The Title is dedicated
to my youngest son who's favourite story was the little angel who came to
earth and done 'good deeds'
The evening before my eldest
son was born; there was the most beautiful sunset to be seen that
filled the sky with shades of red and orange. It somehow explained
the sheer joy that I felt after so many years of
childlessness.
My eldest son
was born the next day and as well as his birth name * I called him
‘precious’. A few months later I was
surprised but delighted to find that I was expecting my second
son.
The evening
before his birth hundreds of bees decided to call in via the kitchen
window from a hidden hive near the roof. As well as his birth
name * I called him ‘treasure’. His first toy fixed to his crib was
a honey bear.
The birth of my
sons gave meaning to my whole life. I always knew how
fortunate I was after so many years of childlessness and
emptiness.
I worked hard to
give the best in every way to my sons and bring them up secure,
protected and loved and my sons were and still are central to my
life.
The father did
not take to parenthood as well as me but it was difficult for him,
financially I had become the biggest earner and had to leave my job
to care for our sons. He finally lost his job through
depression.
In spite of this
we had 2 happy and secure children, both doing well in every step
they took. I took them everywhere, to all the mum’s and baby groups,
mother and toddler groups, then on to play school, nursery and
finally the big step to full time school.
The father did
not work again until some years later, so while my sons were at
school I cleaned at different doctor’s houses. They became
good friends and loved my sons to bits, buying them little gifts on
birthdays. Always they would remark how bright and happy my children
were.
The staff at the
school told me how they loved to see them in the office with the
morning register as they would chat away to them. They were
impressed how conversational they were for their age.
So when a family
crisis happened and I was separated from my children by the social
services, I was invited into the school by the teachers to see my
children in their sports events against the wishes of the social
worker and foster carer.
My sons faces
lit up when they saw me and the teachers and mums ignored the foster
carer who was trying to get the Head of the school to remove me.
The social
worker went on to lie through the courts, the whole court system
pitted me and the father against each other and a care order was
made.
I have taken the
case back to court 4 times. By the time of the last court
hearing I had done enough work to prove perjury and perverting the
course of justice by the social worker along with defamation of my
character, failure in duty of care by a social worker and
more.
I have no malice
towards this woman; I know that she has a career and children to
care for too. I understand that she wanted my children as who
wouldn’t want 2 smashing kids like mine, I understand why she wanted
the father and why she could not stop seeing him as she saw what I
did in the beginning, the lovable and often funny and entertaining
hunk of a man.
But I am without
my children because of her.
It was also a
woman judge who refused to accept the history of the case to review
it, saying that history has no part in the family court.
So what does
matter in a family court if truth and history does not matter and
how can a court work in the interests of children.
I have worked
hard to keep a home for my sons should they have come home. I
have worked hard to re-build a friendship with the father even
though both of us have moved on in new relationships and
marriage.
I have a
responsible job, I have enhanced CRB checks, and I work where I
often meet social workers. Yet the family courts are denying me the
right to care for my own sons and the only reason that I can see is
that I dared to prove the dishonesty of the social worker yet
without malice.
My eldest son
has been moved 3 times with different carers, my youngest son has
been moved at least 6 times including children’s homes. Both have
had periods of time out of school. Both suffered proven abuse
by a foster carer.
It costs
thousands of pounds each month to keep my sons where they are,
unhappy and without all their birth family.
I have been
denied information, denied contact, the whole birth family has been
denied contact, no birth family member was ever asked if they could
care for my children, the GAL did not fulfil her role and see the
children at important times for the court, there was no GAL at all
in the first court hearing, a ‘expert’ called in on the last court
hearing was in contempt of court and the list goes on.
So what is wrong
with this country when they allow family courts to abuse birth
families that are perfectly capable of rearing their own children
even if on separation of the adults by shared parenting.
A
message to my sons who are now teenagers, your whole family
misses you so much xxx.
Will be continued:
"I
hope that in the end I not only see my children (my children
are older now and can make their own decisions) but the case goes to
helping change the social services and family courts".