Wrongfully Accused Mother

December 29, 2008 permalink

A British mother, Yvonne Bray, fell sick a year ago on a trip to New York City, and her children were placed in foster care. Now she has completed training to become a foster mother, but cannot do so until she gets off the New York State Child Abuse Maltreatment Register.

British social services could ignore the New York record, but they do not want Mrs Bray because she knows too much. They prefer foster mothers who believe the children in their care were abused and neglected by their families, or cynical carers who work only for the money. Foster parents familiar with the real circumstances of child removal are of no use.

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British mother still fighting to clear her name a YEAR after her two children were put in New York orphanage

By Daily Mail Reporter, Last updated at 3:25 PM on 29th December 2008

A British mother says she is still fighting to clear her name one year after her two daughters were taken from her and put into a New York orphanage.

Gemma Bray, 15, and sister Katie, 13, were strip searched and kept at the home for 30 hours after their mother Yvonne became ill on holiday last December.

Officials even reportedly asked them if they had been abused or felt suicidal, before they were given medical examinations and were told they could not leave the home.

Complaint: Yvonne Bray is unable to become a foster mother because a note was left on her file when her two children Katie, 13, left, and Gemma, 15, were temporarily put into care when she fell ill during a trip to New York

Yvonne, 39, of Appledore, Devon, had been hospitalised with severe pneumonia during the family's shopping trip to New York last December.

She claims she was then hit with a letter from the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), which stated she was 'subject of a report of suspected child abuse or maltreatment'.

Now Ms Bray, who had just completed a 12-month course to become a foster mother, has been told she cannot foster children in Britain until she is removed from the New York State Child Abuse Maltreatment Register.

'It's crazy,' she told the New York Post.

'Why should I fight to clear my name for an accusation that never should have come about in the first place?

'My youngest one, she slept in my bed for three months after we got back. They still have issues with it.

'What I don't understand is why ACS was treating my children like they were being removed from an abusive home.'

Her New York lawyer, Peter Lomtevas, says they may now file a complaint with the city because they have not been provided with a letter confirming no neglect or abuse took place.

The ACS says that the letter Bray received was 'generated as a matter of course' when her children were taken into care while she was ill.

'The letter is simply informational. Ms Bray is not under investigation. She never was,' said ACS spokesman Sharman Stein.

'The letter she receives is simply the way in which our system is legally able to become involved in helping families which are unable to temporarily care for their children.'

Source: Daily Mail (UK)

Addendum: Here are two postings from a foster mom of the kind loved by social services. Notice the derision for the real dad.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Irate!

I am so irritated right now. I got an email from Samantha's caseworker letting me know that in court this morning (I had no idea there even was court this morning) it was decided that dad would begin unsupervised visit effective immediately. Sounds good huh? He will get her two days a week for two hours each time. Still OK. He wants the visits to happen between 5:30-7:30 in the evening. I don't think so. This child is IN BED by 7 every night. The very few times we've kept her up later (because we were out) she is still up at 6am, but she is cranky all morning, has a hard time settling for her nap and takes it SUPER early so she is then ready for bed by 6pm or sooner. This is not going to work. I mentioned to dad the time he wants is pretty late. His reply? "Too bad. Nothin' I can do 'bout it." Did I mention that dad smells like he just rolled around in an ashtray? I don't even get her inside the house after visits before I take her clothes off and she goes straight into the bath. Every time. So that means she will not get home until 7:45 or 8, if he is on time, she will then need a bath, so she won't get into bed before 8:30 if she can settle down. Most evenings we spend an hour or so on settle down/go to sleep routine. Why didn't the baby's attorney say something? Doesn't the case worker realize this child is not even two? What happened to best interest of the child? O-o-o-o-o-o! I am so irritated.

Posted by Susan at 11:14 PM

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

A Bit More on Irate

I was (still am) irate. about the time of the unsupervised visits. It is not a time that is good for Samantha. But I think the bigger issue that is bugging me is that I know dad is playing the case worker and really the whole system. He's playing her about his job, about his living situation, about his family situation, really about everything. Now I haven't worked with this particular worker before but at this point I would have to say she's no slouch. I suspect she knows she is being played. I also suspect it doesn't make any difference. I've said before that having a paid attorney represent someone can dramatically change the outcome. I've said it about when foster parents hire an attorney, but I think if a birth parent hires their own attorney it is the same. And I think dad has hired his own gun. I think his attorney has assured him that he will get his child back no matter what and I think it is probably true, or perhaps there is some truth to it. He missed both of his visits last week and thinks he has pulled something over on everyone. He is pretty full of himself right now. He keeps trying to explain to me how he is a victim in all of this, how he was a single dad, raising his baby all alone when all of a sudden a bad thing happened and bad people took his baby away. All he wants is to go back to being a great dad, all by himself. It's all a crock. I guess that's what irritates me more than anything.

Posted by Susan at 10:26 PM

Source: Blog by Susan (a pseudonym)