My name is Tyra Myers and like many others affected by the Department of Family and Children Services' (DFACS) ill-thought-out policies, my grandkids were taken from us and placed with complete strangers under false allegations. To add more hurt to our heart-wrenching situation, the DFACS, against all standard child welfare protocols, separated the siblings, creating a chasm in their familial bonds. Our newborn granddaughter was cruelly and unnecessarily separated from her brothers. 

This is not just a personal tragedy that my family and I are stuck in, but an issue that has devastating consequences for numerous families separated by DFACS across the nation. It's pertinent to refer to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's report which states that children do best when they are raised by their families, with the removal often leading to trauma and negative outcomes for the kids (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2018). It’s heartbreaking that DFACS prefers to place children with strangers, ignoring the family members who are willing and capable to take them.

There are cases where families, much like mine, who do everything that DFACS demands, yet to no avail. The bar keeps being raised, and family ties keep getting severed due to the agency's arbitrary demands. We feel like we are running a race we can't win - no matter how hard we try or how much we abide by the rules set forth, it's never good enough.

By signing this petition, we collectively express our concerns about the inadequacies and severe harms caused by DFACS current practices and demand an immediate and comprehensive reform of this protocol, prioritizing family placements, whenever possible. Together, we can prevent more families from suffering the same distress. Stand with us today, and help make it known that our children are not for sale, they belong with their families. Sign this petition and let's take a step towards making a change.