregon-50 miles or so from me). I needed her support. I needed her there when I turned my son in. That was an awful day. I never want to relive that. Well, on her way to my house, she was pulled over by a state trooper, who caught her speeding excessively. She felt that she had to tell him why she was driving so fast, so he called the city police and they came to my house and took all of the children to the station for interviews. They wouldn't take me with them. I had to wait for my mother to get there. But she arrived about a half hour later. So we immediately went to the station and waited. The officer came out and told me that my oldest would be going to Pendleton to Juvenile Detention Hall. And he informed me that I would probably not get him back in my home for a very long time.

The next day, my mother, the 2 children and I, left to go stay with my mother in LaGrande. While I was there, I decided to move back to LaGrande, since I was being evicted anyhow. There was a lot of services that I was able to utilize, to get us on our feet. So we went back to Milton-Freewater a couple of days later, and moved my stuff out.

While in LaGrande, I contacted child welfare. I was assigned a case worker through that branch, since it was in a different county than what I was in before. She helped me a lot. She was tough, but it was for us.  Little did I know, that these people are NOT out to help keep families together, but to rip them apart. They automatically opened a 30 day assessment for our family, and later determined that I was qualified to care for the children. We had put a safety plan in place, and I opened a VOLUNTARY case with them,  so that my family could recieve these special services that weren't offered through any other agency. The services included parent training and family sexual abuse therapy. The offer sounded attractive, so I took  them up on this, and opened a case. Things were a little bit rocky at first, but picked up. Our therapist and parent trainer were in the same office, and they did home visits. That was GREAT! Ididn't have a vehicle, so that worked out perfectly for us. As they got to know me (therapist, trainer and case workers), they decided that I needed a psychological evaluation (later learned that
this is protocol, but they didn't tell me that). I didn't have a problem with that. I had nothing to hide. I took the test on October 13, 2003. The evaluator told me that my worker would have my results within 2 weeks. So I waited. And I heard nothing, and our lives went on as usual.

I am not able to work at this time. I suffer from multiple illnesses. They include: Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Fibromyalgia, chronic pain in the spine, blood clotting disorder, depression/anxiety, chronic stomach illnesses. So my abliities are sometimes limited.  I am, however, able to walk well, given the disabilities that I have aquired. She wanted me to be set up with Seniors and People with Disabilities to utilize their services as well. But I was very reluctant. I was able to care for my children just fine. Only sometimes, was I not able to bathe every single day, or maybe cook a full meal. But my children were old enough and had cooked with me so many times, that they would be able to fend for themselves if needed. And they did. But it was very rare. There were times too, that I had trouble getting my daughter out of bed in time to not miss the first bell ring, since it was a long walk to school. There was no bus system for our location. So they had to walk to school. My son was able to get up and around just fine. She was just a very heavy sleeper. But it wasn't too often that she would miss school in the mornings. I was doing the very best that I could, to get her up and around. I soon realized, that when the
school principle brought this to my attention, that it was going to become a problem, and it could turn into truancy. So I worked on getting her up much earlier than usual, and that was so hard. But I was doing it. Her AM attendance was improving.

We were living in a trailer park at this time in our lives, but things weren't turning out as expected. My rent was $460 per month, my electric bill ran at least $300 per month. That obviously didn't include the other household needs. I was only recieving $515 in child support. I had signed up for this rental program called Tenant Based Assistance. But it didn't kick in until it was too late. Again, I recieved another eviction. I was so upset. I called my case worker, and asked her to come over. She threatened me with removing my children if I didn't get the situation  rectified. So I got on the phone and found another place for us to live. My rental assistance was available, so Century 21 allowed me to move in, knowing that I had that assistance. That program was the best thing for the children and I. We moved in to our new apartment on November 1st, 2004.
 We had been involved in a church as a family, for the first time in 2 years. It was great! We finally found our Christian family. My pastor and his wife became my best friends. I had the children baptized in the river that the church had kept as the baptismal spot for our church. It was one of the best days of my life. I didn't do it because I was scared. But the children were becoming such happy children, and I was finally happy. Things were going so good. It couldn't be better, to be honest.

I was doing a lot of talking with a lot of different people about what we were involved in, with the child welfare. They strongly advised me to close my case, that this office here was crooked, and ALWAYS removing children wrongfully. So, on November 20 or so, I went to the office and met with the staffers and my worker. I told them my plan, which was that I would get the children in counseling in the public health building (I had already been working on that before I had this meeting). It just so happened, that
the woman would never return my calls (I can get the proof of my calls because they log every incoming call). The only stipulation they put on me, was that I make sure I get the children to their appointments, school, and pay my bills. I didn't have a problem with that at all! My children and I were finally on our own. We felt so free of these people. It was hard having other people,especially ones that didn't even have children in the first place, telling us what we could and couldn't do. It was like I was being treated like a child. But in the long run, the case worker I had, really did help me out. I thought she was on my side. Until one day, on or about December 2nd, I got a business card in my door while I was gone. It demanded that I immediately go in to the office
and meet with this woman that was not my original case worker. I was okay with that, but just a little bit nervous. I went in there, as confident as I could possibly be, since this woman was very intimidating to me. On the way back to the meeting room, she looked me square in the eye, and told me not to 'piss her off'. So, I immediately put up a wall of defense and told her the same thing (in which I believe that was a serious mistake). I felt threatened. I didn't want her to think that she could just run me like that. When we got back to the room, she told me that due to the results of my evaluation, she was obligated to have the children removed and possibly placed in foster care, but she would check in to having the father and step mother take them in, if possible (she had already contacted him). I asked her what was in that evaluation, and she would NOT tell me. She just said that the children were in danger of being in my care. I could NOT believe what this woman was telling me! She had never worked with me for even one day! How could she do this to us when we were doing so well! I pleaded with this woman to not do this to my children and I. After all the pleading, she finally told me that since she hadn't worked with us personally, she would make a few home visits, and see how things were at my home. I breathed a sigh of relief. She said that she would hold off on calling their father until she had done so. I relaxed a little bit, and went home. I called the evaluator to see if I could come to his office to get the results of my evaluation. He would not let me see them, but read them to me. He said that I was okay to take care of the children on my own, but I needed some therapy for the abuse that I endured as a child. I was okay with that. But I was confused as to why this woman would come up with her conclusion of the children being in danger. She was not the professional at doing NOR
reading these evaluations.

On December 4th, I got a call from their father's mom, and she told me to make sure that I packed enough clothing, that they would be staying with their dad this time, and for the whole weekend. This was all very unusual, since the children only visited at the grandparents house, and only for 1 night. I would always make sure that the children would have more than enough clothing. I knew something was wrong with this picture. But I knew that my obligation was to let him have the children. He only had them when he wanted them. And that was not very often. So I let them go. But I prepared myself for a big let down. He showed up as scheduled at 3:30 pm on December 5th. And his wife was with him. I sent the children out the door with the biggest hug I think I have ever given them.  I just KNEW I would not get them back. Well I was right. I didn't want to make a scen and ask them what their plan or scheme was. I didn't want to get the police involved, nor did I want my children scared.

On the morning of December 6th, I was informed by the step mother that the children were not returning to me, that the judge had signed an order stating so. My world was wrecked! I could NOT believe what I had heard. I am a mother. I gave birth to those children, and they are the loves of my life. I have NEVER been involved in drugs or alcohol, I have never abused my children. I have never neglected my children. And I am a very clean person. So there is NO clutter, NO filth in my home, with or without my children being present.  I know some women who SHOULD have their children taken away, but NO. Child welfare can't go after them. They have to go after the ones that don't deserve it.

Since then, I have only had the children one day a week, for 3 measliy hours. That is NOT enough time to give the children the attention that they need. I like to give them family time, and individual time. And that is just not cutting it for these children. I had one over night visit with them last week. But the step mother says no more, because I 'broke one of her rules'.  They are a mess. My daughter has always been on the honor roll, since she was able to recieve those kinds of grades. My son was reading the paper back "Huck Finn". These are the things that were accomplished because I taught them. Not their father. He is an alcoholic, who takes the children shooting guns, while he drinks beer, and  drives with them. Now, my daughter is failing in her classes. My son is misbehaving terribly in school and in church. I must say, that I raised my chilren right. They know how to love people. They do not judge anyone. And they certainly didn't get these traits from their father. He is truly a deadbeat. He sits on the couch and drinks beer, watching our little girl taking care of responsibilities that are for an adult woman. That poor little girl! I feel so bad for her!  I need to get them home with me. I was just fine taking care of them on my own. I may not be able to work, but there are so many families out there that provide more than enough love. The income is low, but they are making it. The parents may be in wheelchairs. But they can have their children. I am afraid that when it is time to get them back, that they will discriminate against my disabilities and get away with it, since they know how to get away with everything they do that is crooked. I have every right to be able to mother my children. And my children have every right to be loved, in which they are not where they are living. I have a witness to abuse upon my children, by the step mother. They have 6 children in a 4 bedroom home. And this step mother is TERRIBLY abusive to ALL of them. Not just mine. There are so many other reports from my children and this witness. But the children are scared to speak out to the proper persons, as they have done before, and been seriously reprimanded. My daughter is a slave. She has to do ALL house work (no wonder she is failing in school). The children are being called horrible names. They have to LIVE in their rooms. This is NOT okay. I have NEVER done this to my children. I need help. I cannot afford representation, and I have no criminal charges to qualify for a court-appointed attorney. I am stuck. I was forced in to signing custody over to them because I could not get anyone to represent my case. I just don't know what to do! My children literally beg me to get them out of there. I have reported what they have told me, but child welfare or the counselor will not do anything to help them. They do not believe me. What do I do here! My children are counting on me, as they have been protected by me in the past so they look to me for help. I cannot help them. All I do is spend my time, looking around on the net, trying to find ways to get them back, looking for people that have gone through the same things I have, etc. I wish I could get ahold of the women that have dealt with this office here in town. They were able to get their children back, because child welfare here acted inappropriately in removing their children. Why can't I do that? Because
I can't afford a lawyer. They all want at the minimum, $2500. That is only one attorney. The rest want $5000. That is outrageous, when it comes to the safety of my children. Child welfare made sure that this would be a custody issue, so that they wouldn't have to deal with it. I am so frustrated. I do so much praying. I have developed a relationship with God, that is stronger and stronger every day. And that makes me feel so good. But I just don't know why He is taking so long in getting them back to me. Can you please help my children and I reunite, and get them out of the abuse, FINALLY??? I was able to see 2 attorneys through legal aid for a free consultation. They BOTH told me (and I have it in writing) that child welfare acted inappropriately in removing my children.
 Thank you for reading this lengthy letter. This is really not all that has happened, this is just a nut shell. But if you are further interested in my case, please feel free to contact me at the address below. I will accept ALL e-mails. I need all of the advice and help that I can get, to get my children out of that
house. Thank you again....[name withheld pending permission of mother]
Reside in Union County, Oregon (LaGrande)
Department of Human Services, Services to Children and Families is the name of the corrupt agency that has ruined my childrens' and my life.

I thought that child welfare was founded to keep families together, not tear them apart.....