PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION, before it’s too late for myself and my babies!

   Let me introduce myself formally, and I will get to the point. My name is Kirstian Russell, a newly separated mother from a small town in Illinois. I have been fighting CPS/DCFS for going on 5 years now! I have 4 beautiful children, in which I will only ever see 3 again if this petition reaches the correct crowd of caring individuals to help me. I’m begging. 

I have had countless caseworkers and public attorneys; and that in itself really takes a toll on my cases being prolonged.

While I am explaining this please take into accountability that I do understand that majority of these issues are on the agency’s end and so with that being said, please also note that with new attorneys probably close to every court date, I can only speak to them for 5 minutes in a private break out room before the hearing starts so advocating my cases have been close to hell on earth and rarely do they ever positively represent my words or actions to the judge the way I would expect. 

Regardless, this is getting out of hand. I’m not asking for handouts, just signatures. Help me advocate my case to the judge. I’m praying that having enough signatures will promote a different approach to this case.

I am a recovering addict. I take full accountability for my decisions. I will never �� justify the fact that I did drugs. Regardless of the facts I hold in my heart, IT WAS NEVER worth it. 

    I went from an active addict, with absolutely nothing to show for… To someone who positively influences the community. I do not know why I ever chose the path I chose other than bad influences, the unbearable pain I still suffer from the loss of my kids (still not a reason to do it), and the ability to numb everything temporarily. I’ll never, ever, go back to that. 

When I express how much I’ve changed, to put it in insight, I will just say I don’t even commit “rolling stops” at stop signs. I obey the law in every sense. I am afraid of messing up again. They use any and every minor thing I’ve ever done against me. That’s ok. I have nothing to hide. I promise.

I have, despite the allegations (the entire reason my kids were taken from day one), come so far. It still isn’t enough for them! They are saying I’m running out of time for my daughter to be reunited with me. I signed rights over to my son in his best interest, with the agreement of her to come home under the best circumstances of me getting it together. I have. I have one of the BEST careers that could be given to a felon, I have a very nice 3 bedroom house with plenty of room for my children, in the country… I have custody of my youngest child however, her aunt is trying for custody and that’s going beyond our original agreement. (I do need to not trust people as much as I do, everyone has turned against me. That’s also okay. I believe God will prevail in every sense.) I do everything for the babies. Every choice I make, I make for them. 

 

Okay so get to the point, I lost my kids due to my ex being considered a “sexual predator” in CPS eyes. There is no criminal charges. There is a video of “him” walking out of Ross (store) with my kids to put them in the car. CPS had an open case because of the allegations of him living with me and him having access to my kids. He was 1.) never left with my kids alone. 2.) allowed around my kids supervised. 3.) never around because his drug choices which i found out about later on. 

They took them the second time after about 2 years, because I was arrested for a possession charge. I have successfully completed probation. I signed my rights over for my son, for the ability to keep my girls, and any future children. They’ve flipped the entire script now. They are saying she will never attach with me because of her influence with the fosters (who have adopted her brother. ��) It’s a messed up situation, dcfs believes siblings should be with siblings. Okay. Well, they also believe in reunification of families and if I’ve done absolutely everything in their care plan to prove myself, their lack of staff should not reflect negatively on me. 

I engage in their services and I am almost complete with them. It does take time and I once again, cannot be in charge of the fact of these businesses being short staffed. 

I started a new position at a major manufacturing company making very good money, but not enough to afford a proper attorney. That’s okay. I will get there hopefully. 

My point is, the time issue is not my fault. I can only pray that the Judge sees I am serious and willing, able and deserving to have my children home. I am running out of options, i’m afraid to lose my kids. I can’t live without them and it would be unfair to expect me to, when 3 of these last years have been me desperately trying every day to get them home with the expectations of them coming home. My caseworker has ripped every bit of progress apart since being around in my case. It is so unfair. I have had proper reasoning for ever missing anything with my child, my job being the biggest thing recently. They were so short staffed they could not accommodate to my hours. That is not my fault and I have showed empathy so much toward this company but they will not give me one single leg up. I’m losing my mind over this.

I will show a video of my daughter and I enjoying our last visit together. We are gaining a bond. I have completed, for the record, 3 parenting courses (i’m engaged in one), one domestic violence course (engaged in another), 2 substance abuse classes and counselings, completed probation, passed every random drug screening, her counting my pills whenever she wanted has come up accurate every time, 3 mental health courses (engaged in another AND a group), and anything else they’ve asked of here and there. 

Please. I’m begging you to please help me. I cannot live without my kids. I do love them. I know they love me and all I want is to be seen as a mom to them. Not some underdog who gave up. Because I never will. Please. I deserve progression and instead, I’m getting nothing. Help before it’s too late. ����