Holiday 2020
NEW HEIGHTS Stories about life-changing journeys made possible by you!
“
This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful we made it through the adoption process. I’m happy to be involved in all my grandkids’ lives.” –Monica J.
A Grandmother’s Adoption Journey
INSIDE
“I
don’t want to see my grandchildren on the news,” Monica wrote to the director of social services. She knew her young grandsons were in danger because their mother, Eva*, had a mental illness, which was later diagnosed as schizophrenia. Child protective services had not responded to Monica’s calls. Monica needed to shake up the system to get them help. Eva’s trouble began three years earlier, after she gave birth to her first child, Gavin. Monica saw Eva becoming increasingly paranoid and isolating herself with Gavin. Monica wanted to bring Gavin to safety in her home, but a combative Eva refused.
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Eva gave birth to a second son, Maleekiah, and Monica could see that Eva wasn’t bonding with her newborn. Monica called child protective services … and nothing happened. She was determined to get help. That’s when she wrote to the director of social services. She told him that the strange men going in and out of Eva’s home could hurt the boys. If the boys came to harm, she wrote, “child protective services would be responsible.” Monica’s letter got attention. Child protective services intervened, and Eva agreed to let Monica take the boys. “But the day after, she called the police and accused the social worker and me of kidnapping the kids,” Monica says. Monica got temporary custody of the boys. Gavin was 3 and Maleekiah was 6 months old.
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Monica’s case was referred to Lilliput, a part of Wayfinder, for assistance from the Resource Family Approval–Kinship program during the adoption process. “Resource (continued on page 6)
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