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Bernadine L. was trying to get help for her mentally ill foster/adoptive son. Instead, she wound up in a custody battle. The Family Defense Center took her case and is fighting to help her reunite her family and get the services her son needs.
Mother’s Day should be a time to celebrate and honor the bond between parent and child.
Not every mother will get that chance this year.
The state agency charged with safeguarding children unjustly takes countless numbers of children away from loving parents. With a documented error rate of nearly 75 percent, someone had to step up to defend families that are paying the price for bad policy.
The Family Defense Center, founded in 2005, is the only organization of its kind that provides direct legal services to parents we believe have been unfairly labeled as neglectful or a danger to their children. Most of our clients are mothers who happen to be poor, single, teenaged, abuse victims, or disabled.
This Mother’s Day, honor deserving mothers who won’t get to spend the day with their children with a donation to the Family Defense Center so that we might continue to do this important work.
We pay tribute to Bernadine, who, for all she’s tried to do for her son, should be getting an award for “Mother of the Year.” Bernadine, you have our vote.
(Bernadine and her younger son Rudolph will miss Rico this Mother's Day, since DCFS became Rico's substitute parent due to barbaric forced custody relinquishment policies.)
For Her Son
Bernadine was a licensed foster mother when Rico and his younger brother Rudolph were placed into her home by Ada S. McKinley Community Services, a DCFS contract agency. Rico was only 3 years old. He had been severely abused as a baby and bounced through the homes of several relatives before being placed permanently with Bernadine. A very diligent mother, Bernadine owns a home and works as an accounting clerk, dedicating herself to her children and fervently advocating for their education. When DCFS funds for their care didn’t suffice to get the enrichment services they needed, Bernadine dug into her own pocketbook for tutoring and after-school activities.
Rico’s needs continued to escalate however, as he grew older. Bernadine recalls, “This started at the age of 5. I have sought help for my now 15 year old through agencies, doctors, hospitals, church, mentors, activities, therapy, counseling, medications, residential placements, sport activities.…” But it became apparent that he needed psychiatric care after he made serious threats against his mother, brother and grandmother. Not knowing where to turn for help to keep Rico and get the psychiatric care he needed, in February 2011, Bernadine reluctantly agreed that DCFS should step in to provide residential care for Rico outside her home. She was not told that it is possible to keep custody of Rico and get in-home and out-of-home services for him paid for under Medicaid. She was told by DCFS giving up custody to the state was her only option in order to access necessary care for Rico.
“ I reached out to them (DCFS and the legal system) praying and hoping that they would give my son the medical necessary severe level of that he/we needed to help us remain a family.” Bernadine said. “In return, I received three Division of Child Protection investigations of abuse and neglect (all unfounded), lost custody of my son to DCFS, and I am being traumatized by the legal system. I feel like I am treated as a criminal; as if I am the cause of my son's illnesses when all I have ever done is advocate to get him the help he needs.”
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