My family, like many others in Berkeley Springs, WV, has experienced the heart-wrenching trauma of having our children removed from our care. Despite never having abused or neglected them, we lost custody solely due to battling addiction. Even as we were actively engaged in a Medication-Assisted Treatment (M.A.T.) program to overcome this struggle, our rights were terminated without due process and with overwhelming bias.

This is not an isolated incident. Across the country, countless families are torn apart by similar circumstances every year. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), over 8.7 million children under 18 live in households where at least one parent has a substance use disorder. Yet studies show that removing children from their homes can cause significant trauma and long-term negative effects.

We believe that parents who are actively seeking help for their addiction should be supported rather than penalized; they should be given a fair chance to get better without losing their loved ones.

We call upon local authorities and child protection agencies in Berkeley Springs and beyond to reconsider policies around child removals related solely to parental addiction issues - especially when parents are actively navigating the slopes to recovery in programs like M.A.T.

Let's work together towards creating a system that prioritizes family preservation that also ensures child safety and well-being- because no family or child should have to endure the pain of separation simply because they're fighting against addiction.

****What I'm fighting to change:****

Full TRANSPARENCY, not hiding behind full secrecy and even threatening those involved with legal actions otherwise.

All cases with Parental TERMINATION must have a juries trail for determination. Not by those that (target) benefit from government compensations and who's sole purpose is to remove & adopt the kids to begin with.

Instead of putting funding to a new "prosecutor" and everything too help prosecute families. I like to see the opiate funding actually go to helping those struggling with addiction, instead of to their prosecution. 

This is a community problem and it can be solved by being a  community, not through the courthouse.

 Crushing the stigma for all those impacted by the struggle of addiction. Create that outlet to get out of it and thrive again... But that's not in this county, at most they have to go out of state to receive any form of help or to even feel accepted, escape judgement and the feeling of exiled in their OWN community.

These are the changes I'm pushing for and I need your help creating..

Please sign this petition if you believe in justice for families struggling with addiction and help create a needed change against the current broken system that's failing our community at it's most vulnerable.