Bringing "trauma sensitivity" to the foster/adoption community! For more info visit: www.Facebook.com/PreserveFamiliesWithRADChildrenNow
ATTENTION: Assistant Secretary Strus, Children’s Administration
Dear Asst. Sec. Strus:
I am the foster-adoptive mom of a brilliant, funny and beautiful 12-year-old daughter I adopted from the State of Washington when she was 2-and-a-half. Due to the extreme maltreatment she received prior to be placed with me she has Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), as well as ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and is Bi-Polar. She is my only child and the love of my life.
I write you today on her behalf. She deserves a loving, committed, forever family! She had one for 7-years. It’s very possible that if our family had been offered Intensive In-Home Services, Family Preservation Services, and if she had been given an EPSDT Screening—that we may well still be an intact family today. I urge you to see to it that the three resources I just mentioned be not only written into WA State law, but also all fully funded and understood by our State’s child social workers and adoption support staff.
Largely, in my opinion, due to the fact that none of the above services were made available to us when we needed them, eventually I broke and fell into a severe episode of major clinical depression and began to suffer from PTSD. Ultimately DCFS in Whitman County filed a petition to terminate my parental rights. I NEVER abused or neglected my child. I needed HELP! Tending to my daughter’s unique special needs drained me of all of my resources. I was exhausted, spent, and completely depleted—I could barely take care of myself. So that others do not have to go through what my daughter and I went through, I further urge you to bring an end to forced relinquishments of foster-adopted children (except of course, in the case of clear cut abuse and/or neglect), and to foster a culture of trauma sensitivity within DSHS, DCFS and CPS, including the Division of Adoption Support. I feel that it is extremely important that State employees who work with children in foster care, adopted children, and the families of those children treat their clients with respect, dignity, empathy, understanding and compassion, throughout all of their dealings. I was NOT a part of the problem—I was a part of the solution, but I was certainly not treated as though that was the case.
If I can answer any questions for you, or be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Shelley Calissendorff
Pullman, WA
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