In my research and study in anticipation of my niece's court hearing my family will be attending a month from today, I have run across several articles and research studies that deal with the foster care system and the ignoring of father's rights. In the beginning of this whole ordeal, I really was trying to find some sort of loophole, some way of saying that my brother's rights had been trodded upon in support of the mother's rights and the foster care system's ideological foundations.
I didn't have to look very far. I happened upon a research study online entitled "What About the Dads? Child Welfare Agencies' Efforts to Identify, Locate, and Involve Nonresident Fathers." This study took place in 2004 and ended in 2005, with findings compiled in 2006 and updated in 2008. What appeared to be a fluke in my family's situation turned out to be a regular occurrence in the lives of fathers that were left out of the decision to place their children in the homes of complete strangers. Not only that but paternal families, like ours, have not been considered for placement for various unfounded reasons.
The fact that a study had to be administered in four states because of the wide number of complaints and the vast number of children in the system verifies what I felt all along. The government, the very one I work for and pay taxes to, has perpetuated the fatherlessness that is prevalent in our inner cities and in our communities by not including fathers that do indeed deserve to have a say in what happens to their children. The breakdown of the family lies within the laws that this country has instituted. I truly hope that President Obama will begin the process of reconsidering how the laws are written concerning the foster care system and father's rights.
My mother received a letter last week from Child Protective Services (a few weeks after calling a complaint in to the CPS Program Manager overseeing the worker that botched my niece's case). The letter stated in regards to my brother: "Typically, we do contact the legal father as well, and apologize for not seeking your assistance in this matter at the time of removal."
In other words, CPS admitted to not trying to locate my brother when his daughter was placed in foster care. They did not, however, admit that she should never have been removed from our care in the first place when prior incidents dictated that my niece reside in the care of my family. The worker had my mother's phone number as well as my brother's last known address but did not attempt to contact. This was totally illegal in my eyes. It would have been different if we had never been involved or my niece's paternal family was unknown. But we have been in her life since we learned of her existence.
In terms of this case, Child Protective Services has a real problem. The violation of my brother's paternal rights will be brought up in court and a grievance will be filed against CPS and the placement agency that handled the housing of the girls. Once my niece and her sisters are placed (hopefully with my family), a lawsuit is pending.
The book I wrote "Father to the Fatherless" touches on some of the beliefs I have about single parenting and the absence of fathers in the lives of children. (If you get a chance, please read the chapters I have posted on my other blog.) But now, as I start to conduct this research (not only to help my family, but others as well) I am beginning to see the correlation between the government and the demolition of the family unit. More often than not, fathers that can and rightfully should be considered for first placement when their children are removed from the mothers' care and extended families for an alternative placement are not considered at all. Children are separated from their families and placed with strangers to increase the amount of governmental funding states receive for the foster care system.
The reason? Most biological families are not foster care licensed.
Now unlike in other years, biological families have to become licensed in order to care for children and teens that are wards of the court. But this is not widely publicized, and I can tell you, in my family's case, we were not notified of this amendment either by CPS or the placement agency. We learned this from a lawyer we consulted about actions we should take to fight for custody should the mother lose her rights. This rule came into effect the latter part of 2008, and it is my mission to make sure families know that this is what is happening now. Biological families must be licensed before children can enter their care. Basically, if families do not attain licensing children can be placed wherever the agencies see fit.
This is what happened in my niece's case.
My mother and I are going to be licensed for foster care by the end of February and are preparing to attend the training sessions the end of this month. My brother is working to find employment and to get established in order to take custody of his daughter, though it may take a while. This is why we are fighting alongside him. So we are truly doing our homework. But my question, as I raised before, is the same:
How many families are losing their children; how many fathers' rights are being ignored? How many children are being placed in the homes of strangers (as in the case of my niece and her sisters) needlessly?
I do believe there is a book in this as well. As I am fasting and praying during this time and beginning some new writing projects, I am certainly seeing that this issue needs to be brought to the forefront - not only on the written page but in the public view. Stay tuned for more because there will be more.
This is much bigger than what is going on with my niece, her sisters, my brother, and our family. This is clearly an epidemic. Satan has long attacked our families, and his strategies are being uncovered. As I said in my last post, I am studying spiritual warfare because truthfully my family is on the frontlines. As the weeks go on, I will make sure that you are kept up to date not only with the concrete findings I uncover as I fight for my family. I will also include some Scriptural findings that may help you engage in warfare for your families as well.
We must fight back against the systems of this world and against the kingdom of darkness which at times work hand-in-hand. I am not saying that Child Protective Services and the foster care system should not be instituted for the protection of children. I just believe that a total overhaul is needed because it has become more about the protection of a money-making system and less about the children and the healing/reunification of families.
