I'm glad you finally looked into a case. Please don't let it go. Fight for the kids, they need you. We emailed King 5 and every other place we could get our hands on when this was happening to us, and we lost. DON'T LET THE FOSTER PARENT RIP THAT GIRL AWAY FROM HER FAMILY!!!

I am so tired of hearing how the children are bonding with the foster parents and that's why they're letting them adopt children who otherwise, without that 'bond' could return to their families, maybe with just a little help. Our family was destroyed by this. We didn't recover. Foster parents SHOULD NOT EVEN ENTER INTO THE EQUATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A CHILD IS RETURNED HOME. I don't care how much more the child 'bonds' with them, I don't care if they have a bigger house. If the FAMILY can adequately care for the child, that should be the FIRST priority.

Foster parents should not be allowed to adopt the children in their care. The foster parents use the shortage of good foster homes as an excuse to get leverage to convince DSHS to help them adopt the child, threatening to quit fostering if they 'lose the child they've grown so attached to'. These are not puppies. It is someone's CHILD. They are tearing apart families who sure, may have made a mistake or two, but have done nothing to lose their children forever with the exception of having the misfortune of having their child be a good, sweet child and end up in the home of someone looking to adopt a child of their own.

Please, I really can't beg you enough to push this and not let it go. Please. No one else will help them, God knows we tried. Give this poor family the help we didn't get in time. Please.If not for any reason other than if you don't, this will continue to happen. Children will spend their lifetimes not knowing who their families are or how HARD they fought for them, thinking their parents just gave up or didn't care. Please bring this into the light so that it can be changed and spare the heartache and destruction of other families like mine. Please.

Sounds like we have some power-hungry DSHS employees making unilateral decisions against State policy to me. Why can't this State get this right? I am getting tired of the line "in the child's best interest" being used to deter any issues that arise . . . most often when a family is being devastated by actions that are just the opposite of what is good for the child! When will we learn that this kind of upheaval is even worse for the child, the mother, the family willing to help raise the child, and the community.

And if it is true that foster parents are de facto favored over biological families that have had custody during the child's earliest development . . . this needs to be addressed -- and stopped -- right now! DSHS would not be so burdened with heavy caseloads if they could recognize when they have the child in a good home . . . but somehow this seems to be the most difficult thing for them to be able to see! What a rotten system through which our most vulnerable young citizens should have to pass . . . .

I am so sorry for this family, caught up in the Child Protective Services web of incompetence and deceit. My family was where this family is for 2 and 1/2 years. In our case, CPS was hellbent on adopting our great nephew out of the state within 8 months of being in "protective" custody. It is a long, long story but we were so fortunate to find an attorney guardian ad litem that put her neck on the line to fight for Andrew to stay with his family. After 2.5 long years we finally had a happy ending. But it would not have happened if CPS had anything to do with it. This family needs to keep fighting and get themselves a guardian ad litem that will be their advocate and their friend. I am convinced that CPS is driven by the "bottom line" in most of these cases, not truly what is best for the child.

Thank you for doing this story.

Wow, you can add this to the growing list of DSHS and CPS F-Ups in Washington State. How many kids need to suffer at the hands of these imbiciles before the state realizes that the kids are suffering and being hurt the most. Although it may be hard to do since Child Custody cases are a cash cow for the state of Washington and generate millions of dollars in revenue. I am sure they see these situations as a commodity and not truly what it is...an innocent life. There should be accountability here and the governor should answer to it directly, it must start at the head.

Thank you, Susannah!

Doug and AnneMarie are our next-door neighbors and we have seen first-hand how they have tried to support their daughter and care for their granddaughter. They have made great sacrifices to do the right thing, and it has been heartbreaking to see the State make this so difficult.

DSHS has made the wrong decision here, and have compounded the mistakes with stonewalling and self-protection, while a little girl suffers in foster care and truly good people agonize over the loss and struggle through the many senseless obstacles of the custody court system.

Thank you for your diligence on this case. I hope your story will get Doug and AnneMarie closer to their goal: to love and care for their granddaughter.

Please keep doing these stories about the inequities within DSHS. Something has to be done to change the agency.

What is going to happen if that little girl ends up dead? Who will DSHS blame?? Or will they just shrug their collective shoulders as usual and say "we made a mistake, we are under funded and over worked".... Ugh. I am sick to death of the slipshod beauracracy in this stinking state. From the top down our state government is failing the littlest and most precious people, our kids. These grandparent obviously love this child to the moon and back and it seems she has been taken care of better than her mother can.... by DSHS' own admission. Please, please, please, do this little girl a favor and award custody to her grandparents! She deserves better than her mother or foster care. I say we circulate a petition the Governor to intervene in this..... she says how much she cares, lets see her PROVE it. Show she cares for this little darling child.....

Kudos to KING5 for doing a great job exposing this problem. The value of 'Freedom of Press' is quite evident in this uncovering of DSHS corruption. But please don't let it quietly fade from the headlines. Many hard questions are still deserving an answer; like why our governor Gregoire is so deferential with personal knowledge of this travesty over the past year. I would think voters would take notice of executive intervention in this situation and others like it rather than the saturation of campaign promises. Also the sudden resignation of the influential CASA begs for the questioning of his opposition to family reunification. Even the prompt retirement of Steponme casts a shadow on this case. And why is Senator Roach finding great difficulty in her pursuit to correct this problem? With so many questions remaining, what would we do without your willingness to uncover the darker side of an otherwise good department that is without checks and balances. Many thanks to KING5 for a job well done.

Thank you for airing this families struggle. There are so many more. I hope there is follow up during the next court hearing. This needs to stop for all of these children. We do not lack foster homes we have to many foster children that do not belong in these homes. Good coverage. They lie all the time and the public needs to be made aware of it. More stories like this one should be easy to find.

I want you to know that this kinda of thing happens all the time in this state.The people of washington need to stand up to DSHS. This time last year our family was dealing with a issuse with DSHS. A young underage girl who did nothing but trusted them to help her learn to be a mother and lies of a family friend that thought it would be in the best for the child to be put up for adoption and the social worker thinking  that she was to young and had no parenting skills,when the mother refused she almost lost her child to DSHS. The came back to my house for thanksgiving,the young girl had no idea that she had right that DSHS was not informing her of and using intimidation to get her do what they wanted her to do. A week later,DSHS removed the child from my home(DSHS stated to a judge the child was in danger)We found a great lawyer from Olympia and three day later at the shelter care hearing the judge gave her back to us, the judge declined a second attempt for DSHS to put the child in shelter care (foster care) a week after the first hearing. The social worker stated that she had concerns about the child but abuse every happened. DSHS put the child and the mother through trauma over a social work's owm feeling. And if my family didn't help her fight for her child,and god didnt help us find the lawyer this wonder mother who loves child more then anything would have lost her child to DSHS. The being sixteen at the time why was DSHS not caring about the well being and safety of the mother, she was still a child her self ? DSHS focus was to remove the child from the mother. The child now 2 years old and the mother now 18 years are both still living with me and are both doing great ! Let's fight to keep DSHS from taking the rights of good parents and spend more time helping the childern that are abused and need the help from DSHS. DSHS cost my family 5,000.00 in fees we have to still pay to the lawyer and alot of heart ache for the three day they had our baby girl. I believe that DSHS prayed on this young girl that had been in their system since she was a small child,with no money, no resource, no one to help her,she would be easy to take her child, we proved them wrong ! DSHS social you have no right to take your own feelings or concern and try to turn it into abuse !

For all you who have "wonder lawyers" - you should put thier names or some kind of contact info on here so others who are suffering through this can contact them. Not all laywers are created equal so if you have a good one advertise for them and maybe help someone who is suffering.

I've never had any personal exp with CPS but I've heard stories from random people in my life. Most of my "knowledge" of them comes from the news. It is hard to think anything but how crappy they are. From TV shows they always use the sterotype the foster care sucks....that coupled with stories like these and etc ....when will someone actually realize (liek mentioned above) These social workers are NOT doing it for the families. They are doing what THEY think is right, what THEY value or believe. That is not thier place.

Put the atty info out here so others can benefit from the good lawyers that are out there.

yes I thank you too for doing this story our family is going threw this same problem and even a little bit more problems i got 6 children 2each in different homes. and it has been really hard for our family. our case has been going on for about 3years and I am not going to give up on my children NEVER!!!!!!! so if there is anyone out there that could please help and stop cps from hurting hard working familys.

Thank you so much Susannah.
I'm Doug Stuth's other daughter. And this case has truly been a living hell for all of us. The state of WA's DSHS is a joke. They don't help at all. I'm married, have been with my husband for 4 years, my husband is in the Army, I have a full time job as a resturant manager, we own a home and 2 cars, we have a steady income and when I applied to adopt my niece they ignored me since I'm 18. I'll be 19 at the end of the month. The state of WA does not want my neice to go to a home that she will be loved and cared for with her family. INSTEAD they want her to be adopted to her foster mother who has her in daycare 50 hours a week, she's had 2 black eyes, food up her nose for weeks to where it started rotting, her hair is falling out and breaking and she had diarriah for over a month and the foster parent refused to seek medical attention because in her eyes that was fine, she has roto (sp?) virus which is caused for ingesting feces and urine. But thats a good home for her, and my home is horrible since she'd get full benefits full schooling full everything. And my father and stepmother are bad to since they "babied" her when she was a BABY. And my sister isn't a good place since she's "selfish" even though she rides a bus a hour n a half every morning to go see her daughter for a couple hours just to get back on the bus for a hour n a half all the way back and go to work. Yep that makes a whole lot of sense. I'm so happy to be out of that state. I live in GA now, but if it keeps going like it has been I plan on making a trip back up there.

Thank you again Susannah and thank you to all the people that have posted such nice and wonderful things on here. Thank you all from me and my family.

Having been persoanlly acquainted with Doug and AnneMarie for a number of years, and having witnessed firsthand their tribulations regarding the custody of their granddaughter, I am SO grateful to KING5 for doing this story! I am certain, sadly, that there are similar stories across the nation, but this one is particularly egregious, due at least partially to the amazing character and love of the grandparents involved and the astounding ineptitude and bureaucracy of the state child welfare system. Kudos to Ms. Frame and the rest of the KING5 staff for a very accurate portrayal of these fine people and their plight. Soldier on, Stuths, and may god be on your side.
Much love,
Jake

I was a CASA Worker. I interviewed all the parties in the case, researched records, and collected facts and comfirmed them to put into my reports to the court.

I am a college professional and experienced in the above field. I was removed from my case because my reports/investigation were becoming an oppositon to the SW's reports and their plan.

I was told that I was threatening to them. I was told that I was to agressive. I was told that I was expected to be a team player. Now that I am gone, I do not see how anyone can speak out for the best interests of this child. Only God can show favor to this child.

Thank you so much for this story!This system has been nothing but a let down for our family.First they take her from her Mom even though she is doing all she can.Then they decide her grandparents are not an option,over some garbage reports.DSHS decides not to file an ICPC they requested for the Aunt in North Dakota and they ignore an Aunt in Georgia.Do these people follow ANY laws?This child is wanted by her family and DSHS doesn't care at all.If the state is going through with termination AGAIN,her family needs to be a placement option.Grandparents had a great homestudy and Aunt in North Dakota had a great homestudy.Their phones need to be ringing off the hook in the morning.Laws are in place for children not DSHS covering their butts!

camp soup:

I have re-read your post 3 times.

What are you trying to tell us?

Are you saying that you were the CASA on this case?

Because the actions that you are describing are the actions of the CASA that resigned from this case. He was very aggressive,and also was not a team player.

Were you the CASA that said there was a court order saying the Grandparents could have not visitation, when there was no such court order?

If you really are who I assume you to be, you would be threatening due to your previous experience of being part of FLEA's out of Marin County,California.

You say that, "Now that I am gone, I do not see how anyone can speak out for the best interests of "this" child. Only God can show favor to "this child."

I would think that if you were not "this same CASA" you would have referred to "the child" instead of "this child"

My appologies to you if I am mistaken.

However, if by chance I am not, I believe you to be a big bully and are now reaping the fruits of your labor. Your past deceptions to families in the name of money has followed you all the way to Washington State. You reap what you sow!

Respectfully,

CC Tillett
Washington Families United
Vice-President
Child and Family Advocate

This story could be about my family. We have had a 4-year old, disabled child living with the grandmother for three wonderful years, after being taken from parents and a home filled with abuse, neglect, drugs, alcohol, anger and domestic violence. This little child was horribly neglected and abused for 15 months. The grandmother has been praised for 3 years by CPS, doctors, teachers...we HAVE the records. And she was unconditionally approved to adopt the child.

We too complained. State and Federal laws were not being followed, and CPS was ignoring the child's and the grandmother's complaints about the biological father's inappropriate behavior and comments during "supposedly" supervised visits!

Suddenly, within one month of our complaints, and after three years of exemplary care, this child was taken from the grandmother's, placed in foster care for one month, and then returned to the parents who, in three years, have failed to comply with court orders and CPS orders. The father has a long list of court cases, including felony domestic violence and child abuse. The mother has felony cases like theft and drug possession, and many other cases. I could go one, this case reads like a horror novel.

Suffice to say this precious and fragile child was ripped from the only safe and loving home he has ever known, and returned to virtual strangers-
angry, violent and substance abusive strangers.

CPS is a mess. It is a broken system, beyond repair. It's head, Cheryl Stephani said, "there's never a good time to leave, but this seems like a good time." Yeah, I'll bet this seems like a good time. Before the house falls down around your ears, Cheryl!

My family is devastated by this unspeakable tragedy, and we have grave fears for the future, for the very life of our precious little one.

I am a little concerned by the comments I am hearing. So now foster parents are the bad guys here? As one myself it was not my goal to rip children from their families!! It was to help the community and the children in it. I have had drug addicted babies in my care who would shake violently from the withdrawals or cry non-stop in pain from them. Would any of you have taken these children into your home? What about all the children who have severe behavioral problems due to abuse and neglect? In most cases sending a child to a family member is not an option because these family members are part of the problem, not the solution. What happens to the child then? Someone needs to give them a loving, stable home.

Granted, a lot of children need to go to relatives or back with a parent. But not all can. That is just how it is. In the above case the grandparents should have received custody. There are flaws in the system and they do need to be fixed. But dont be angry at foster parents. They are not the problem. They have absolutely no rights when it comes to a foster child!! We cannot even cut a childs hair without permission from a birth parent first!!

Concerned foster parent

I really hope that by doing this story you can raise awareness of what is occurring in the Child Protective Services system, so then maybe some needed changes can be made.

There is no accountability for these departments, they have entirely too much power and when you go up against them and complain about them, their retaliation against you can be devastating. They can and will make you into child abusers, take your children and ruin your life...all in the name of "protecting children."

Attention has to be focused on these departments so that people can see what they are really doing. Thank you for doing this story..

Susannah, thank you so much for writing this story. The same thing happened to us as grandparents in Ohio.

CPS kidnapped my 2 grandkids based soley on lies about their Dad and placed them with a drug addicted foster woman. Our hundreds of letters to politicians, newspapers and medical associations fell on deaf ears. My grandkids were in imminent danger with this drug addict and no one cared, no one would listen or investigate.

Why? Because CPS was making money from SS Title IV funds. They make no money when they give kids to family. They also thought they would make huge incentives and bonuses by adopting out our beautiful, blue-eyed, blond babies.

Their scheme backfired when the foster woman ended up in the hospital FOUR TIMES this year for over-dosing on drugs.

Dad finally got his kids back but they have been psychologically traumatized by greedy, evil CPS. How this will affect their future lives remains to be seen. CPS needs to be held accountable for all the damage they're causing innocent lives.

I agree with Sandra's comment. Foster care is not a bad thing. There are alot of families that do foster care because they believe they are doing the right thing, and for that I commend you! But, there are alot of people that do it for the wrong reasons. Such as supplementing their income, or screwed around their whole life with losers and woke up one morning thinking gee! I want to have kids! So, they become foster parents and bam pow! they now have kids! I do believe their are children out their that truely need good loving foster homes, but there are alot of them that have family that loves and misses them very much and wish they were home. Just as we miss our little punkin and wish she were home for christmas.

I work with Doug everyday and AnneMarie is my friend. You could not find nicer people, Their grandaughter needs to be returned to them BEFORE Christmas. What has happened here is a tragety. I hope heads will roll and jobs lost over the blantant violation of the law. If Govenor Gregoire would stop being a politician and take care of her departments, then she would do the right thing not only for this child but all the other children that have been ripped from good home.Children are not a money making business Gov. Bad things do happen to good people. this just sickens me when you think of the trama over the past 16 months that this child and family have gone though, what a waste of our States resourses.

The Casey Foundation reports that foster care children are twice as likely as military war veterans to experience symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and three to six times more likely than their peers to endure physical, emotional and developmental problems.

The consequences of this experience are
lifelong. For instance, homeless adults are literally a thousand times more likely than other citizens to have been in foster care, becoming homeless earlier and remaining so longer than others. And they are two to three times more likely to have their own children placed in foster care, thus perpetuating a dependency cycle as devastating to the individual as it is expensive for taxpayers

You need to know that the Director of Guardian ad Litem and the Director of Family Services both came from Utah where they both admitted to to wrongdoing and using the system for their own empire building with federal funding.

My heart goes out to this family. Keep fighting for your granddaughter. I don't understand, CPS always seems to mess with families that don't need to be messed with, and leaves the families alone who need to be messed with. This baby was in a stable home. Once again CPS spreads untruths to cover their butts. Send this baby back to her grandparents. I have been there and done that.

Thank you for doing this story. Please keep in mind families who have already lost their babies or children to foster care or adoption through CPS.

DSHS IS CORRUPT. And CPS takes children out of good homes and leaves children in bad homes. They have WAY TOO MUCH POWER and need to be held accountable for their actions. Why is this allowed to go on? And why are there not any laws or people involved to stop this injustice? I have A GOOD SOLUTION to fix this problem. We need to MAKE JOB SECURITY LESS OF A RIGHT for state workers and more of a privilege. Just like a child if there are no consequences for misbehaving the child will continue to misbehave. ANOTHER IDEA IS; Instead of paying all these government officials and state workers high dollar salaries why don’t we give them all a big pay cut and use that money to hire investigators and babysitters to "watch" and call out these corrupt, power seeking, DSHS and CPS workers. When all the corrupt workers are no longer working we can raise their salaries again and pay them according to how many complaints they receive handeling cases :)

This Christmas; please, think about the biological relatives who had no rights to help their sibling, son, daughter etc to care for their child. CPS is not biological family friendly and never has been. Why is this so hard for society to understand and comprehend?

$2,000.00 a month!. Foster parents you should be ashamed! Biological parents must wake up every morning to go to work!

Foster parents are part of the problem! Believe me; without you many biological families would be better off! You are a welfare family! Just appreciate your free stuff and free money!

I am glad to see that someone has opened up the can of worms within CPS. My family is currently going through an issue with CPS and my grandchildren. My daughter and son-in-law took their two year old to the doctor after seeing bruising on him after they picked him up at daycare. The doctor called CPS and reported "them" for child abuse. CPS has refused from the first (11/20) day to let any other family help with the supervision of the kids. The case worker is determined to drag out our case and will not communicate with us or our attorney. Yes, I hired an attorney. But why, CPS doesn't even have to talk with him. Why do they have such power? How is it they can tell you that you have to place your children in voluntary placement "indefinately!" and they be in no hurry to do their investigation and get the kids back home. In fact, there has been no investigation. I so badly want to know who did this to my grandson, but when the parents have complied with everthing CPS has asked, passed polygraphs (I know, they are not abmissible in court) only to hear the case worker tell them prior to any snow falling, cold temps, etc, that due to the weather the won't be able to get a CPT team scheduled to approve the kids going home until some time in January . . . how cruel!They took their to the doctor the very next day after seeing him bruised. And CPS is invesigating them for child abuse and not the daycare. The case worker doesn't even return your phone calls. You try her supervisor and if you get her, she tells you to call the case worker. My daughter has requested from the beginning that the kids be placed with me. They have refused to work with me, the grandmother, to supervise based on some "inquiry" from when my daughter herself was 11 yrs old, which I have asked what it is and to resolve it so I can help with my grandchildren. They won't even talk with me. My grandchildren cry every night to go home to their parents or to go to grandma's (my home). I've gone from being one of their key supports to not even being allowed to have them at my house without supervision. What's that all about??? This is one state government office that has way too much power and no oversight! There is supposed to be a CPT team to review their work and decision regarding the children, however our case worker showed up to the first meeting with no paper work! Nothing but heresay. And they told her she needed to bring documented information to the team. So we sat for two hours only to be told that we couldn't be seen. Then the case worker wouldn't or couldn't schedule another team meeting. These kids cry every night to go home. Now that I can take the oldest to school, he cries to stay with me. This has been so hard on our family to be torn apart like this. Our family is very close and this has taken such a tole on all of us, but especially the kids (grandchildren). I hope the family in this article is able to be reunited. I know the anguish they feel missing their grand daughter. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

What a breath of hope you have given me!! and probably a bunch of other people that are a victim of the acts and decisions made by CPS..Most Americans have no idea the devistation that these people create and leave in people's lives...It brings me hope when I see a newspaper bring light to the truth..Please do not stop...There are 50 states that need this kind of concern and light brought to them.
Most people, so it seems just judge people that gets involved with CPS...Most people can not believe that the system that is supposed to be protecting children are mainly concerned about the adoption bonus that they will get in the end when they have made up their lies, and put their perspectives as truth and terminated the parental rights..
And then with the word quota's....
Children and quota's in the same sentence sickens me.
A heartfelt "Thanks" for your bravery in taking this issue on..
I am also a grandmother in a similar situation..
THANK-YOU..Please do not let it die...

Patty,

Please contact Washington Families United.

We may be able to help you or at least give you information that you need ASAP

I don't understand! You cannot blame innocent people for horrible terrible people( abusers, drug addicts)please, please. Believe me I would not speak up on this subject if I did not know that yes you have taken away babies and children from loving kind people. Just because you don't know that. I can't speak on every case; but I do know that you have made mistakes! Yes, you can cut the budget in this area (CPS). Yes, you can! You have foster parents who have told me "what is wrong with getting free stuff", "yes, I can kick a foster child out in the cold" what are you protecting them from? What?

Merry Christmas to my niece and nephew. You were taken over eighteen years ago directly from the hospital room. You were alledgedly "at risk". You were allowed to "bond" with strangers (foster parents). I do hope you are both okay. It would be nice if you both could somehow find it in yours hearts to simply say "Merry Christmas" in person. I don't have a clue why you can't.

To the engineers (my mother). All that time studying; why didn't you help to invent an android parent robot with a built in web site that gives all the answers from the all knowing wise ones?

A Christmas greeting to those of you who have adopted children of strangers through CPS. If that child has a real family somewhere you are probably contributing to untold suffering. The State gave you that child. Your family is a Communist family.

Society puts a halo around your head and supports you with massive propaganda because adoption is big business. No one who is responsible for parents grieving for their children and children grieving for their parents deserves respect.

Who do you pray to; not to God; not to a tree; nothing in Heaven or on Earth supports this tyranny.

My heart goes out to everyone in these types of situations. My family has not gone throught this kind of situation, but we have had to deal with state agencies and insitutions on other issues. One of the most disconcerning issues we have come across, and there are others, is the fact that Grandparents have little or no rights when it comes to their grandchildren. Part of the problem we face as families is that we have allowed this state or any state to govern our family life. We have put them in power and every time someone cries wolf, we give them more because we will not take the resposiblity as individuals to solve our own issues. Instead we pass it off and expect someone else to deal with it or do it for us. Since when is it the states responsibility to raise our children or to govern how or what makes a good family or home? Greed and avarice grows with power given, not earned. Quotas in any kind of government agencies should be looked into and dealt with severly. My definition of a team player "is one who will bring the truth to light and hold accountable those we have put in charge." Less anyone forget the team is the individuals who straps up their laces everyday and work hard to do the morally right thing everyday, and those who endevor to check their ego's at the door to insure the decisions they make do not adversly effect those around them.
I want to thank King 5 News for their part in bringing to light the inadequacies in the DSHS system and encourage them to continue to expose the need for change.

UWTV is airing court improvement seminars. My question is this: CPS already has destroyed families; and left people with emotional trauma. What can you do to correct this? How do you tell people now to trust CPS? Your audience laughed when you asked if in real practice does Washington State practice kinship placement? I can tell you that I agree they have not; but it is NOT FUNNY! My first exposure as a family member to the system has been through UWTV seminars (just recently). The Honorable judge did say Washington State is improving; but for many families the trauma and damage has already been done.

I have seen so much heartbreak created by DSHS and it seems like they are often motivated by either power hungry state officials or militiant womens groups who support the mother at all costs, even over the health of the child. What is it going to take for the state to get some common sense and stop giving these children back to their deadbeat mothers and stop injecting foster care where it is not wanted.I have seen many grandparents and fathers that want the children when the mother is on drugs and is openly neglectful. It is pure evil that the state and the courts have decided policies on this issue which run so contrary to what is best for the child. I think this must be addressed, it is an issue that is long overdue for congressional involvement and reform. They will not make a change unless we make them. Write your legislator and get involved in any rally or way that you can. Get MAD!!! It's about time.

I understand why so many people may be mad about this considering the horrible things that have been said, but I will tell you that the foster mother is NOT the monster she is being made out to be. She loves children and it just so happens that my son is her nephew, and he loves her very much No, I myself am not related to her but my son is. He saw all of the stuff on the website and I do believe he was stunned. Please don't pass judgement on her just because people are saying what they have to to get their way. Thank you.

DSHS needs to be split up with the aim of greater accountability. And, we need to have citizen review boards reviewing what they do.

DSHS needs to be split up with the aim of greater accountability. And, we need to have citizen review boards reviewing what they do. Right now CPS is the only agency in government that has no outside balance. Labor and Industries has unions and big business to sue when government is wrong. The Department of Natural Resources has the forest product industry or conservationists to sue...but CPS can go after the children of the poor and know they will meet no real resistance. They separate the young mothers from their children, put the babies in foster care, and then do everything they can to foster "bonding" with foster people rather than family.
Thank you to all those in the foster system who are well motivated. But, some are not. Some scheme to take the children of others for themselves and are facilitated by a government bent on giving foster people priority over relatives.

Cece,

Just FYI..The foster mother is the the MONSTER she is protrayed to be.

No mother..Foster or other wise would have a child in daycare for all of those hours. 50 hours a week is it?

No mother.. Foster or other wise would refuse to take time off work for a child that needs medical attention. Did your son tell you baby Lisa had diareaha so bad she was bleeding..and This woman whom you claim..Loves children..did nothing..The social worker took her to the dr's..not Linda.

You obviously have taken one to many sips out of that DSHS propaganda water cooler and do not have a clear view of what really is at stake here.

That is the young life of a child that does not belong to Linda Galez. Baby Lisa belongs with the mother or the Grandparents. I do not believe that you know much about this case ..other than what you have been told by Linda.

And..JUST FOR THE RECORD..People are not saying what they have to to get their way..

Everyone from the top to the bottom of this swarmy mess has lied through their teeth..withheld information from the court..lied to the judge under oath and committed perjury. Just to keep this little girl from her family.(with the exception of the OPD social worker)

This is so the DEPARTMENT can get their federal adoption bonus. That comes out of your tax dollars..just so ya know.

Don't know how your son could be her nephew..and yet you are not related to Linda..

Maybe Linda can tell him the real truth..but then again..maybe not.

You need to read Senator Roach's report..just google ..Pam Roach Report..where you will get the true picture of the Foster mothers part in this mess.

Sorry to be so tuff on you..but you just don't know!

CC Tillett
Washington Families United
Vice-President
Child and Family Advocate

Keep in mind that CPS has returned babies born to drug addicted mothers (crack, heroin)or kin - how does society justify taking away babies and children who were born healthy and are healthy (maybe just from a poor family)?

The goal should alway's be to return. if all else fails and only if all else fails then adoption should be a consideration. We need to eliminate adoption assistance, if someone wants to adopt and cut off all family ties then they need to be willing and able to support.
Foster to adopt homes need to be eliminated, these are evil, homes only in it for one reason can't work towards re-unification. It should never matter how bonded someone thinks a child is with the foster provider-it is not their child. Always funny how they can talk about a child being resilient when they are ripped from their family and bonded when they don't want to return them.
We need the oversight that Senator Roach is proposing, I think most people in the DSHS system would welcome it, only a few have something to hide.
And right now we need this little girl returned to her family.

My heart goes out to the Grandparents in this story and to all who is going through simular cituations. I am a firm believer that a child should be put with a family memeber wether it be a grandparent, aunt uncle ect...As long as that person is fit to take care of a child. I also believe you do not have to be rich in money to take care of a child but have enough income to survive. I was raised by my father with the help of my grandmothers; my mom left me and my brothers for the life of drugs, prostitution ect...I remember going to kindergarden from my grandmother home where my father also lived. I do not believe we had any dealings with CPS..thank GOD!! I was lucky to have a good father in my live or I to mayhave ended up a victim of th CPS System. I was a single parent, I had my son less then a year after I graduated highschool. I always had the support of my father and other family members. I being young wanted to move on my own with my child I ended up on welfare. I always did have a job but was for many years the income was not enough to support me and my son. I did eventually work my way off the system. I remember dealing with DSHS, it was like If you were a honest person there was no help for you. They would make things harder for us that wanted to do right and not abuse the system. It's like they wanted you to lie to them. I knew and know some people that get lots of help form DSHS; But thes people are drug addicted, child abussers and or in some kind of trouble with the law!
I do not believe everybodies cases should be treated the same. My neice and nephew were placed with their grandmother by CPS when I know infact for her it was all about the money. She always had nice clothes nice cars and they hardley had nothing. The would be out all times of the night. I wanted to raise them but their grandmother said no. But as soon as they became teenagers she told me I could keep them. She stated I said I wanted them when they got older...what person in their right mind would want to wait til the child was near grown to start taking care of them!!!
My son now 24 is a single parent of 2. The oldest child is not his biological child. The mother was already 3mnths pregnant when my son met her. He did not care. When my granddaughter was born he gave her our last name because he loved her as his own, we both do(she is 4yrs old now). My grandson is 1. My son has taken care of both kinds from day one. The mother left him with the kids when my grandson was about 6mnths old. She has never taken care of either of them. She told my son she would give my son full coustidy if he gave her one of the cars. My son gave her a car and she signed some papers. My son at the time did not file the papers because he thought she would come back, but she did not. She has been collecting food stamps for my granddaughter who does not live with her. My son informed DSHS and they said there was nothing they could do, the same was told to me when I tried to report it. My son has been raisng both kids all there lives and the only assistance he has received from DSHS is medical because there is no way he could afford medical cost as high as they are now. She has never once since she has been gone bought diapers or anything. She never even ask if the kids need anything. She plays games by using my grandaughter telling my son she is going to take her. She does this because my son is not the biological father though he has been her father since she was 3mnths in her mother's tummy. She never talks about taken my grandson I think because she knows my son has more rights because he is his biological father.
My son wants to file to get full custoudy of but is afraid because of how the system is. He thinks they will automatically side with the mother though she ababdoned her kids to go stay with a man she met off my space that has a drinking problem and is abusive. She did not even attend her son's first birthday party. I ased her if she was comming she said no cause her boyfriend would be upset. She did not even buy him a gift and did not buy either of them anything for this x-mas.
Ok enough of that, I could go on and on.
Is there any help out there for my son and for anyone who is in this sort of cituation. There is not enough help out here for Fathers who are trying and doing right by their kids. CPS and DSHS always tries to put the mother first which is not always in the best interest of the kids. I again thank GOD for my father and not haveing to go through all this. My son's father left when he was 6mnths old and thank GOD again I did not have to deal with CPS and put my son through such hell.

Some day we will all live in a real world where life and saftey of the kids really matters.

I know what these people are going through. DSHS is a screwed up system . I went through a similar situation many years ago, only i was the mother and wanting to get my child back. My life was messed up back then and I gave up my rights to the foster parents for adoption. They were wonderful people who allowed my parents and other son to see my son that I gave up. This was a blessing. I do know first hand though, how coniving DSHS will be! They played the same stuff with me coming up with all kinds of made up allegations about me. They took things that people said and turned it around to look bad! It's like it's a legal black market baby ring. They have no idea how many lives they mess up by screwing up people who try and giving back to the wrong people! I pray for these grandparents to gain back custody of their granddaughter.

Thank you for taking this on. I just pray that this little girl will get to go back to her Grandparents where she belongs. I know what it is to love a grandchild. It is impossible to imagine the bond that happens between a child and her grandparents unless you have been a grandparent. God bless you!

Not all foster parents are out to steal the children, but I know of 1 that is trying to adopted my great-granddaughter who is in foster care and should be home with her grandparents. CPS has to be stopped and not allowed to sell children. The governor needs to wake up and stop the selling of children. It is unfair to the grandparents and great-grandparent as well as the aunts,uncles, and cousins.

Susannah,

Thank you for your diligence in following the Stuth’s case. Would you consider doing a follow-up story of the bigger picture? I’m referring to the 12 deaths of children in State’s custody for ’08 as mentioned on the Pam Roach blog. I think it would be eye opening to find out how infrequently mishandled CPS cases have little or no accountability. Keep up the good work. You could certainly win a popularity contest with the governor right about now.

I would like to know 'the rest of the story'. It would be interesting to know why these grandparents were cut off in the first place. Why did the DHSH turn against the grandparents when they initially thought they were so perfect at first? It is very curious that the courts and DHSH reversed their early decision so completely. Did the first judge have a hidden agenda? Who was it? How many other families are facing similar, potentially unfounded, discrimination? I feel like only part of the story has been told. True it is the best part of the story but still only part of it. What else is going on??? It doesn't pass the 'sniff test' --- it doesn't make sense.

To liz:
The grandparents were "cut off" because they brought up alot of wrong doing.While no one wants to be told they are wrong,it is worse to say Social workers and CASA's lie.If you dig up their past as they do and tell people,your family will be destroyed.They show no mercy.There is money involved.
It is not limited to just them,there are many Judges who see and hear what they want and will let you know if they want to hear about certain subjects,even if it is not in the best interest of the child.Some just don't care.
Lies are told about the parents,grandparents and extended family.Paperwork is withheld and seems to disappear.Yet,a foster parents adoption papers are always on hand.
If it doesn't pass the "sniff test",follow the money and see how much a healthy,non drug effected child is worth if adopted to a stranger.
It never makes sense until you are digging so far into this,you will not sleep,nor will you want to because it is haunting.Thousands of children should be home.
If you should be so lucky to call them out,you are taking a big chance.Not all stories end like this.Which is sick.

I am a grandparent of an incredible 8 year old boy. My story is the same. I spent several years fighting King County and Pierce County DSHS to adopt my grandson. (Both Counties because part of their ploy to prolong the case was to bounce it back and forth). Also be sure to keep in mind that the longer a child remains a ward of the court..and is in foster care...the longer the state collects federal funding. In my case, both parents rights had been terminated due to neglect. My grandson, despite my husband I being very loving grandparents, was a number in the foster care system..a ward of the court. The biggest problem that is not addressed in this article is that Grandparents lost all rights in a 2006 Supreme Court Case. DSHS in Washington has interpreted that case and made their own rulings regarding child placement (I do have to say that DSHS on the lower levels is phenomenal-ie..social workers, etc...-they are also caught in a horrific situation)....In addition I can relay 4 years of stories of going to the Governor seeking reinterpretion and the application of the case relative to Washington State policy...I finally became a foster parent...spend thousands of dollars and have now officially adopted my grandson. The day after the adoption was finalized, I moved to Mexico where my grandson is thriving...family values are honored..and grandparents are actually considered part of a child’s family..imagine that....This story absolutely raises the hair on the back of my neck....I am so glad that this policy is being publicized. At the time I was going through all of this I could not find anyone who was even remotely interested. Fortunately my best allies were my Social Workers...who are completely trapped by a very broken system....Congratulations on exposing a VERY VERY sick social situation....I only hope that in the end..this story will eventually have a happy ending. Despite all that we lost fighting this battle, we have indeed realized that it is a fight worth pursuing….Our lives are very different now-7 years later (from the start of this journey)…and our grandson is an absolute incredible child…..

we need to file aclass lawsuit against cps. They have destroyed many families. If you dont have money you get appointed attorney who does really represents you. Everyone needs to write our governer. Maybe we cut cut the 10 billion buget they charge us tax payers!

File a lawsuit against Dept. of Human Services? Sign me up!!

They take children - for money - and use our courts to carry this out. The US Senate renewed the Adoption and Safe Families Act -- which despite its "nice name" rewards participating counties - with $$ per head. The more children captured by this "take and place" scheme - the more money rolls into the participating county.

For shame.

According to a report on "Bounty Payments for Adoptions; the State of Washington is third on the list with a staggering figure of $1,560,000 in the year 2003.

When are their going to be some attorneys with enough guts to go after cps and social services? Why do the children have to suffer by being pulled away from their families? They are traumatized for the rest of their life. Well who cares except the families.
If their weren't so many people leaving their comments about the damage cps has done you wouldn't be reading the horror stories that keep retuning day after day.
king5 get more involved and help more families.

I am fascinated by the show of emotion related to this story. I am a foster parent of two children. I like most foster parents have had mixed experiences with the "system" meaning the set of laws governing foster care, the staff at DSHS, the Washington CASAs and the many care providers volunteer and professional that are involved in these cases. The case of our children has been very complex. Based on this investigative report which describes a much different situation than my own experience, it seems the court should have granted custody to the grandparents. While I know like the members of any profession or even among parents in general, foster parents, social workers, CASAs etc. differ in their motivations and in how good they are at their job, there are many people working and volunteering in this field doing a good job. I want to remind everyone that it is dangerous to generalize based on one case or even a few cases. Not all foster parents are bad, I have met many who work incredibly hard caring and advocating for the children in their care. It is a difficult system. It is my experience these cases are complicated because we are talking about children which is always emotional and the management of foster care is difficult by its very nature. The answers are not always easy even for just one case. I caution the participates in this conversation and the readers of this article to consider that this is not enough information to draw general considerations against DSHS, foster parents, CASAs or any other participant in this process in general. With that in mind, I am still pleased to see the general public participating in a very important conversation about foster care in our state and developing greater awareness of the difficulties of foster care management. Foster care in this state does deserve our attention.

im so glad you guys aired this story.i was also involved in a cps case and it worked out good in the end but i know first hand what there all about.keep families together thank you king 5
one p.o. father

i can't believe i am finally reading stories on this. i have searched for a year to see if i could find other grandparents that were going through this kind of hell. i am going through the same horror in nj. this must be nationwide and someone needs to keep it the forefront. these agencies should be liable for the pain and suffering they cause without good reason. if you buck then in any way say goodbye to your grandchild, they will find any reason to take them. fighting them is a costly and long endeavor. still fighting in nj

I also want to thank you for this story. My family also was put through hell by DSHS after we came to them for help. It's a very helpless feeling when the state kidnaps your kids with no cause or evidence and no one will help, not Judges, Dem Politicians nobody. The state has way more resources and holds kids hostage till the parents give up. I for one did not give up and got two of the kids back and working on third. They treat parents who did nothing wrong as deviants and rip families apart. They withhold key discovery as well as flat out lie in their reports to Judges. Finally Ms Roach is standing up for families when the Gov and Dems will not.

My heart goes out to you grand parents and parents. My husband and I know about the screwed up system I am a parent of three children. they took away our rights. They take our children away from us and brain wash our children. First thing they do is stop all visitation with all family memebers so they can brain wash your children move them from foster care to foster care. You have the foster parents lieing about you and saying horrible things about you just so they can adopt your child. We havent had no contact with our oldest child for three years. He is only 10 yrs old.Tell me that that isnt traumatising for a child. And weve been told our case is one of the worst cases in oregon but they still get away with it. We are in the appeals right now.

Thanks you for getting involved. It's great to know someone out their is interested in what's happening. I am currently dealing with the same situation over my grandaughter whom I had since birth until age 9. It has taken me 7 month's to find the right contacts as I am unable to afford an attorney. As of today, I have finally been advise as to where to start and how to go about it. Unfortunately, I have hear that going pro se, has taken some people as long as 5-7 years of court actions. I feel this too need to be changed. Some of these children are practically adult age by the time they are returned to their families. Keep up the good work king 5!!!!

This story is as heartbreaking as the thousands of others that are happening in the same way throughout the country.

DCFS (or DSHS or CPS) has been on a trajectory to remove children from homes without first investigating facts or giving deference to the parents first and the family second. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled several times in cases involving state interference in family decisions by saying over and over that UNLESS EVIDENCE SUPPORTS FINDING THE PARENT (FAMILY) UNFIT - DETERMINED BY A COURT - NO THIRD-PARTY OPINION TRUMPS THE OPINION OF THE PARENT (FAMILY). THE STATE HAS NO RIGHT TO INTERVENE IN THE DECISIONS OF FIT PARENTS (or in this case, of fit grandparents). FURTHER, IT IS PRESUMED THAT FIT PARENTS - NOT THE STATE - ARE BEST ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

That means that in about 3/4 of cases, CPS IMPROPERLY intervenes (as only about 1/4 of the cases of child removals are due to actual, provable situations of abuse or neglect).

The story is always the same (look up ANY story of this type online or on YouTube, and you will hear the same lines by state agents - CPS caseworkers, CASAs, etc...: "We acted in the best interests of the child..."; "There are a lot of opinions, and we have to make the decision..."; "We can't talk about the case, because it's ongoing (or it involves a minor, or whatever)."

And when parents go to the press themselves, CPS gets judges to apply court-ordered gags on them, so they cannot make public their own personal stories about how the state is violating their rights and harming their children.

If you are the Stuth family or are yourself affected or interested in fighting with others for necessary reforms to this system, so more families are not harmed in this way, consider visiting our group of families at: familyadvocacymovement.com

We have set it up so you can tell your own story, set up a time-line, blog, and/or comment on related topics. Join with others in your own state, as well as read and join in with conversations throughout the country as we unite to work for change through public awareness and support.

Thank you.