5 of 17

Write now Article Tools

It is true that that the system needs to be fixed. It is also true that many mistakes are made, and that sometimes good parents lose their children because of one moment of bad judgment, or an action committed by someone else, or because of an accident that was nobody's fault. It is also true that the men and women who work for the Child Protection system are only trying to protect children, and a great many of these children need help and protection. There are many parents who feel that their child, or children are their property, to mistreat and abuse at the whim of the parent. Consider those parents who get away with harming their children for years, because no one feels they have a right to interfere. Can you watch the news and see the stories of murdered, missing, and abused children and not think that something needs to be done?

I feel that I can offer an opinion from both sides of this story, because I have been both helped and harmed by the Child Protection system. I grew up in foster care, my biological mother was unable to care for my siblings and myself. Drugs, alcohol, depression, and domestic abuse caused her to end her own life when I was 2 years old. Before then, CPS had removed us from the home, and given us back over and over again. My mother would try to take proper care of us, but she would fail, and CPS would place us in foster homes. Once my mother got her act cleaned up again, back we would go. I have no doubt that my brothers and sisters and I were loved by our mother, I also have no doubt that when her own life was not good, we were abused, neglected, and mistreated. I believe that CPS tried to maintain our family structure, and to protects us and help us too, the system worked.

However, the foster homes that I remember, were worse than home had been. At least at home with our mother, the love was always there, even if sometimes it was hard to find. CPS rescued me again when at 13 I called my social worker and told him that he needed to come and pick me up from school because I was not going to return to that house where unspeakable acts were being committed against me. He did, and he brought a worker from CPS with him, who investigated the foster home, and brought charges against the family.

Years later, I am myself a depressed recovering alcoholic, raising my children in poverty, but really trying my best to be the best mother I am capable of. I have done many things that I regret, and made mistakes that are hard to forgive myself for,

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The truth behind "child protection reform"?
We want to hear your view. Write now!