Need to come clean!! need all the PRAYERS Possible

[momzoo7]

first of all I have always wanted to be a mom, I love my kids and they are my whole life. I feel like there is so much going on and I’d like to chat freely here but i first have to come clean.

On July 6th 2010 it was pouring down rain. I needed some things at wal-mart I had my 17 year old (36 days from 18), 6, 4, and 2. I took my 6 yr old in the store to go potty and my 4 and 2 year old stayed with my older son. after only 25 to 30 mins i returned to see my 4 and 2 yr old playing with the door from the inside, i got on to them and this lady started yelling at me saying how dare I leave them alone. I called out to my older son who sat up in the van he had dosed off. the lady called the police she works for DHS so she also called them. she said my kids got out of the car and almost got hit. she never saw my older child and our handle is broken so the only way back in the van was where my older son was. they would have needed help to get back in and they were inside when i came out so i don't think they ever got out. So DHS removed my kids and I realize it was dangerous but i never thought my older son would not supervise them.
my DH was at home so we were told the kids would be released to him. then the DHS lady said in her report our house was unsafe and the kids were allowed to play out in the road unsupervised. well she NEVER came out to our house and the road the speed limits 55 to 60 never ever have they been out there. then to top it all off they charged me with felony child endangerment. so last week i go to court for that. which got dropped Thank GOD but the DA after we told him DHS never came to the house he said he'd remove the condition of the house (which was a lie and he knew it) but wanted us to stipulate to letting the kids play unsupervised. NO way!! we go to great lengths to insure they stay in the house right down to double deadbolts on door.
According to our lawyer they need the unsupervised play to hold over my dh head to insure DHS involvement. So we are fighting it and go to trial nov 22nd in the meantime our kids are out of our car. we are also doing everything DHS asked for just in case we don't convince the judge. 9 times out of 10 the side with DHS.. so when we discovered we were expecting we were scared to death but DHS doesn't care and says they have no concerns regarding this one. so being pregnant and hormonal and dealing with these people. I REALISE it was a bad situation but when i left he was wide awke playing with the boys and it was raining at about 65 he had my keys.
in our county 2 of these couples got their kids removed due to drugs and had them home after 4 months. so dealing with this and pregnancy hormones i feel like all I do is cry. now they say I’m depressed well wouldn't they be? it's hard to deal with this every day. I can't tell my 3 boys about the baby, i only see them under supervision of DHS and at church. this is a night mare that feels like it'll never get better..
the only way out is to do everything and more to please these people so me, DH, and my oldest go to counseling, parenting classes, we have to move into a 3 brd away from the highway. the worker who is now in charge is nice but not sure what to ask us to do.

[momof2inohio]

I can't figure out why your kids would be taken away for that.... I would think that a 17 year old could be trusted to watch younger siblings for a few minutes unless he is mentally unstable. Since your son fell asleep the other kids probably got too hot in the car and got out. I don't know it all just does not make sense to me but I wish you luck in getting your kids back.

[CW&M Mom]

In reality...they should of charged your son and not you.........he was 17..........I see no where, where that age would excuse him out of neglecting his siblings who he had been left with.

Good grief I was babysitting my cousins (as in at there house by myself) by age 11.

[434Teresa]

I know this is hard but it will all work out.

I see little ones 5,6,or so in cars here alone sometimes but at that age I would not do it.. I dont see anything wrong with leaving them in the car with a older child so it should have been fine that your 17 year old was in there with them. Sorry he fell alseep but teens do that stuff sometimes when something is not at the upmost importance to them.
I hope the DSH worker dose a home visit(unlike what the last one did) and finds that everything is fine there and that you dont live near the road any longer. Kids that age love the outside and will sneak out if they can but that dont mean that you are not watching them, you have to go to the bathroom sometimes and that all the time they need to get into stuff..LOL

One day I was loading my stuff into my van after putting my twins(3) in the van to buckle themself up, I had turned the van on so the air was blowing but it was still hot in there so I left the door open. I looked up from unloading the cart into the van and Alex ws running down the lane. I went to yelling like a crazy women, he then truned and startd back to me, my heart was in my shoe for I just knew that someone was going to back out not seeing him there. Needless to say he wont ever do that again
Like you it never crossed my mind that he would get out of the van with me 2 feet away from the door but he did. So I am sure you did not think your two would get out of the van with your older son in there.

I hope things get better for you and your kids soon and good luck on a girl with the one you are having now..

I dont see how they could put you threw all this just for that, I guess they dont have any other childern that is really in danger to look after right now and need to be busy..

[momzoo7]

I can't figure out why your kids would be taken away for that.... I would think that a 17 year old could be trusted to watch younger siblings for a few minutes unless he is mentally unstable. Since your son fell asleep the other kids probably got too hot in the car and got out. I don't know it all just does not make sense to me but I wish you luck in getting your kids back.

i don't think the kids ever got out the handle is broken and her story doesn't add up. Josh isn't mentqal unstable and in the past has been very good and helpful with the kids. normally i'd have draged everyone in but i was not going to be long , it was raining and cool. now i wish i had draged them all in.

[momzoo7]

In reality...they should of charged your son and not you.........he was 17..........I see no where, where that age would excuse him out of neglecting his siblings who he had been left with.

Good grief I was babysitting my cousins (as in at there house by myself) by age 11.

according to state law it says you can leave chidren under 6 with a 12 year old. now i wouldn't do that but he was days from being 18. when i was his age i had a child and lived alone.

[momzoo7]

I know this is hard but it will all work out.

I see little ones 5,6,or so in cars here alone sometimes but at that age I would not do it.. I dont see anything wrong with leaving them in the car with a older child so it should have been fine that your 17 year old was in there with them. Sorry he fell alseep but teens do that stuff sometimes when something is not at the upmost importance to them.
I hope the DSH worker dose a home visit(unlike what the last one did) and finds that everything is fine there and that you dont live near the road any longer. Kids that age love the outside and will sneak out if they can but that dont mean that you are not watching them, you have to go to the bathroom sometimes and that all the time they need to get into stuff..LOL

One day I was loading my stuff into my van after putting my twins(3) in the van to buckle themself up, I had turned the van on so the air was blowing but it was still hot in there so I left the door open. I looked up from unloading the cart into the van and Alex ws running down the lane. I went to yelling like a crazy women, he then truned and startd back to me, my heart was in my shoe for I just knew that someone was going to back out not seeing him there. Needless to say he wont ever do that again
Like you it never crossed my mind that he would get out of the van with me 2 feet away from the door but he did. So I am sure you did not think your two would get out of the van with your older son in there.

I hope things get better for you and your kids soon and good luck on a girl with the one you are having now..

I dont see how they could put you threw all this just for that, I guess they dont have any other childern that is really in danger to look after right now and need to be busy..

well 2 days before this a 6 year old wondered off from a lake BBQ and drowned, sometimes after siturations like that DHS gets overactive, but little kids are fast and have no since of danger.i totally get how critical this was. at the time i felt i was leaving them in good hands.

[jennspen]

I agree with a PP that there has to be something else added to the situation. I'm a public health social worker but I review cases for DHS occassionaly. Have you had previous run ins with DHS? Have you ask to see the case workers notes? You have a right to that information. You said you had an attorney, I am sure he could ask to see the records if needed. If you are serious about getting your kids back (which sounds like you are) then you need to fully cooperate with your case worker in order to prove to DHS and the judge that you are a capable parent and willing to take whatever steps necessary to protect and best parent your children. I have never seen a child taken from custody on one incidence like this especially if an older child was with them. I really hope things work out for you and your family. I will say a prayer for you.

[momzoo7]

I agree with a PP that there has to be something else added to the situation. I'm a public health social worker but I review cases for DHS occassionaly. Have you had previous run ins with DHS? Have you ask to see the case workers notes? You have a right to that information. You said you had an attorney, I am sure he could ask to see the records if needed. If you are serious about getting your kids back (which sounds like you are) then you need to fully cooperate with your case worker in order to prove to DHS and the judge that you are a capable parent and willing to take whatever steps necessary to protect and best parent your children. I have never seen a child taken from custody on one incidence like this especially if an older child was with them. I really hope things work out for you and your family. I will say a prayer for you.

In mo my 19 year old who is autistic and bi-polar, He had big issues and when he was little people saw him and not understanding his behave would hotline it. but we always had specialist involved and in 2007 he went to live with his dad where he could get one on one attenion

my 4 and 6 year old have delays in speach and the school felt due to my 19 yr old being autistic they maybe. i took them to a doctor who agreed they needed further testing but do to some of the same symtoms can be caused by abuse they asked for an investigation, our reg doctor stressed to DHS their were no concerns but to be safe ordered full body x-rays which showed nothing and it was droped. jan 6, 2010 a neighbor called in saying we had no heat or power due to our pipes froze they came out saw we had heat and power and untill july 6th nothing. due to DH was laid off we both went to job training and kids went to daycare no problems. untill the july 6th. they took the kids that night the next day me and DH met with the worker she said she felt i am FAT and LAZY and make my son do all the work. true i am over weight but my son doesn't do everything and yet she didn't care and she never came to see our house or ask the kids what they wanted. everything is just how i stated it. I now have a lawyer and are fighting it , doing classes and counseling but it all takes time. time i'll never get back. memories i'm missing.

[naless]

Does the store have video of the parking lot. This can be easily remedied by viewing the tape and seeing what actually happened instead of what someone says. I can't believe that just the word of one person can have the children taken away. I would understand starting an investigation but not taking the children away. Were they taken right from the store?