P.A.M

A Testimonial By: Melanie M. Norton

In March of 2017 I obtained legal permanent custody of my granddaughter Riot. The life changing event came after a year long battle through  DCFS and Family Court.  
 

In January 2016 my son and I obtained an emergency protective order to have is daughter Riot removed from her mothers home by local law enforcement, following a series of drug raids, and drug related circumstances. Tree months later DCFS got involved and removed Riots little brother from the mothers home and placed him in foster care.
 

For a period of nearly one year my son and his wife ad custody and cared for Riot. When they acquired custody my son was 21, is wife 20. They had a new born baby and ad been married just a couple of months. The instant family and added responsibilities turned out to be more than either of them was equipped to deal with. As a result the marriage ended, and my granddaughter was placed in my care.

 

My ex-daughter in law took the baby and moved out of state, and my son is currently in jail over drug charges.
 

Riots little brother has been adopted out and sent to another state.
 

During the process I learned that nearly 1/3 of my sons peers ad children in the system. Either under DCFS supervision, foster care, or adoption. Some because of drugs and criminal behavior. Some because of basic neglect. But all because they lacked the skills needed to be parents.
 

It became glaringly obvious that current laws and regulations which guide our DCFS system are not rooted in equipping these people with the ability and skills required to raise children. While the law says every effort must be made to reunify the families, the resources to maintain the families are limited at best.
 

One day, following yet another court hearing, my own mother turned to me and said, “it’s really too bad they don’t make rehabs for moms.” We began talking about all of the resources available to drug addicts and mental Health patients, but agreed there was a lack of training and recovery when it came to parents who are struggling.
 

We agreed that removing kids from their natural homes, did nothing to solve the core problems and simply acted as a Band-Aid solution. A solution that ultimately ripped siblings apart, and uprooted children in a very traumatic fashion. The real solution comes down to intervention, education, and guidance.
 

I spent weeks doing research and looking into the demographics and statistics regarding the kind of women who end up losing their children to the system, and what ultimately becomes of those children. There is no doubt in my mind, that every effort must be made to maintain the family status and the only way to do that, is to educate these women on motherhood.
 

The single most important role they will have.