Support parents standing up for their children's return

My children were removed on October 26, 2004 and I never got a chance to get my children back. What happened was I had a two year old son who had got burned accidentally. However, he and another child of mine were removed 5 1/2 months later. In addition, I was pregnant at the time and when I had my baby, I could not bring him home from the hospital. This child was removed as well.

After CPS had investigated, they said that there was not a preponderance of evidence, but I still had my children removed after several months, which I thought was so unfair. I had agreed to partake in a treatment plan which included parenting classes, domestic violence, psychiatric testing and psychological testing, an evaluation and therapy. In addition, I had to look for employment and have housing.

My live in partner, who is now my husband, who I wind up marrying while I was going through this, he had did a treatment plan too. A total of three parenting classes were taken by both of us as well as a second treatment plan. Everything that we did were not good enough and both of our rights had become terminated. In addition, I was even in school and received my bachelor's degree in Sociology and that was not good enough either.

After everything that I and my husband have gone through, we decided to put an appeal in for the decision. Unfortunately, our appeal was denied. Another time I became pregnant and was fortunate to bring my baby home from the hospital after she was born; but, when an agency in which I was under at the time found out about this, a month and one day later, I and my husband had to turn the child over to the Department of Human Services. I was so mad. The only thing that I and my husband received with our children were visits. However, my husband could not visit with his first two step-children because he was accused of second-degree child abuse of which was dropped from his record. Nonetheless, his case was moved to juvenile court. We had afterwards, tried suing the State of MI and the agencies of whom our children were with, but our case most of the time was denied except for once.

I thought that we were going to get our children back after completing the full treatment plan twice. However, that, once again, did not happen. Other allegations have come about in which the agency did not care to hear my side or my husband side of the story. They were just out to have our rights terminated.

Now I have my fifth child in which I could not bring home for five weeks due to a prevention service program in which I and my husband could have had with our other children in the first place.