Mediation – It’s Over

It is all over. I am sad and disheartened but I must concede for E’s sake. This system is such a load of horse crap that I just want to pound my fists on the table and scream for justice. Chapter 39 (the section in Florida law that deals with dependency issues) is being trampled on by DCF and the court system. You may as well use it for wallpaper for all the effectiveness it has. They break the rules, fail to follow their own process, trample on the Constitution and steal your rights, but it doesn’t matter.

The mediator told us that in 13 years of practicing dependency cases, she has never seen the judge go against what DCF is asking for. Basically he just rubber stamps everything put in front of him. We are told we would probably win on appeal but that would be a year or two down the road. Half of E’s lifetime.

That is how they win. Because they don’t care. They don’t care how long your child stays in foster care or relative care. It doesn’t matter to them. But it does to parents. We have already missed E’s first Easter egg hunt. I don’t want to miss any more firsts. He will only be 4 once.

We are going to let E finish the school year with his class (it concludes on May 18). Then my in-laws will drive out here and we will all go to Disney together (we still have 2 tickets each from when we went in January and they have to be used within 6 months).

He was so happy when I told him last night on the phone that he would be coming home soon.

E: Tomorrow?
S: No, sweetie. After school is over for the year.
E: The day after tomorrow?

God, I miss my boy.