Just Imagine..

You're a young mom with 2 little kids, expecting your third. You and your husband live in your own house near family and friends.

Life is good, right?

But someone with an agenda against your neighborhood makes a (probably false) allegation, and you lose your children in one afternoon.

You claim to be innocent of any abuse.

Your children seem healthy and happy.

There is no evidence of abuse.

No charges are brought against you.

Yet because of your neighborhood and friendships, you are suspect.

What's more, you claim to be 22, and have appropriate government-issued and -certified ID to prove it, but it is scoffed at. You look young. Young enough to be detained yourself at least until you give birth, so that newborn can be assigned to state custody as well.

Is this a nightmare? I can only imagine. But it's one Louisa Jessop is living. She and her husband have filed some legal paperwork and the state has now agreed to reassess the documentation that was earlier provided regarding her age.

And, because of a chicken pox exposure in the horrific conditions the state provided to her early in her detainment, she can enjoy her post-partum recovery on an air mattress on the floor of a stranger's home.

All evidence points to the fact that this woman is an adult, married monogamously, with healthy cared-for children. She was an adult when she got married and bore these children. So what is really going on here? What law did she break so as to be denied her family? None. No law that we know of. Not even any laws written up just to target these people.

Land of the free? I'm starting to wonder.

And if it wasn't so wrong it would be funny: the article makes mention of CPS' problems getting accurate age information from some of the women. A commenter on another blog summed it up well:

part of what is going on here is that the State made it clear that only girls aged 17 and under would be allowed to stay with their children.

What then would you expect a 22 year old who could easily pass for 17 to
do? She lied to stay with her kids, of course.

Now, when she comes back and says, "i'm not really 17, i'm 22 and here's my driver's license to prove it," the State claims she's giving contradictory information regarding her age.

it's so perverse -- the State is putting these women into a position where they have to lie to stay with their kids, and then using the lie as justification for keeping their kids.

Who's next?