Open Letter to the State of NH-Another Grandmother Screwed Over by the State Of NH!

I received a very disturbing e-mail this morning from another Grandmother screwed over by the State of NH, who asked me to post her letter to my blog. Another grandmother not allowed to raise her grandson, because the State of NH is so greedy and inhumane. I find we have a lot in common when it comes to DCYF. I was told by Maggie Bishop that I chose my dying daughter over my grandson. My daughter who was arrested for something stupid she did AFTER DCYF stole her child. Maggie Bishop told me I should have left my daughter in jail to die. When I asked her if it were her child, is that what she would do, she said yes, thats exactly what she would do. Then she asked why my daughter isn't dead.
This grandmother was told she chose her daughter and unborn grandchild over her grandson, because she put up the money for a REAL Lawyer. This is one crude excuse for a human being. I doubt she even has any kids, as most of the worker's who try to tell parents how to raise their children, don't even have any of their own. Isn't it time DCYF came up with some new excuses? Since when is it a crime to try to help ALL your children and grandchildren? DCYF and the courts order psychological evaluations of parent's? Maybe is time DCYF worker's were ordered these evaluations before being placed in jobs that are SUPPOSED to "Preserve Families". When will OUR Government ever get it right? When will Families be allowed to raise their own families, without Government interference? Some children ARE abused and neglected. These are the children DCYF is supposed to be protecting, but their not. Their too busy raking in the money off of children stolen ILLEGALLY!
Here is the letter I received about another so-called DCYF protected child, ruined for life by DCYF:

Today is one of the saddest days of my life, today my daughter is surrendering her rights to her 9 year old son. DCYF has won!!!! They have beaten her down and punished her far beyond what any prison can do. It has been 2 years since she has seen or even spoken to her Son, would it have been to much to ask that she have one last chance to hug him and try to explain what is happening? My grandsons father is dead, so now he has no parents. DCYF believes placing him in a Poly amorous, dirty ( the foster parents believe personal hygiene is a choice). I can say with 100% certainty that 99% of the population would not want sit next to the foster father on a hot day. I have unfortunately. I also am not going to be able to be as much of an advocate for my grandson as DCYF is paying his foster father approx $10,000 to adopt him. My grandson receives Soc Sec of about $700.00 per month. do you think that $ is a motivating factor here, I do. Once the adoption is done then the foster father can go back to the life style he loves, having random people staying in his home, paying him, to pay his mortgage. No back ground checks, people he has met off the Internet. Is this an open invitation for a child molester to come and stay with them and have a ready victim? I think so. Shelley Randell ( Att. for DCYF), Amy Ousterhout (CPSW for DCYF) , Tom Hebert (CASA GAL), Judge Gordon of the Franklin Family court you should all be ashamed of your selves. I dare say if this were your grandchild you would not want this kind of placement for them. DCYF has trashed me for standing by my daughter and fighting for my grandson, Maggie Bishop told me that if I really loved my grandson I would have turned my back on my daughter and her unborn baby. This would have given them another blond, blue eyed, baby boy to sell. It sickens me that the people charged with protecting children are the most corrupt I have ever seen. I never knew how bad the system is, I wouldn't have believed in our country these things could happen. Yet now i know they happen all the time, the victim are just silent, scared little kids. Where is the outrage? what do I do next as a grandmother? Wait for my grandson to be the victim of the next monster to enter his life, sit back quietly and wait to try to pick up the pieces of a broken life? I'm at a loss. Lea VanTassel

Edited-Nashua, NH DCYF Tell's The Truth For Once, or Did They? Austin Knightly Was Adopted By Strangers! Contradictory Documentation Included

My husband and I are the grandparent's of Austin Ricardo Gamez-Knightly, born January 25th, 2000, in Nashua, NH. He and his mother lived with us in our home from the day of Austin's birth, until after he was three years old. His mother had a daughter in 2002 and later married her father. The four of them moved, but close enough so we still saw Austin every day and he also spent every weekend with us. Even after he started school, he was with us every day, after school and evenings, yet DCYF felt Austin was worth more to them in a non-relative placement than with the grandparent's he spent his life with. The grandparent's he called Mom and Dad all his life. The grandparent's he missed so much, that he tried to hang himself at age six in the foster stranger's home.
If Supervisor Tracy Gubbins hadn't denied me a foster care license, they still would have gotten their federal bonus money. But screwing over families is all their good for. They would rather have Austin in pain all his life than be with the grandparent's he loves. It's all about the money. The day they put Austin on psychiatric medication, was the day they decided he would never come home. That they could make big money off him on drugs and even bigger money off him after lying to the people they con into adoption of a very unhappy little boy.
I'm sure Austin has been brainwashed just like the rest of the stolen kid's. I'm sure they told him his Grammie and Grampie didn't want him and that they didn't want to visit him. Truth isn't part of their vocabulary, which comes to the point of my post.
My husband and I were finally allowed a home study, after many calls and letter's to the DHHS Commissioner. It was started in June of 2008 and never finished until April of 2009. And a half-assed home study it was. No financial report's, no home inspection, no criminal records check or anything else. Although they did see a swimming pool in the yard. It's just too bad there wasn't one.
After many false statement's in the home study, which we learned from a former caseworker, were the work of Tracy Gubbins who has screwed us over from day one, we were denied placement.
It's funny but the three caseworker's we met with wanted Austin placed with us. They knew he would be better off with us than anywhere else. It's too bad the new Nashua district manager doesn't throw Tracy out on her rearend. Out in the gutter where she belong's. She is the one person, besides one of their Lawyer's, that is giving the Nashua office a bad name.
In August of 2009 I filed an appeal with the Administrative appeals unit in Concord,. No-one told us we could file an appeal, but the information was in the foster care book's I received when I took the classes.
First off, I spoke to the Manager of Administrative hearings on the phone. He told me his office does not do appeals for negative home studies. He said they never have. Then I received a letter September 25, 2009 from the Manager. He informed me that he received an e-mail from Lorraine Bartlett which said Probate Court said I had "No standing" in the rights of my grandson. It say's "To initiate an appeal under RSA 126-A:5,VII and department rule He-C 200, one must have standing, meaning in general terms that your rights, benefits or privileges must be affected by the decision being appealed." Anyone in their right mind knows my rights ARE being affected, along with Austin's. He also stated that Lorraine Bartlett stated in the e-mail that the home study was done only to assist my husband and I,"to better understand the reason's why DCYF would not support a permanent placement with us".
Then why don't the e-mails from Maggie Bishop state that fact? Why were we told by the three caseworker's we had nothing to worry about? That Austin would be placed with us? How cruel can anyone be, giving us such false hope, knowing we bought Austin a bed and set up his room with all his favorite pictures and toy's? The other statement by Lorraine Bartlett in the e-mail was Austin's name was already changed. Since when is it legal to change a childs name before he's adopted? Since when does DCYF abide by the Law? THEY DON"T!!!

Here's one from Maggie Bishop:
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Ms. Knightly,

I have been in tough with the local District Office regarding your email
below. It is my understanding that they are currently involved with
assessing your home as a possible placement resource. Please know that when
it is at all possible and in the best interest of the a child we do
advocate for relative placements. It is for that reason that the office is
pursuing the home study you referenced below. Once they have completed the
process they will get back in touch with you.

Please see the contradictory statement made by Lorraine Bartlett below, which states Austin's grandparent's were afforded a Home Study to show why DCYF would NOT support permanent placement with his grandparents: Since when does the state pay for Home Studies to show people why they AREN'T a good placement?

As much as family is an importmant natural resource that we try to maintain
for children there are sometimes barriers specific to a child and their
circumstances that prevent placement as an option. It is for that reason
that a home study and assessment of all the factors impacting a child must
be consider prior to a placement decision.

I am confident that the Nashua office will conduct a thorough review of
your specific circumstances and provide you with the information as soon as
possible.

Maggie Bishop
Director
Division For Children Youth&Families
(603)271-4440




09/02/2008 01:44 PM

And Another

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Mrs. Knightly,

Thank you for taking the time to send me your concerns. I do stand by my
statements relative to the importance of relatives and that they indeed,
are a priority option for children. I will be reviewing the circumstances
outlined below and will get back to you as soon as possible. I just wanted
to assure you that I received your email.



Maggie Bishop
Director
Division For Children Youth&Families
(603)271-4440


09/02/2008 01:44 PM

The only thing DCYF hasn't lied about is telling us our grandson was being adopted. I went to city hall today and found out he HAS been adopted. At least that's what I was told, but I don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth's of DCYF. Maybe DCYF gave City Hall order's on what to tell me. I wouldn't put it past them!

The Truth about Foster Care From a Foster Stranger

Out of the mouth of a Foster Stranger, how parent's are screwed over by the system. From day one, the parent's don't have a chance in hell!


MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010
I Don't Understand, or Maybe I do.

The little boys that I have right now are doing well and settling in very nicely. They are happy and healthy and secure and really beginning to attach. Good things all. They are visiting with their birth mom pretty liberally, although supervised. She seems to be making progress as well. Unfortunately her situation is such that she is not going to get her boys back. There is too much unhealthiness in her life. Even if she maintains her sobriety, she has way too much other bad stuff and not enough of anything good to parent anyone. I know this. The worker knows this. The judge knows this, as do the attorneys. I'm pretty sure everyone involved in this case knows it, except for mom. Everyone talks about it, but not to her. No one has told her and no one will tell her. Why not? Why not just tell it like it is and allow her to maintain some control over the situation? Why not allow her to relinquish and make some choices about where her boys end up? She could ask for post adoption contact agreement so she could have continued contact. Why let her believe that she is working toward reunification when everyone is just going through the motions? Once they terminate the adoptive family will be advised not to maintain contact. They almost alway advise it in our county regardless of the birth family situation. We have been told repeatedly that contact with Ella's family is not appropriate (and she did ultimately relinquish)

If I admit it, I know why it is this way. It's to protect the county from lawsuits.
Posted by Susan at 9:06 PM

http://fostercarespacewarp.blogspot.com/

Psychotropic Drug Use in Foster Care System Under Investigation

Psychotropic Drug Use in Foster Care System Under Investigation

The US Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management has asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the prevalence of prescribed psychotropic medications for children in foster care. The estimated cost of prescribed medications, often used in the treatment of emotional and behavioural problems, may run to hundreds of millions of dollars each year in the United States alone. To date, only limited reports are available to determine the actual prevalence of psychotropic medication in foster children. Experts suggest that foster children are four times more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic or antidepressant medication than other children covered under Medicaid. One 2003 study of foster children in Florida indicated that 55 percent of children in the foster care system are being administered psychotropic medication although forty percent of those medicated had no history of a psychiatric evaluation.. Another study has indicated that anti-psychotic medication used has increased 528 from 2000 to 2005. A Texas study from 2004 showed that 34.7 percent of foster children were prescribed at least one psychotropic drug with some children taking five or more.

Prescribing psychotropic medication for children is especially troubling given the potential risks associated with some types of antidepressant and antipsychotic medication which are believed to increase the risk of suicidal behaviour in adolescents. The GAO investigation has focused on antidepressants which are often prescribed "off-label" to address symptoms for which the medication has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although Congress has established formal guidelines for medications that qualify for Medicaid reimbursement, the potential for severe side-effects (and even death) remains high. Medications that are commonly prescribed to children include Prozac, Phenobarbitol, Cymbalta, Mellaril, Effexor, Respiridal, Paxil, and many others. Doctors prescribing medications to children tend to focus on behavioural problems although case histories are often unavailable when the children are being assessed.

Pharmaceutical companies have been implicated in the widespread use of psychotropic medication in foster children. Drug companies engage in aggressive marketing campaigns which highlight the potential benefits of certain types of medication while minimizing potential risks for children. The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights has launched several lawsuits aimed at calling drug companies to account for their marketing practices. In one example, AstraZeneca has recently paid over $520 million in lawsuits over illegal promotion of off-label use of Seroquel (quetiapine). A recent Justice Department action against Pfizer led to a $2.3 billion settlement (the largest in Justice Department history) although Pfizer maintains that it did not break the law.

There are no easy fixes for the complex problems that have led to the proliferation of prescription drug misuse in foster care. Despite recent attempts at passing legislation to oversee the prescribing of medication, the ongoing use of psychotropic medications to control unruly behaviour in foster children seems likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The long-term consequences of drugging children rather than providing more effective support services seem dire.

For more information.
http://drvitelli.typepad.com/providentia/2010/06/psychotropic-drug-abuse-in-foster-care-costs-government-billions.html

Police Seek Info on Missing Boy's Stepmother

Police Seek Info on Missing Boy's Stepmother

http://video.ap.org/?f=NHMAN&pid=trLUN9LpwQn4ZI0qILhc6YfpqEcE459J

http://www.unionleader.com/default.aspx

Happy Father's Day to All REAL Father's

Austin and Grampie(AKA Dad) in Austin's eyes


Wishing a Happy Father's Day to All real Father's, even though many have children missing from their lives. Hopefully, that will soon change and all children will be back in their families lives. The families they were born and bred by, not the fake families our government has provided them with. Many of us are missing our children and grandchildren, due to government interference. Stay strong and don't ever give up. Our children will NEVER forget us. I'm sure their just as sad as we are not being with us today. Children need both their parent's. Their biological parent's and their extended biological family member's in order for them to have full and productive lives. Today is a day to celebrate Father's. Biological father's, not government, hand picked, paid off replacement's.
Again, Happy Father's Day and Stay Strong!
unhappygrammy

Big money to be made in the adoption trade

Big money to be made in the adoption trade
If ever there was a scandal which called for the full glare of publicity it is the highly secretive system which allows thousands of children to be sent for forced adoption, writes Christopher Booker.


By Christopher Booker
Published: 6:32PM BST 19 Jun 2010


Sir Bob Geldof who has attacked the UK?s 'state-sanctioned kidnap'
On June 3, a 17-year-old Staffordshire girl, living with her parents and seven months pregnant, was horrified to receive a letter which began: “Dear Corrinne, I am the new allocated social worker for your unborn child. We have serious concerns about your ability to care for your unborn baby. We are so worried that we intend on going to Court to apply for an Order that will allow us to place your baby with alternative carers.” This so shocked the family that they raised what money they could and, like many others faced with similar threats, escaped abroad, where they now live in circumstances hardly conducive to a happy delivery of their new child.
Staffordshire social workers were also involved in the tragic case of Maureen Smith, the mother so desperate at the prospect of losing her two children that she fled to Spain, where she killed them before attempting suicide. As she wrote in her suicide note: “Social Services In Staffordshire and their policy of forced adoption are responsible for this.”

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These are just two instances of the vast, long-running tragedy which Bob Geldof, launching a report last December on the “barbaric” chaos of our family law system, called “state-sanctioned kidnap”, whereby social workers, abetted by family courts and an army of complicit lawyers and “experts”, routinely snatch children from loving parents to feed the maw of the adoption and fostering industry.
Yet contrast this with last week’s report exonerating Kirklees social workers from any failings in the case of Shannon Matthews, the Yorkshire girl made subject, after years of neglect and ill-treatment, to a fake kidnap by her mother (described by local police as “pure evil”). Even though no fewer than 22 agencies had been involved with this dysfunctional family over many years, the report found that Shannon’s treatment did not justify taking her into care.
If ever there was a scandal which called for the full glare of publicity it is the highly secretive system which allows thousands of children to be sent for forced adoption, often on no proper pretext. Meanwhile the list of cases where social workers ignore all evidence in allowing the abuse of children to continue, grows ever longer.
It is not generally appreciated how adoption and fostering, organised by social workers, have become big business – quite apart from the fees charged by those lawyers and experts who are part of this corrupt system. Adoption payments and access to a wide range of benefits can provide carers with hundreds, even thousands of pounds a week. Still to be found on the internet (see the Forced Adoption website) is an advertisement by Slough Family Placement Services headed “Balloons and family fun to promote fostering”. This promised that Slough’s town square would be “bustling with activities including face painting and balloon modelling”, complete with a “David Beckham lookalike” (“bring a camera”), to launch “a new fostering allowance of £400 a week”.
I have recently reported the harassment and repeated arrests of Mauren Spalek, the devoted Cheshire mother whose two younger children were taken from her in 2006, and who faces trial on June 29 on a criminal charge of sending her son a birthday card. Last week it emerged, from an official register, what the occupation is of the woman who adopted her stolen children. She is a social worker.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/7840626/Big-money-to-be-made-in-the-adoption-trade.html