I was with you for a minute there, Mayim, I really was. I, too, have experienced probably less-than-average amounts of sexual harassment and catcalling (though not none, of course, because duh), and I’ve largely attributed it to two things: I’ve always been a homebody, and I’m not hot, just regular. So I get that…

I have handled hundreds of cases over 14 years as a parents’ attorney and as a guardian ad litem/legal counsel for the child. I can count on one hand the number of cases that I thought that CYS shouldn’t be involved or wrongfully placed a child. Maybe it’s not the same everywhere, but the standard to remove a child…

Yea, these stories are incredibly one-sided. My grandparents had a foster (now adopted) son who was born addicted to drugs. His mother never made any real attempts to get clean, her residence was constantly full of lowlife scum, and she had about 10 different kids by 8 different guys- none of whom stayed in her or the…

We all make jokes about growing up to be our parents, but it’s really true. For all the talk of people escaping the faults of their parents, most never will. There’s a reason other than genetics and poverty why crime, mental illness, abuse, neglect, etc run in families.

“On more than one occasion, his foster mother told me that he got depressed after visits and acted out by being disrespectful or breaking his possessions. Those were little signs, she told me, that “maybe the visits aren’t such a good idea.” I felt that if he were allowed to see me more often, then it would not be so…

The second article mentions that a home visitor taught the parent how to love her baby, and as a home visitor, this is a very accurate description of our work. I work with my state’s MIECHV (mick-vee) program, which stands for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting. In some states, MIECHV works with a…

Agreed. I babysat my friends 14 month old, and during a game of ‘pop up’ where she or I would pop our head over a cushion (I’m not great with kids, or creative apparently) she tipped over and hit the wooden arm of the sofa. Hard. It was one of those injuries where the baby doesn’t cry right away because they’re…

I wish they could have moved her kids to a family or friend, but removing them until they finished investigating was the right call.

I know I’m meant to be horrified by this government overreach, but sofar I haven’t read a story in which I would want the officials to act substantially differently. Could they be nicer? Sure. But do you really want an official investigating a baby with an unexplainable skull fracture to drop it? “Oh well! This 7…

I actually liked this story a lot more and felt it was a really balanced take. I can see it from the CPS perspective too, like wtf, this kid has a skull fracture and the parents don’t know why or how? I actually think if she had dropped him (instead of the shitty friend who didn’t even come clean right away) and taken…

Having an infant with an unexplained skull fracture would absolutely qualify as imminent danger justifying emergency removal, at least in NYC.

These stories are FAR more sympathetic than the last few, esp the one about the mom who hit her kid with a belt.

I’m glad, with the first story, that her POS friend finally stepped up. Wish he had said something to her sooner. That’s a horrible thing to put her and her kids thru.

I agree, having been a lawyer in child welfare on all sides, while I’ve seen some shit that made me feel the system was biased against parents, that statement straight up never happened. No judge would do that, if for no other reason than they wouldn’t want to be removed from the bench and/or disbarred. Which made me…

While I agree, having worked as an attorney in the system on all sides (parents, Acs, and attorney for the child) one thing that always amazed me, although I guess it really shouldn’t when I think abt it harder, is that almost universally, no matter how bad the situation was and how abusive the parents were, if you…

If it is a dumpster fire, it is well deserved. I am a Black woman, 43, not affluent and survived various forms of abuse in childhood. I was raised by a single mother in generally poor, minority neighborhoods. These folks don’t get a pass from me.

Heck, I can give them one. A former child client of mine tracked me down on FB and we met and she thanked me profusely for saving her life. She wants me to help her write a book about the experience.

No judge would EVER say I advise you to plead guilty. Never. A lawyer would be MANDATED to report that judge and if s/he did not could face penalties. I worked for many years as a a lawyer in the system. That is simply not credible.

I’m kinda in the same boat, feelings wise.

You know what? I’m perfectly fine with the fact that people who have been convicted of neglect can’t get jobs caring for children and the elderly.