Girl Protected, Gets Amputation

April 13, 2008 permalink

Carolyn Middleton, based in Hamilton Ontario, reports on a case in which a girl protected from her parents by CAS lost a toe in her foster home. We present an abridged version of her story.

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From:

THE - COMMITTEE

To:

afra_talkline@yahoogroups.com

Cc:

Henderson Leonard

Sent:

Saturday, April 12, 2008 3:42 AM

Subject:

SNAFU & FUBAR

Dear Leonard - and - Friends of AFRA,

We were recently involved in a situation where a child was removed from the family home because, in the caseworker's opinion there was potential for abuse/neglect. The child was placed in foster care and forced to go to school, (in winter), in sandals, because the foster parents didn't have funding from the agency to buy the child proper footwear.

As a result the child lost a toe, because of frostbite.

When the biological parents complained, supervised visitation schedules were rearranged, unscheduled, and the parents suspended from visitations all together, for "having missed visits".

There was no real abuse/neglect in the family home; merely a personality conflict between the father and the caseworker.

What was the situation for potential abuse/neglect in the family you may well ask?

Well, according to reports, the caseworker attended the family home on a surprise visit and witnessed the father teaching his daughter how to ride a bicycle, with training wheels, but without a bike helmet. According to this worker, this was enough to warrant allegations, regarding the potential for abuse/neglect.

In reality, the father was rather arrogant with the caseworker, and this just plain pissed her off. In reality, the father was a bit naive and didn't realize just how much power and authority this woman really had. Had he known this, it just might have humbled him a lot more, the family would have remained together, and the child would still possess all of her toes.

It took eighteen months of hard work and a lot of time off for court hearings and the like but --- the child, in our story was returned, the family is back together again, yet no amount of therapy, understanding and forgiveness is going to grow this young girl a new toe... now is it?

And... most importantly... this father is now on the child abuse registry.

This means that caseworkers can come and invade his life, re-apprehend his daughter and/or any future progeny, whether born or unborn, from this time on... forever and ever, amen... plight without end... This is the kind of dark cloud that looms in the background, ever present, ever threatening, ever pressing in the recesses of this family's life and liberty.

Sincerely,

Carolynn J. Middleton BABSc
( Executive Secretary )
================================
THE COMMITTEE ( People - 4 - People )
================================
www.geocities.com/tp4pcsick
www.geocities.com/tp4pc
tp4pc@sympatico.ca
tp4pc@hotmail.com
tp4pc@yahoo.ca

Source: AFRA