Request To Judge Hotchkiss For Visitation Of My Son

Request For Visitation With My Son‏
From:
Sent: Thu 8/28/08 10:24 AM
To: jkoch@co.douglas.wa.us; Michelle K. (DSHS/CA) Erickson (ermi300@dshs.wa.gov); paul_glassen@hotmail.com; pcassel@cbm-law.us; tomasc@atg.wa.gov

Dear Judge Hotchkiss,

While I'm waiting for the transfer of services to Washington D.C, where I live, I would like to visit my son.

I wasn't able to finish telling you what I objected to of the services mentioned, and make all the requests I had for how things are done.

One thing I feel is important, is visitation of my son. CPS claimed sporadic visitation would be "confusing" and they asked that I not be allowed to see my son at all unless it was on a weekly basis. I feel it is more harmful to my son not to see me at all, and this is a violation of my parental rights and the right of my son to try to maintain a bond. The bond was disrupted because of CPS's actions, and yet former CPS worker Paul Glassen, who is also a mental health professional, agrees the bond is there and cannot be destroyed. I have talked to my son almost every single day on the phone and he watches the YouTube videos of the two of us playing together. My aunt says it is clear he needs me and wants to be with me, and he watches these videos with a smile on his face. Once I called when he was watching a video of the two of us and he started screaming when my aunt tried to take him away. He didn't know his mother was on the phone for him and when he found out, he quieted down and began jabbering. If you remember, CPS also wanted to terminate phone calls with my son and I strongly question not only their motives, but their professional experience with children.

I can tell you, that while Michelle Erickson claimed to be able to assess "risk" without any real experience with toddlers or younger children (which she admitted), or adults for that matter, I have worked over 10 years, closer to 15 years, with this age group as my primary occupation throughout my life has been childcare and professional nanny work. All my charges were 7 years old or younger and most of my experience is with toddlers. I've also read books on child development, been a subscriber to parenting magazine, and am familiar with parenting philosophies advocated by a variety of child psychologists. It is damaging to my son to not see his mother at all, and more confusing to him to have her suddenly "disappear" than to at least see her some of the time. Our bond is strong and he needs to have contact with me. He has more contact with cousins than his own mother, and he certaintly isn't damaged by seeing others on a sporadic basis. It is a strange conclusion to say it's better for a child to not see his parents at ALL than to see them sporadically. Even CPS and the visitation monitors admitted frequency is better for children, than length of a visit, and omitting visits altogether certaintly takes "frequency" out of the picture. My son needs to know his mother, and that adults in general, do not disappear from the face of the earth, and his attachment disorder and separation anxieties are better remedied with the reassurance of seeing his mother than NOT.

As a sidenote, the fact that you found me "guilty" of the accusations brought by the state, makes it impossible for me to pursue a license to run my own daycare in the future, as it is close to a criminal charge. I am lumped into "being at risk", I am lumped into having "abused and neglected" my son. There is no distinction on paper, even if the AG claims they have made a distinction. This directly impairs and affects my career goals, as I had been looking into starting my own daycare where I could also watch my own son and I am qualified to do so.

Your failure to give me fair hearing and due process, and representation, has not only traumatized my son, but it has prejudiced not only my parental rights but my life in general.

Over 15 years of working with children, my main occupation, is now down the drain, because I was not given a public defender with reasonable defense, or adequate time to prepare a defense for this case, or even given tools I needed, like discovery.

This will result in a civil rights lawsuit if an appeal fails in any way.

In the interim, I know more about child development than Michelle Erickson, and I know it would be harmful to completely cut off visitation if I am able and willing to make round trip travel to see my son. I have a feeling the department just doesn't want to have visitation reinstated for cost reasons, because they would have to pay for transportation. This is why they want visitation only in Wenatchee. I wish to see my son, and actually, if it is true that CPS is obligated to provide transportation for visitation, and their only concern is "regularity" of visits, I am able to visit my son on a weekly basis. Go ahead and reinstate my visitation, and I will make a trip every single week to visit my son for the recommended 4 hours.

Otherwise, the department shows they are unwilling to keep the bond with my son and are only self-interested. I think the fact they wanted to cut off telephone visitation is suspicious enough.

Their agenda is to have my aunt and uncle adopt my son and they have already made up their minds. If they are indeed interested in following their duties and in preserving the bond between mother and son, they will not argue against this.

I tried to make a point yesterday, and you cut me off, Your Honor, that CPS and my aunt have thrown my son into daycare FULL-TIME without any prior consultation with me. No one asked me what I thought or how I would feel about it, and both parties know I am against daycare for my son. He needs one-on-one attention, especially after what he's been through. My aunt is not even his primary caregiver any longer. A daycare is. How is this in the best interests of my son?

Finally, I am told by a social worker in D.C. that it should NOT take "several months" for the transfer process and for me to be evaluated over here. She said it takes as long as the people take.

Please let me know whether my right to visitation has been restored. Supposedly it was only suspended because I hadn't been able to go by bus because of my disability. I don't have any trouble flying because I'm able to shift around and recline some, without sitting upright so long.

At any rate, I am making my request for visitation with my son known.

As for other services, some of these things may be addressed when I appeal.

Cameo Garrett