December 24, 2005, everything was going right. My wife had a baby boy named Peter, given the name in memory of her dead dad, at the time we were involved with DCF (CT). She gave birth to a baby boy 6 pounds and 14oz with 19” 5/8 inches at St Francis Hospital of Hartford the baby was a 9.9 in qualification of hospital internal birth the kid is perfect, everything was nice with no problems at all she was able to keep the baby in her arms take in care of him, we have a full family visitation the older kids fell in love with their new baby brother something to hard to explain in words (When the heart speak for his self) and both kids were saying: --Dad this is the best Christmas ever. We went back home my stepson James and I were preparing my 03 boys for Christmas morning (waiting for Santa to come) Everything was fine and the happiness was in the Christmas morning like all the families around the world accepted for mom because she was alone in the hospital With the baby (Well a list she was with someone special) we keep calling her all day long to keep her company so she wouldn’t feel so alone, a the night we when to visit again the kids have got a digital picture machine for present from ” Santa Claus” when to register and take some pictures of Peter the new bourn baby was funny for all .At the December 26 my wife crying call me saying
-- The DCF worker is here to take the baby from us
-- I say, Way?
-- She told me she was tested positive with substance abuse.
I was destroyed to here something like that and ran to the hospital, she got thrown out of the hospital with no chance to explained or do understand what is going on. DCF had Monday off (Because the Holliday was Sunday) but the investigator in service come to my house and saw nothing wrong and let me keep the other kids. T That’s where my dream started to turn into a nightmare; well we finish the day with an 8:00 PM visit for one hour and a new visit at the next day at 8:00 AM. We went to sleep, woke up in the mourning and started to make some phone calls to the “social worker”. She was told me to go get a baby sitter or the baby will never come home. I run all mourning long and finely I was able to find someone to help me because I’m the only working person in my house to support my entire family. I gave the social worker a call and she said
--We are in meeting and that’s not the answer for your family yet
--What are you talking about? She hung up the phone on me after accusing me of NEGLECT of my children’s safety saying that I knew my wife was doing drugs and I did know she was pregnant and never told her (What of kind a Social Work could not see her client have a big belly? And she is having a baby, come on. “DECEMBER, 23 2005 AT 3:38 PM THE HOUSE INPECTOR (SOCIAL WORKER) FROM DCF “LATE AGAIN” WAS IN MY HOME VISITING THE FAMILY AND COULD NOT NOTICE MY WIFE WAS PREGNANT ONE DAY BEFORE SHE DELIVERED THE BABY? (Wake up Connecticut). Well I finished negotiating with the baby sitter and was on my way back home. When I get there were 02 Police cruisers (very nice and educate officers) and 02 DCF workers taking my 03 children away from us? She serves me with a copy of a paper with her signature in ink pen and the supervisor pre made form to take my kids (96 Hours Removal). My wife offered to leave the house since she was the one who was using drugs at the beginning of the pregnancy. (34-10-2 Alternatives to removal) the social worker said “ no” (against my constitutional rights) After that was almost impossible to contact the “social worker” finely after hours in the phone my wife get hold of her she did set up visitation with my big kids A is 8 and F is 7 years old who were crying and scared of all that around the poor innocents little boys who is student of the mount for 2 years in the consecutive and up to the date having receive a lot of co decorations in the school year, then she went on vacation leaving us with no information at all about the others 2 kids, who she said she would arrange a visit with G just 16 mounts and P one week today,Dec.31,2005 Just God know what’s going on with the baby’s. The 96 hours came and went, yet we never received a copy of an (OTC) order of temporary custody. We are trying to contact someone to help us. My wife asked our social worker back in Sept. to get her back into a treatment program. Yet it was never done. She showed up at our house 15 minutes before an appointment she never told my wife about. It was impossible for her to get herself and our 17 month old ready in enough time. Then there was another appointment my car would not start and she called her to get a ride. She said she could not do it. We went for another court hearing on Dec 8, 2005 which she said she would get her back into treatment before Dec 23, 2005 it never happened. So here we are today with no kids feeling lost and no way of knowing how two younger kids are. We talk to the two older ones ever day and are going on are second visit tomorrow yet we haven’t seen or know nothing about our 17 month old or the new baby who is only one week old. My wife and I have not held our newborn baby since Tuesday morning it is now Sunday January 1, 2006. We spent the holiday with no kids. We passed the New Year trying to learn about CT DCF laws and our rights as parents trying to prepare ourselves for our court hearing on Fri Jan 6th, 2006 we hope. My wife has been suffering and feeling empty inside as she had her baby ripped from her arms. I have not been able to bond with my new son and have been in no condition to work, as I feel like my life has ended because I’ve lost my kids, my boys, and my life. Please if there is anybody out there that can help us please. Don’t let DCF destroy one more family. I know my wife was wrong but she needs help not to be punished the way we are. My children have never been physical or emotionally abused. They are very good boys. The home they went to (The Village) even said they were a breath of fresh air compared to the kids that they normally get. They said they were very well behaved and very well educated. Please anybody who can help please contact us. We need all the help we can get together to make us stronger so we in turn can help others. (As stated in legislation bill #5024 AAC Concerning the Protection of Children Suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Narcotic Withdrawal) “A Mother who meets the two criteria’s put forth in this bill is a mother who needs help, not a "CHILD ABUSER". {By Donna Campbell, LCSW Executive Director
“SUCCES IS NOT FINAL, FAILURE IS NOT FATAL: IT IS THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS”