My daughter Alexis Marie, and my granddaughter Alaini, have tragically spent precious years under the care of Child Protective Services (CPS). They were promised safety, stability, and a nurturing environment but instead, they found neglect and misguidance. Sadly, they are not alone. Thousands of children are being removed from their homes only to be put into motel rooms, a setting unlikely to provide the care and upbringing they desperately need.

Several reports indicate that this treatment is not an isolated incident but rather a systemic issue. An investigation by The Washington Post reveals that CPS placed over 700 children in hotel rooms in 2018 alone. Integrated into a broader context, the challenged upbringing orchestrated by CPS often leads to detrimental future outcomes for these children. According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation, children who age out of foster care are more likely to experience unemployment, homelessness, and incarceration rather than success in their adult years.

Our system, designed to protect and educate our offspring through our shared history, has failed on this account. It appears that it has been choosing the easy route instead of prioritizing our children's welfare. Their experiences in these CPS-sanctioned hotel rooms have, in many instances, resulted in an upbringing worse than what they may have had at home, often landing these victims in prison or jail.

As a society, it is our responsibility to demand better for Alexis, Alaini, and the countless children who find themselves victims of this flawed system. This does not reflect the principles we hold. We must advocate for change and reform in the management of child custody by CPS to ensure the safety, education, and well-being of our future generations. Let’s transform this failing system into one that genuinely nurtures and protects its most vulnerable members, our children. Please sign this petition to demand better from CPS.