Community- 

I decided to rewrite my Petition- Simplistically. I am a mother to three amazing children. Our life story has been anything but easy. In hopes that I could possibly reach others on a more profound & personal level, allow me to share our story- From the narrative that our book was wrote. I was a single mother of two children, employed, volunteering as a Substitute Teacher & a Substitute Sunday School Teacher, & working towards my Masters in Childhood Education. My two children & I were very much active within community outreach, such as Xmas Bell Ringing & Volunteering at the Freestore Ministry. Some years passed, and I had my third child. I married. Coming from a long lineage of Military men in my family & raised in church, a mother's intuition is never wrong. Respectfully, I say our lives unraveled quickly. It's the very moment in times of desperation, you reach out grasping for what's left that's left remaining. Navigating the confusion, sorrow, & the emptiness- A indelicate mark forever stamped in one's mind. Left picking up the shattered pieces of distant memories that are no longer so readily available- The very core of who you are left questioned. The laughter that echoed off what once was a Safe Haven, the instrumental musical notes 🎶 that still ring deep in the air, the oblong dining table that reveals marks left behind of holiday gatherings, the posters still left hanging by thumbtacks in a solid pink room, the collection of matchbox cars still littering across the upper shelf, clothes still hanging in closets that would never be worn again, & walls still hanging the better times of once was. 21 years ago, I took a vow to the first tiny hand I would soon hold. Going to always protect & provide. I was still responsible for smiling thru the pain to see my youngest daughter thru what would be a very harrowing journey- A journey of Sacrificial Love, Strength, Courage, Faith, & Devotion, as I navigated the lengthy complexities within the judicial embodies. As a survivor of domestic violence, I will be the first to admit, once the initial shock subsided, the process of simply understanding seemed overwhelming & unattainable.. As I stand here today, still navigating thru legal channels, I would like to express thru my story, the complexities of the legalistics I have faced. Respectfully, I am bringing my petition forward to have stronger, reformed child protection laws with the RSMo Statutes, specifically pertaining to, Child Protective Services: Chapter 2 Sections: 210.145, 210.109, 210.110, 210.143, and 210.87; RSMo Statutes: Law Enforcement: Chapter 2 Section: 210.004; RSMo Chapter 2 Section 210.115; RSMo Chapter 455 Sections: 565.070, 565.076 (Domestic Relations). It is crucial that these Chapters and Sections be revisited. I am an Activist that strongly believes in seeking the truth, justice & equality. Transparency, Communication, & Accountability is one we should all possess. Where there is truthfulness & strong advocacy within our local state agencies, governmental department bodies, & within our educational system, there you will find stronger communities & bridges being built. We are all required to hold ourselves to the same ethical standards as we wish to hold for our local & state governmental & educational bodies & the members that represent them. Our children are our Future. As a member of the community, I usher all members of the community to be just as passionate & aggressive in motioning for change that entails our schools, judicial systems, including law enforcement & the division of children's services, as we examine the chapters & sections closely in seeking out stronger child protection laws entailing, child protective services/duties, Law Enforcement & Judicial Investigations/Duties/Ethics/Protocols, Parental Rights relating to subsections in child endangerment, parental alienation, parental kidnapping, and interference with custody, domestic violence and related subsections, including core definitions & Mandated Reporting & Negligence within these systems. Thank you all in being a part of my Petition & Our Change. Giving all children courage today & hope for tomorrow! 

Blessings,

Didi Blackwell