[Jayhawk-chapter] CPS Takes Newborn From Blind Parents in Missouri Just Because They are Blind

Thu Jul 1 02:41:26 UTC 2010

we had a conversation last night on the chapter presidents' list.
yes, distribute this far and wide, especially MO needs support for 
the legal fight!  however Debbie Wunder  asks that we not distribute 
to media yet.
this is an astounding situation.  personally I think something like 
this deserves picketers and other direct action.
maybe it will come to that.
thanks for putting this up Susan.
jc

At 07:46 PM 6/30/2010, you wrote:
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>
>I guess I shouldn't be but I am always astounded when I hear about 
>things like this still happening! It's shameful! Read on!
>Susan
>
>
>On the eve of our 70th anniversary as an organization, I am deeply
>saddened to distribute the below message, about a blind couple in
>Missouri whose newborn daughter was taken away from them by CPS,
>merely because they are blind. This situation affects all of us,
>especially since many of us are current or future blind parents, and
>it's a shocking reminder of how much work remains ahead of us as an
>organization. I urge you to read the below and to consider donating to
>this cause, either directly or by helping to babysit at convention to
>raise money for this family.
> >From the NFB of Missouri:
>Erica and Blake, a young couple were awaiting the birth of their first
>child with joy and happiness. Baby Mikaela was born at 12:45pm, May 21. Not
>unlike many new mothers, Erica experienced some difficulty in her
>first breast feeding
>of Mikaela; she called the nurse for some advice. By 6:00pm child
>protective services arrived at the hospital to say the parents could not
>take Mikaela home, unless they had a sighted person to live with them.
>In all the investigations, blindness is the only reason sited for the
>parents not being allowed to leave with their new baby girl.
>The Missouri affiliate has hired an attorney at $250 per hour, and
>her assistant at $85 per hour to bring Mikaela home where she belongs!
>Please help with any donations possible to unite this family. You may
>stop by the Missouri table, B 114 in the exhibit hall, or come by our
>delegation.
>We, the National Federation of the Blind can bring Mikaela home to
>her parents where she belongs! Thank you for any help you can give.
>And a more recent update:
>    I just spoke with NFB of Missouri President Gary Wunder. Here is 
> the latest:
>
>    The parents initially thought that if they played by the rules,
>surely the judge would give them ba ck their daughter at the first
>hearing. However, this did not happen, so a second hearing was
>scheduled for June 16. At this point, the parents realized that they
>needed an advocate and contacted the NFB of Missouri. After visiting
>with the couple in their home and determining that there were no
>extenuating circumstances and that blindness was the only concern CPS
>had about these parents, the NFB hired an attorney to assist them. The
>cost of this attorney is $250 an hour, and $85 for the services of the
>attorney's assistant.
>
>    About two weeks ago, on June 16, the parents had their second
>hearing. The judge seemed outraged that the hospital had taken the
>child from this couple with so little cause and was further astounded
>that the hospital had never dealt with blind parents before.
>Unfortunately, this was not an evidentiary hearing, so no decisions
>were made and it was announced that there would need to b e a third
>hearing. The problem is that this judge is going on vacation, so the
>earliest they could get a hearing with her was on July 20. The parents
>could have chosen to get an earlier hearing date with a different
>judge, but their attorney advised them to wait for this judge to
>return from vacation, because she had seemed so sympathetic and on
>their side at the second hearing.
>
>    So, the situation as it now stands is that the parents are
>awaiting their third hearing on July 20, with this hopefully
>sympathetic judge. Meanwhile, the NFB of Missouri is paying for the
>parents to receive voc rehab training, to get letters from the state
>VR agency saying that these parents can indeed perform the tasks that
>were of concern to CPS. The NFB realizes that we shouldn't have to get
>a permission slip from the state VR agency to have kids, but their
>main focus at this time is to address the ridiculous "But, how does a
>blind person do that?" concerns of the hospital and CPS and get baby
>Micaela back with her parents where she belongs. So, the NFB of
>Missouri is incurring additional costs, as they are paying out of
>pocket for these voc rehab services for the couple.
>
>    Gary asked me to pass along that the NFB of Missouri welcomes
>donations to help defray the sky-rocketing legal expenses and the cost
>of getting letters from VR professionals asserting that these parents
>have received training in the skills of parenting and can perform the
>required tasks. They are setting up a specific fund for these
>donations. You can make a contribution at the NFB of Missouri's
>affiliate table in the Exhibit Hall or by visiting Gary in the
>Missouri delegation during General Session.
>
>    If you can't make a monetary donation or if you'd like to help
>further, I'm collecting names and contact info of Federationists who
>would be willing to baby-sit during Convention for parents who want to
>get out for an evening or even just attend a few Convention events
>without their children, and donate the proceeds to the NFB of Missouri
>to help with the legal costs of returning Micaela to her parents.
>
>    If you'd like to volunteer your time, please contact me at
><mailto:stacy_cervenka at brownback.senate.gov>stacy_cervenka at brownback.senate.gov 
>or on my cell at 708-359-3301.
>Please let me know the best way to contact you at Convention, a little
>bit about your experience with kids (this might include being a parent
>yourself, having worked as a counselor at a summer program, etc.), and
>which times you would be available.
>
>    Furthermore, feel free to share my contact info with any parents
>who might be interested in this service during Convention.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Stacy Leigh Cervenka
>Legislative Assistant
>Office of Senator Sam Brownback (KS)
>303 Hart Senate Office Bui lding
>Phone: (202) 224-6521
>Email: 
><mailto:stacy_cervenka at brownback.senate.gov>stacy_cervenka at brownback.senate.gov 
>
>QQ
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