By Julia Lurie, Mother Jones, September 26, 2022
When Bryan Hickson and Patricia Soto found out they were going to have a baby, the thrilled couple jumped into action. They watched YouTube videos about parenting, prepared healthy meals, and, since they planned to stay in their separate places to start, bought cribs and baby clothes for each of their homes. When Soto went in for ultrasounds, Hickson FaceTimed in from the warehouse where he works as a supervisor. When Soto went into labor, he held her hand through the contractions. Their son was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on a warm, cloudy day in late July of 2021. They named him Bryan Jr.
Two days after they left the hospital, Soto received a call from a social worker with Massachusetts’ Department of Children and Families, the state’s child protective services agency, informing her that DCF was taking custody of the child. Hickson and Soto assumed that DCF had made some sort of mistake. Soto did have a history with DCF: In 2018, the agency took custody of her older children due to allegations of domestic violence between Soto and her previous partner. But in the years since, her life had stabilized. Soto had steady housing and was working two jobs. Besides, a DCF social worker had visited Soto’s apartment during the pregnancy and confirmed she had appropriate furniture and baby supplies.
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