I’m really upset right now. This is an ongoing situation, and I have to say something somewhere.
Here’s the past info:
I work in an office with Probation Officers. I am not one of them, but I work closely with them and I know a lot about their cases. Also located in our building is the Juvenile Detention Center for our region, so it’s staffed 24/7. We also have a school program for kids who need more structure than regular public school (or They have behavior problems) The Kid I’m writing about is an attendee, who has been in school this summer.
“Joe”, is on Intensive Supervised Probation, but is currently not in the JDC. He has younger siblings (2) of various ages. His father recently got out of prison. His mother, is currently homeless. Under his mother’s care, the boy simply has no one to supervise him. She is too busy with her own life, her alcoholism and her drug problems to look after him. He looks after his brothers. He also has an older brother (at least one that I know of) who used to be supervised by us as well, until he turned 18. Now he’s regularly in and out of Jail as an adult offender. Joe really admires his older brother. I have to say it seems to be the only person who has ever given Joe any attention at all. Not the best influence, but about the only thing he has.
Joe’s ISP officer was concerned about him when his mom lost her place to live. The officer, being a good person, set up an arrangement where they could actually get financial help finding a place to live. Not a loan. A Grant. Money that does not to be repaid! Mom decided that she just didn’t have time to fill out the paperwork (even with offers of assistance to get it all done) and so the deadline came, passed, and disappeared. Chance gone.
No housing. It’s summer in Kansas, and the heat index ranges from 101 to 110 for days on end. Mom decides that the only recourse is for her to go on a friends property in the middle of nowhere and live in a tent. A flimsy little TENT.
When this came out, his officer (and the director and everybody else) decided that they couldn’t in good conscience send Joe home from school in this heat, to sit around outside and sleep in a tent. Called the Judge, got advice, and Joe was sent to a local “Boys Shelter”. This was on a Friday so he would be spending the weekend there at least. Like good people, the folks here promptly called the Kansas version of child welfare (SRS) regarding his family’s situation.
On Monday, the welfare (SRS) worker called back and bitched out his probation officer for doing something about Joe but not his siblings. Well, we have absolutely no LEGAL authority to do anything about his siblings. That’s why we called you, you stupid bitch. We would have certainly moved on this for all the children involved if we’d been able to legally. And then she, the fucking moron, said: "We already have a case open on Joe and his family. We would have taken care of it."
When fucking exactly would you have taken care of it? It was fucking 107 degrees outside and you KNEW they were living in a fucking TENT! “That’s considered to be a domicile” (to them btw). Jesus fucking CHRIST! Children living in a fucking tent is OK to SRS. Well just fucking peachy. SO I guess in the middle of winter it should be just dandy for them too. Good to know I shouldn’t worry about a person living in a tent with no other place to stay. I’ll try real hard to remember that. Bitch.
So, last week, finally, SRS decides that since we made * such *a big fuss about this they’d finally do something, and placed the children with their grandparents. The grandparents have also given us some info about mom and dads’ drug habits, the drinking, and how everything falls apart when they run out of drug money. They want custody of the kids and to take the kids with them on vacation. So, they meet with Joe’s PO, about setting up the travel permits etc., and about Joe’s problem.
Last night, Mom called the JDC. Drunk. So upset that her children were going on vacation without her permission. I really wish I could feel sorry for her, but I can’t. I know she loves her kids, but she really has no clue as to what her lifestyle has done to their lives. You fucking selfish bitch. Have you ever just once thought about someone besides yourself and what you want? It’s not your fault, you say. You think everyone is just bringing you down. Well you know what lady, YOU are bringing you down. And you’re dragging your children with you.
The boy’s only 12 and he doesn’t stand a chance of escaping.
Sometimes I really hate this fucking world.