Every foster and adoptive parent who takes on a child coming out of an abusive background, knows that there will be challenges. Kids coming out of abusive and neglectful homes have psychological and emotional damages they have to overcome before being able to settle into any kind of “normal” routine. But some damage is lasting, and kids aren’t able to overcome the effects of the abuse they suffered. And as a result, their new families are likely to suffer in some way.
However, there’s a huge difference between struggling with the aftermath of your foster or adoptive child’s abuse, and being threatened by the very agency that’s supposed to have your back. (Then again, this is CPS we’re talking about, and the only back they ever seem to have is their own!) Although one Detroit family is caught in a terrible situation where the child they adopted has left them afraid for their lives, and CPS is now threatening to make their lives hell because of it!
These parents are being punished for seeking help for their adoptive son!
Greg and Tonya Burnett, from Brownstown Township in the Metro Detroit area, say they fell in love with their son Alex when they first met him. He was almost 10 at the time, and loved baseball. He was quirky and funny, and sweet, and they were thrilled. But that ‘honeymoon period’ lasted only about a year before the boy began to change. Once he was secure in their home, he began to test them, pushing the boundaries to see what he could get away with.
“If I push you down the stairs, will you still love me, or will you get rid of me?” he asked them. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. The Burnett’s say Alex has repeatedly attacked them, sometimes while they’re driving, and many times in their home. He attacks police officers who attempt to intervene, teachers at his school, and other kids. He even abuses himself, beating his head against the floor until there’s blood everywhere. The Burnett’s are terrified of him.
They’ve sought help for him and protection for themselves many times.
Alex has been hospitalized more than 20 times, but the disorders he suffers show no signs of subsiding, and he doesn’t appear to respond to treatment. Currently he’s being treated at the Hawthorne Center in Northville, operated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. But CPS says he needs to come home, and if the Burnett’s don’t take him, the agency will file a neglect petition against them!
So what do you do? How do you protect yourself when the agency claiming to have your child’s best interests at heart is insisting that you choose between fighting allegations of neglect in court, or being murdered in your sleep. It’s a terrible position to put a family in, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time CPS forced a family between a rock and a hard place! Which is why the Burnett’s are suing the agency!
Join us next time for more info on this astounding Michigan case!
CPS in Michigan has a long history of putting parents in difficult positions. They seem to struggle with the reality of people’s lives, and often hold families to unrealistic standards. As experienced CPS defense attorneys we’ve gone toe-to-toe with this difficult agency for decades, holding them accountable for their unfounded allegations, and fighting their ridiculous claims. If your family is being harassed by CPS, call us at 866 766 5245 today and get help from the good guys!