Newton county foster care/child protective services failed my family tragically. They allowed my mentally ill, unmedicated, unstable son – whom they should have been caring for– to have access to a weapon and a vehicle. In turn, this led to the unimaginable; the loss of my sister's life. Not only did they allow him access to such dangerous items, but they also permitted him to travel to another state unreported, subsequently never reported him missing, or the weapon. If I had custody  I'd be in prison. THey illegally took him then caused my sisters death and cost my son his freedom. 

In sharp contrast, in cases like school shootings, parents are charged. This is the case even when the parents are not directly responsible for their child's actions. Yet, Newton county foster care and child protective services, whose mandate was to provide safety and ensure the welfare of my son, remains unaccountable for their GROSS NEGLIGENCE. Following his arrest, he was manipulated into accepting a plea bargain, condemning him to spend the rest of his life in prison. Numerous illegalities surround this case, tarnishing the process of justice.

The negligence presented here is not an isolated case. According to the Children's Bureau, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, between 2015 and 2019, over 4000 children died in the US due to abuse or neglect in their home or foster care setting. More needs to be done to ensure child protective services are living up to their name – protecting children, not placing them in harm's way.

We call upon regulatory authorities in the US to hold Newton County foster care and child protective services responsible for the series of gross negligence actions that led to my sister’s death and my son's fate. We demand transparency, a thorough investigation of this case, appropriate accountability for the people involved, and urgent reforms towards foster care.

Please sign this petition to support us in our quest for justice for my sister, for my son, and for all the children failed miserably by the system meant to protect them.