To: JUDYANN BIGBY, MASSACHUSETTS SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PAULA CAREY, MASSACHUSETTS CHIEF JUSTICE OF PROBATE AND FAMILY COURTS, The Massachusetts State House, The Massachusetts State Senate, and Governor Charlie Baker
MASSACHUSETTS CHILD CONTINUES TO HELD HOSTAGE BY COUNTY JUDGES
MASSACHUSETTS CHILD’S FATHER ONLY VISITS TWICE IN 77 DAYS (3/23/12)
Massachusetts six years-old child continues to be held in Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) foster home. Alexiss was county court ordered to be removed from her home and placed in a foster home to “ensure father had opportunity to visit with child. Mother had in the past refused to allow unsupervised visits with the father who has a criminal record of sexual assault, rape, and kidnapping (Superior Court District Attorney Katherine Cappelli); recorded allegations of child molestation involving his stepdaughter; imprisonment for domestic violence; years of heroin use; discharge from the military for alcohol/drug rehabilitation failure; mental health issues; and initially was residing in a half-way house.
Child has been in a Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) foster home for 77 days. And the father has only visited child twice; often no showing for visits and cancelling visits with excuses, such as his “car broke down” or “he was unable to leave work in time to make it…” Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) reports father visited child on February 27, 2012 and March 21, 2012. All other visits were apparently cancelled or no shows.
The county judges orders have been forcing the Mother to allow unsupervised visits or pay the father $1,000 per missed visit. The Mother has been paying the father to ensure the child’s safety.
The county judges denied the mother’s request for a home-study; alcohol/drug evaluation; mental health assessment to ensure unsupervised visits were appropriate; failed to utilize the mandated court clinics to allow expertise in the field to investigate the appropriateness of unsupervised; and further denied the child a Guardian Ad Litem.
The county judges failed to grant the child the mandated 72-hour hearing that is required for children that are placed in DCF care, and the Mother was not represented by an attorney at the time of the child was placed in DFC custody.
Today, the Mother was granted an emergency hearing for Alexiss’s return. However, even with, the Father’s lack of interest and missed visits as reported by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) Alexiss continues to be held in custody.
Mother has appealed to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain, and Massachusetts Chief Probate Justice Paula Carey. However, the Mother’s concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
PLEASE HELP GET CHILD HOME, CALL Governor Deval Patrick (617) 725-4005, Massachusetts HHS Sec Bigby (617) 573-1600, and Massachusetts Justice Paula Carey (617) 788-6600 .
The county judges are misappropriating state funds and services by using DCF to detain this child for reasons other than intended by law.
Massachusetts six years-old child continues to be held in Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) foster home. Alexiss was county court ordered to be removed from her home and placed in a foster home to “ensure father had opportunity to visit with child. Mother had in the past refused to allow unsupervised visits with the father who has a criminal record of sexual assault, rape, and kidnapping (Superior Court District Attorney Katherine Cappelli); recorded allegations of child molestation involving his stepdaughter; imprisonment for domestic violence; years of heroin use; discharge from the military for alcohol/drug rehabilitation failure; mental health issues; and initially was residing in a half-way house.
Child has been in a Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) foster home for 77 days. And the father has only visited child twice; often no showing for visits and cancelling visits with excuses, such as his “car broke down” or “he was unable to leave work in time to make it…” Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) reports father visited child on February 27, 2012 and March 21, 2012. All other visits were apparently cancelled or no shows.
The county judges orders have been forcing the Mother to allow unsupervised visits or pay the father $1,000 per missed visit. The Mother has been paying the father to ensure the child’s safety.
The county judges denied the mother’s request for a home-study; alcohol/drug evaluation; mental health assessment to ensure unsupervised visits were appropriate; failed to utilize the mandated court clinics to allow expertise in the field to investigate the appropriateness of unsupervised; and further denied the child a Guardian Ad Litem.
The county judges failed to grant the child the mandated 72-hour hearing that is required for children that are placed in DCF care, and the Mother was not represented by an attorney at the time of the child was placed in DFC custody.
Today, the Mother was granted an emergency hearing for Alexiss’s return. However, even with, the Father’s lack of interest and missed visits as reported by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DFC) Alexiss continues to be held in custody.
Mother has appealed to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain, and Massachusetts Chief Probate Justice Paula Carey. However, the Mother’s concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
PLEASE HELP GET CHILD HOME, CALL Governor Deval Patrick (617) 725-4005, Massachusetts HHS Sec Bigby (617) 573-1600, and Massachusetts Justice Paula Carey (617) 788-6600 .
The county judges are misappropriating state funds and services by using DCF to detain this child for reasons other than intended by law.
Why is this important?
CHILDREN RIGHTS