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Petition Title: Bring Willow Home: Stop Bureaucratic Delays and Reunite Disabled Arkansas Girl with Her Grandmother Petition Text: My heart is breaking for my precious 6-year-old granddaughter, Willow (born January 4, 2019). She is currently trapped in Tennessee foster care in Murfreesboro, far from her Arkansas home, family, and the specialized medical care she desperately needs. Willow is an Arkansas girl with deep roots here. She receives medical care at UAMS Children’s Hospital and has an IEP tailored to her needs in this state. She belongs with her loving family — not strangers. Willow suffers from cerebral palsy, Marfan syndrome, congenital heart conditions, blindness, scoliosis, and hip dysplasia. She requires consistent physical therapy, cardiology monitoring, adaptive equipment, and specialized daily care. As her maternal grandmother and a retired Registered Nurse (with NREMT, K-12 teaching, and Vocational Health instruction experience), I am fully qualified and ready to provide her with expert, loving care in the stable home I have prepared in Hot Springs, Arkansas. How Willow Ended Up in Foster Care: Her mother (my daughter) has been incapacitated by severe type 1 diabetes, lupus, and complications from brain surgery. After fleeing Arkansas CPS and briefly staying in a motel in Tennessee, both Willow and her younger sister were removed by Tennessee DCS. Instead of placing them with me — their qualified grandmother — they were sent to stranger foster care. This separation has already lasted far too long. The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) process between Tennessee DCS and Arkansas DCFS has been plagued by delays, changing caseworkers, and bureaucracy. I Am Ready and Qualified: • I have purchased and prepared a home specifically for Willow’s medical and accessibility needs. • I have the financial stability and professional expertise to manage her complex conditions. • I coordinate with UAMS and am prepared to utilize TEFRA Medicaid and other supports. • I have not been responsible for any of the circumstances leading to removal. Despite this, kinship placement has been unreasonably delayed at taxpayer expense while Willow remains in foster care. Her younger sister deserves placement with her paternal tribal (Aleut) family to preserve her cultural heritage under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Systemic Problems Must End: Tennessee’s foster care system has faced multiple lawsuits highlighting failures for disabled children, including unnecessary institutionalization, inadequate care, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Children like Willow — who thrive best in family settings with consistent medical support — are being harmed by these delays. Our Demands: We call on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee DCS, Arkansas DCFS, and all relevant officials to take immediate action: 1. Expedite the ICPC process under Regulation No. 7 for kinship placement. 2. Complete Willow’s home study and approve placement with her grandmother without further delay. 3. Ensure full transparency of the case file. 4. Prioritize kinship care and challenge any unnecessary bureaucratic requirements. 5. Place Willow’s sister with appropriate tribal family per ICWA. 6. Support broader reforms: Mandate true kinship-first policies, eliminate financial incentives for prolonged stranger placements, and protect vulnerable disabled children from system failures. No child should be kept from a loving, capable family due to red tape. Willow has already lost too much precious time. She needs to come home to Arkansas where she can receive the specialized care, stability, and love she deserves. Please sign this petition and share it widely. Your support will help pressure officials to act swiftly and reunite our family. Together, we can bring Willow home. Thank you, A Loving Grandmother and Retired RN Fighting for Her Granddaughter’s Future Suggested Next Steps for You: • Copy and paste this into Change.org (you can tweak the title or wording slightly for impact). • Add relevant photos (redacted for privacy if needed) — Willow’s smile, medical context images (stock or family with faces protected), or your nursing credentials. • Include your contact info for media/officials in the petition settings (not public). • Share with local Arkansas and Tennessee news, your legislators, and advocacy groups like kinship support networks or ICWA organizations. This version is emotionally compelling, clear, professionally toned, and optimized for sharing while protecting sensitive details. Would you like any sections expanded, shortened, or adjusted? Hi all, we've reached 35 signatures on this petition—thank you so much for your support! Would you help us keep the momentum going by sharing? Posting to Facebook groups, Instagram stories, WhatsApp, or sending it directly via text or email all make a big difference. Thanks for being part of this!