I want to start by saying this is not just about me. It is first and foremost about the wellbeing of the child I lost custody of in 2016, when I was 22 and struggling with substance abuse. Secondly, it is about the fact that DCS (what you may know as CPS, in some states DCFS) does not check in with adoptive families after the child has been adopted. This is very alarming. In my daughter's case, her adoptive parents are not allowing her to have contact with anyone in her birth family.

It's not just me. It's her grandparents, her aunts, her cousins, and even her full sibling, who is with another family because he was born after she was placed in a foster home and her foster parents did not want to take on a third child. My son's parents were willing to take both of them, but DCS did not want to move my daughter again, which I would understand a bit more if it didn't also result in severing her relationship with her biological brother. I am very confused and concerned about their motivation in keeping her from so many people that love her. In classes that foster parents are required to take, they teach that it is always best for the child to have contact with their biological parent/family, given that parent is healthy.

I have had a positive relationship with my son for the past two years. I know that his parents would vouch for the fact that our contact has been beneficial for him. I think it’s ethically wrong for my daughters parents to be allowed to keep her from the positive growth and belonging that comes from knowing where you came from. I would never disrespect their place or go against any rules they wanted to impose on our contact. I appreciate what they have done for her and love them and accept them because they are her parents, but I am so worried and concerned by their decision to keep her from her birth family. It is clinically proven to negatively impact a child’s well-being to do so. DCS has not checked on her since she was adopted. This was confirmed by a DCS worker I spoke with today. They do not check on the children once they have been adopted. This is extremely alarming, given the issues with child trafficking in our country today.  I am not accusing her parents of anything, I am just stating the obvious. They should check on the children.

Here's a video of me and K a few months before the case was opened:

https://www.facebook.com/1364732706/videos/10205628183288282/

This is the last video of us before the case was opened the last week of march 2015:

https://www.facebook.com/janelleloveskynzly/videos/10206300928186484

This is the last video of us before she was removed from my physical custody in october 2015:

https://www.facebook.com/janelleloveskynzly/videos/10207683921280447

and this is my second to last visit with my daughter, my son is also in the video I have of our last visit with all the three of us on 10.25.16 and out of respect for his parents wishes, I wont post that video here.

https://www.facebook.com/1364732706/videos/10210841311333225/

It seems as thought it should be an option for the court to step in and protect the rights that the child should have to knowing their birth family. Just like DCS stepped into protect her when I was making selfish choices that posed harm to her emotional well-being, because I assure you there was no threat to her physical well-being, they should do the same even with her unstigmatized parents. Why does the protection stop when they’ve given her to a new family? It seems to me that if they don’t check on the children then they should at least make it possible for their birth family to know that they are safe and well cared for.