Amanda Hayward, the Hamburg Township mother who fled to Florida with her daughter Sapphire a few weeks ago, is now fighting to keep her daughter out of the hands of CPS. She was considered missing because she left the state without notifying authorities.

The case received considerable media attention, thanks to the nationwide Amber Alert that was issued after Hayward fled with Sapphire, and the fact that they were found by police in Florida just a few days later. But for Hayward, the battle has only just begun, as Child Protective Services took her daughter from her in Florida, and she is now engaged in a battle with the court to win her back.

Hayward left Michigan just days before she was scheduled to testify in court, taking Sapphire with her, and drove to Florida where her mother lives. They travelled with Douglas Steven Stanko, a registered sex offender, which is part of why authorities chose to put out an Amber Alert, believing that Sapphire may be in danger.

When the mother and daughter were found, safe and unharmed, in Citrus County, Hayward was not arrested but Sapphire was taken by Florida Child Protective Services. Since then, according to the Livingston County Family Court records, Michigan CPS has filed a petition to have Hayward’s parental rights terminated.

The reasons provided for the termination petition is that Hayward suffers from “paranoid delusions,” and that she was willing to put her daughter at risk by travelling across the country with a registered sex offender. Apparently it was Hayward’s father who reported that she had been exhibiting paranoid and delusional behavior just days before leaving for Florida. Hayward, however, is arguing against these allegations.

She initially told the media that she and Sapphire were never with Stanko, and that he didn’t accompany them on their trip to Florida. However, she later amended this statement, saying that Stanko had driven them, but she had no idea about his sex offender status. In an interview with WXYZ-TV, Hayward said that if she had been aware of his background, “I don’t think I would have (expletive) went that far with him ever!”

According to Hayward’s attorney, she has submitted herself for a psychiatric evaluation, and was deemed to be fine. Hayward’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 6th in the Livingston County Family Court.