Jen's on her way to pick up a baby girl!!

[Saxton]

This is horrible. The child is in a safe, loving evironment ... obviously they're not putting her interests first, it makes no sense. Please let us know what happens.

 

[wallyb]

Sometimes the world just sucks.

 

[C&G'sMama]

Here are some more prayers coming your way. I'm hoping that it's just a family member (of the child) trying to make waves (it's happened to friends of ours that have fostered).

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

This so totally blows! It's so wrong on so many levels. I am sorry to hear that you are having to go through this. It's a complete and total shame.

I am sending prayers your way.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Prayers and Hugs for you & the little one.

 

[npmommie]

Anyone hear from ChrizJen? I am hoping for a good update,
still thinking of you guys!

 

[Uncle Remus]

Call an atty ASAP!! I would call the NAACP right now..they have people who can help you over the phone and get you in contact with someone in YOUR area. This is wrong, and I have a feeling your rights are being violated!! Our thoughts and prayers are with you...your not alone!

I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that it does not come to that. I know that in Kentucky, they are trying to pass a new law that will not allow any un-wed couple, or single person, living in a home to adopt/foster care. It is crazy, they are saying it is for the benifit of the child. But it is an attack on us gay folks. Yes I said folks, this is Kentucky remember....

But the ACLU and other groups, including many foster care groups are fighting it because that means they would have to remove several children from foster care, in both gay and straight families. How horrible is our society right now?

I thought the law in MO is that no single folks can adopt, but I don't know about foster care.

ChrizJen, good vibes to all of you, I hate to see kids lose out on good parents.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

thats mean Im straight but all for gay rights (neighbor is gay and i support him !!) Your foster parents, the agency knows of your sexual orientation.. and yet why did they choose now to remove the poor baby. I believe something else is being kept hidden. You do what you need to to keep your baby. Involve the courts if need be.your foster child is in a stable loving environment- and at this point thats what all kids need- Hugs** Hope everything goes okay..

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I don't know what to say. I'm sick for all three of you and hope that it doesn't end this way. That is so very wrong on every level.

Do you have a Lambda League or agency in your area? Notify them. Not sure what can be done, but surely this is detrimental to the child, not to mention the both of you.

Sending every good wish that this is resolved in a truly human and loving way and the baby stays with you.

Hope to hear from you soon.

 

[Winue]

Just sent you a pm.

is there any update? thinking of you!

 

[jkCT]

Crossing my fingers for you!!

(and thanking god I live in CT, where in theory something like that can't happen! I work for a foster care agency, and some of my finest foster parents are gay and lesbian, both single parents and couples. Had a little boy get adopted by his dad and transgender mom last week...here's hoping your story ends up as happy!!!)

 

[unfreshdiva1]

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Oh geez. No news? Starting to get very worried.

 

[DVCajun]

un-freakin-believable.

 

[I<3EvilQueen]

I hope I am not too late to send some prayers and Engery you way on this matter.

 

[OrlandoMike]

This is the first think I thought of this morning when I got up....


I hope all is well......

 

[soulmates]

I'm sure they are completly overwhelmed and sick, literally. My heart goes out to them. I pray for the day, we ALL have the same rights!!

 

[starann]

Oh this is just terrible......My thoughts are with you!

HUGS

 

[ChrizJen]

I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. I haven't read past the first page, and I'm sorry for that too. But I'm going to go back and read it now...

As soon as I logged off here yesterday, I got another call from Jen. She said that they are definitely taking her from us, and that it will likely happen within the week. When Jen argued that the whole family support team is supposed to help make the decision, the case manager said that it ultimately comes down to the decision of the agency, and their decision has already been made.

Upon hearing that, I left work, picked up the baby, and met Jen at home. We spent all afternoon and into the evening making frantic phone calls and leaving messages for attorneys, Lambda Legal, PROMO, and the ACLU.

We FINALLY got a call back at 7:30 last night. It was from a representative of the ACLU, and he wanted to let us know that he was trying to get in touch with a local attorney of theirs who might be able to help us. We did get a call from the attorney, and it turns out that he was on the team that helped win the pivotal case a few years back involving a lesbian in Kansas City who was being denied a foster license based on her sexual orientation.
He called us at about 8:00 last night, and we were on the phone with him until almost 9. We told him our story, and he thinks we most definitely have a case against the state and against the agency.

Then he told us that because he works with the ACLU, that all his work would be pro bono. We both broke down in tears. You don't know how good that was to hear. We were willing to dip into whatever we needed to in order to pay for representation, but we really don't have all that much, and so to hear that was a GREAT blessing!

Upon closing, he asked if we were OK with being outed in the community, as our case will likely become somewhat publicized. We told him that he could put our faces on a big billboard in downtown St. Louis if it meant that we could protect this baby.

We're being represented by the ACLU!!!!
I still can't wrap my head around that. It's amazing, and I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe in the power of your positive thoughts and energy!

It's far from over yet, so your continued prayers would be great.
All we want is to keep her from being moved again. If this works out, and she ends up going back to her bio family, great. But if we can keep her from having to make another transition before then, I feel like we've won the battle and we've done our job. It's so sad to me that no one (and I do mean NO ONE) seems to have that baby's interest in mind. I just don't understand. She's the one who needs protection, and everyone's rights seem to come before hers! Well, not if we can help it! We may go down, but we're mad as hell, and we'll go down FIGHTING!!!

 

[rpmdfw]

I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. I haven't read past the first page, and I'm sorry for that too. But I'm going to go back and read it now...

As soon as I logged off here yesterday, I got another call from Jen. She said that they are definitely taking her from us, and that it will likely happen within the week. When Jen argued that the whole family support team is supposed to help make the decision, the case manager said that it ultimately comes down to the decision of the agency, and their decision has already been made.

Upon hearing that, I left work, picked up the baby, and met Jen at home. We spent all afternoon and into the evening making frantic phone calls and leaving messages for attorneys, Lambda Legal, PROMO, and the ACLU.

We FINALLY got a call back at 7:30 last night. It was from a representative of the ACLU, and he wanted to let us know that he was trying to get in touch with a local attorney of theirs who might be able to help us. We did get a call from the attorney, and it turns out that he was on the team that helped win the pivotal case a few years back involving a lesbian in Kansas City who was being denied a foster license based on her sexual orientation.
He called us at about 8:00 last night, and we were on the phone with him until almost 9. We told him our story, and he thinks we most definitely have a case against the state and against the agency.

Then he told us that because he works with the ACLU, that all his work would be pro bono. We both broke down in tears. You don't know how good that was to hear. We were willing to dip into whatever we needed to in order to pay for representation, but we really don't have all that much, and so to hear that was a GREAT blessing!

Upon closing, he asked if we were OK with being outed in the community, as our case will likely become somewhat publicized. We told him that he could put our faces on a big billboard in downtown St. Louis if it meant that we could protect this baby.

We're being represented by the ACLU!!!!
I still can't wrap my head around that. It's amazing, and I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe in the power of your positive thoughts and energy!

It's far from over yet, so your continued prayers would be great.
All we want is to keep her from being moved again. If this works out, and she ends up going back to her bio family, great. But if we can keep her from having to make another transition before then, I feel like we've won the battle and we've done our job. It's so sad to me that no one (and I do mean NO ONE) seems to have that baby's interest in mind. I just don't understand. She's the one who needs protection, and everyone's rights seem to come before hers! Well, not if we can help it! We may go down, but we're mad as hell, and we'll go down FIGHTING!!!

YOU ROCK!!!!!!

I'll definitely keep sending happy thoughts and pixie dust your way.

Thank you for taking a stand for GLBT rights. But thank you even more for standing up for the rights of that child!