Q&A
Exploration of reunification challenges and custody battles in foster care
2:27:54
ยท
4 min
Council Member Stevens discusses the challenges of reunification and custody battles with Ms. Lynn, a grandmother fighting for her grandson. The conversation reveals the complexities and emotional toll of the foster care system on families.
- Ms. Lynn shares her experience of losing custody of her grandson after a failed reunification attempt with the birth mother
- The discussion highlights the difficulties in maintaining family connections and the impact on children's well-being
- Ms. Lynn emphasizes the need for better decision-making in reunification cases to prevent harm to children
Lynette Lometred
2:27:54
No.
2:27:55
Okay.
2:27:55
No.
Althea Stevens
2:27:56
Can you tell me what happened?
Lynette Lometred
2:27:58
Two two and a half years later, she did it again.
2:28:03
And at that time, the courts did not see the value in my son.
2:28:08
They didn't see the value in dad's.
2:28:13
So what they did was they told me I would have to deal with her now to see my grandson.
2:28:22
It's for two years, I didn't see my grandson.
2:28:26
And then I did.
2:28:27
And then one day, I got a call saying she left to now she has two children.
2:28:36
She left.
2:28:37
And so they found this my grandson's brother's aunt, they found the aunt and she took my grandson in.
2:28:47
And just recently, after a year of going back and forth, after the same judge a few years ago kept on trying to get the mother to take the the children.
2:29:00
My grandson is now with my son.
2:29:03
He just got custody of his son.
2:29:07
And the the other child is with the aunt, but the mother won't release the custody of that one.
2:29:14
And she has a third child, but not in care.
2:29:17
They allowed her to keep the third child.
2:29:21
But I was not allowed to be yes.
2:29:23
Don't even the politics on that.
2:29:26
But I was not allowed to see my grandchild for over two years, and my son was not allowed to see his son for a while, for a long time.
2:29:37
We tried.
2:29:38
We did it through the we did it the right way.
2:29:41
And then it I said the last time that I had been virtually in court, I said, we're gonna be back around in this.
2:29:50
And I note when he was with me, I put him on a schedule.
2:29:56
I had him I noticed he was on the spectrum.
2:30:00
It was during 2020, '20 '20 '1.
2:30:04
I got him six evals virtually.
2:30:09
He had services.
2:30:12
I me and my sister taught him how to sign and say more.
2:30:16
We had all these things.
2:30:19
And then I didn't see him for two, two and a half years.
2:30:25
And then when I saw him, he didn't remember me.
2:30:28
And even though now he's with my son, he doesn't know who I am.
2:30:35
He doesn't know he doesn't know anything from when I had him.
2:30:41
And it took him a while, but now he's he's verbalizing.
2:30:49
And he's driving.
2:30:52
He's at school.
2:30:54
He's doing well.
2:30:56
And I just I'm grateful.
2:31:02
I am grateful, but I'm also upset because had the court just listened when I said she was not equipped to do this, We would be here again had somebody listened.
2:31:27
My grandson it broke my son's heart.
2:31:29
It broke my heart.
2:31:31
My grandson said he he still sees his mom on visits.
2:31:37
And that's not even she's not even consistent with that.
2:31:43
But he has come home and said, I wanna see my mom, but my mom doesn't wanna see me.
2:31:51
And we continue.
2:31:53
And I say, yes.
2:31:55
Some parents deserve their kids back.
2:31:58
I am never gonna say no.
2:32:02
But I also say, and I know Children's Village says return to parent.
2:32:08
That's what our motto is.
2:32:10
But not every parent needs to Yeah.
Althea Stevens
2:32:16
We need
Lynette Lometred
2:32:16
to we need to stop doing damage to kids.
Althea Stevens
2:32:19
But yeah.