Hello, everyone, my name is Krystle Wheeler, and I am here to ask for your help and support to bring my niece Julie home to her family.  Recently, DCF of Connecticut took my niece into foster care due to my sister's ongoing psychological issues. She is Julie's sole caregiver as the father is an abuser. Our family wants to take over guardianship, but DCF isn’t willing to place her as most of the family lives out of state. We live less than an hour's drive from her. DCYF promises to work with families of children that come into their care but due to us living out of state, they are limited in what they are able to do, which forces children into our already overburdened foster care system. The current law doesn’t focus on what’s best for the children or any solution provided is convoluted and time-consuming. We need to change the current set of laws to allow families that are willing and able to take over guardianship a more expedited process and one not bound by lines on a map!

• My sister has psychological issues that resulted from abuse from the baby’s father. She was having an episode of extreme anxiety and went to the hospital for treatment. The doctors didn’t believe she needed immediate treatment and permitted her to go home with instructions stating that she should see her Primary Care Physician.  My sister resides in CT, but all her doctors and caregivers are in Rhode Island as she works in RI, and it is the only way for her to make Julie and her schedule work.  She was told by her doctor that she could not help her due to the nature of her needs and referred her to someone who could. Before she could seek the appropriate help, she had to be hospitalized for psychological help and DCF was called. We were contacted and established a Safety Plan with DCF to take over guardianship of Julie while my sister was getting help. We were told that the plan was good for at least a week and we were bound to take care of Julie within CT as they have no jurisdiction over her if she leaves the state. My Husband, my mom, and I all spent the next four days taking care of Julie. We all live in RI and traveled back and forth to facilitate her care. After my sister was released from the hospital DCYF held a meeting with the family and determined that she needed more psychological help before Julie could be returned to her. Someone who lives in CT would have to take over her care and as we are RI residents it could take over a year before we could take over guardianship through the necessary court processes. We have a brother who lives in CT and is more than willing to take care of her, but he was out of state for the weekend on a camping trip with no cell reception. Before we could contact him, DCYF took Julie and now he has to become a foster care parent in order to get his niece back. Despite having a family and a son of his own who has taken care of Julie for extended periods on multiple occasions.

My niece Julie is only 3 years old and has lots of family that care for her and is willing to take temporary guardianship until we can sort things out. We understand that DCF of CT believes they are acting in Julie’s best interest by putting her into the foster care system, but there is no need. She has a loving and caring family who are able to help care for her while my sister gets the help and support for her medical needs. My sister is not on any drugs or alcohol and has suffered past abuse from the baby's father, which is not in her life.

I was recently informed that my niece got an ear infection and was given the wrong medications causing her to suffer an allergic reaction. We want nothing more than to take my niece home and take care of her. It has been proven that when a child as young as three is away from their family they suffer trauma, and it changes their lives dramatically. This system needs to change, It fails to work with the families of the children. We are looking for them to change the way they determine if a child should be taken into custody and do more to work with families even if they're out of state. Thank you for your time and please keep Julie in your prayers.   

Send Julie back home to her family!!!

( I was recently informed that my niece got an ear infection and was given the wrong medications causing her to suffer an allergic reaction. We want nothing more than to take my niece home and take care of her. It has been proven that when a child as young as 3 is away from their family they suffer trauma, and it changes their lives dramatically. This system needs to change, It fails to work with the families. We are looking for them to change the way they determine if a child should be taken into custody and do more to work with families even if they're out of state. DCF claims to work with families, but I have not seen this to be the case at all. Thank you for your time and please keep Julie in your prayers. )

Send Julie back home to her family!!!

(We have not been able to see or talk to my niece since she was taken into foster care. Any family that resides in RI isn't permitted to care for my niece due to living out of state. My Husband and I are unable to afford a lawyer to petition to get our niece back. The holidays are upon us and she should be with family during these difficult times. No kid should be taken from their home and family when they have relatives that are more than willing and able to take care of her. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated).