Top Cities with Highest Rate of Child Removals: Philadelphia Overtakes Phoenix as Most Dangerous City for State-sponsored Child Kidnappings

For several years now Phoenix, Arizona has had the dubious distinction of being the #1 city in the U.S. for taking children away from their parents and placing them into state-funded foster care. Phoenix judges and CPS workers have consistently taken children out of homes and families and put them into harm's way at a higher percentage than any other city in the U.S. for the past several years. Health Impact News started their MedicalKidnap.com website in 2014 due mainly to the sheer volume of parents contacting us from Arizona and complaining about their children being medically kidnapped. However, based on public statistics compiled by the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (NCCPR), Philadelphia has now overtaken Phoenix as the top city in the U.S. having the highest percentage of the children being removed from homes and put into foster care. NCCPR reports that Philadelphia has become so bad, that they now take children away from parents at triple the rate of New York City, and quadruple the rate of Chicago. Sadly, while Philadelphia has assumed the #1 position in the country for state-sponsored child kidnappings among large U.S. cities, this is a problem that affects ALL Americans in every city. This problem will continue to grow worse as long as there are billions of taxpayer dollars to fund the Child Welfare system incentivizing the removal of children from families to feed the foster care and adoption business that employs hundreds of thousands of government workers, whose jobs depend on taking children away from families.

Oregon to Become First State to Mandate Universal Home Visits of All Families with Newborn Children

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has submitted her 2-year budget proposal to the Oregon state legislature, and it includes several health initiatives aimed at children's behavioral (mental) health under the oversight of the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon's Coordinated Care Organizations, a "uniquely Oregon approach to blending a wide array of health services under one umbrella." One of the key pieces of Governor Brown's legislation is: "the beginning investment in a six-year program to create universal home visits for new parents." The Beaverton Valley Times interviewed Patrick Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, who reportedly expressed excitement at the prospect of requiring home visits of all new parents, including adoptive parents: "When the program is complete, every new parent — this includes adoptions — would receive a series of two or three visits by someone like a nurse or other health care practitioner. The visits could include basic health screenings for babies; hooking parents up with primary care physicians; linking them to other services; and coordinating the myriad childhood immunizations that babies need." Allen made it clear that they were targeting all children, not just troubled families: "This isn't something for people in trouble. This is stuff all kids need." Allen said. The state of Oregon sees about 40,000 births per year, and the universal home visit program has apparently already been piloted in Lincoln County.

Texas Baby Taken at Birth from Mom Testing Positive for Marijuana Found Dead in Foster Home Where Child Pornography was Found

One adult is in custody on charges of possession of child pornography from a home in Forney where an infant foster child died unexpectedly December 29. Christian S. Richmond, 19, was booked into the Kaufman County jail on possession of child pornography where he awaits arraignment according to jail records. Law enforcement officials confirm to inForney.com that his address is the same home where an infant in CPS foster care died unexpectedly. Elizabeth Henson of McKinney was only five months old when she was found dead at the foster home. She had been in CPS custody since she was only five days old. The infant’s mother, Brittany Gastineau is desperate for information surrounding her daughter’s death and she says she is not getting answers from CPS. She says that both of her children, Elizabeth and an older son, had both been in Denton County CPS custody since the baby was born in July. The mother says CPS took her children after Elizabeth tested positive for marijuana at birth. Gastineau says she has never met the foster parent responsible for her children’s care, but she has had concerns with their safety since the beginning and says she has made numerous complaints to Denton County CPS officials about the conditions and the other people living in the home. In addition to 5 foster children, there were also two teenage biological family members also living in the home with the foster mother. The foster mother’s brother, an unidentified adult male, also allegedly lived in the home. Neighbors say the home is a Section 8 rental property. Marissa Gonzalez a spokesperson for CPS says that the four other foster children have been removed from the home and CPS would not be providing any additional information on the case.

Arizona Twin Boys Suffering from Environmental Illness Medically Kidnapped from Parents Feeding them Organic Diet

Six-year-old twin boys in Mesa, Arizona were taken into custody by the Department of Children Services (DCS) for “Neglect” due to food intolerances. Both boys have had a lot of chemical and food sensitivities their whole lives, starting from when they were weaned from breastfeeding. “We have constantly struggled with their food sensitivities, one step forward, two steps back,” Jessica, acupuncturist and mother of the twin boys says. From very early on, both boys suffered with joint pain, irritability, headaches, horribly dark circles under their eyes, swelling all over the body, difficulty sleeping, heel pain, itching, rashes that got so bad they turned purple and great bloating. The family removed different foods such as wheat and other processed foods, switching to a real food diet so popular today that it was thoroughly explained in a recent documentary on Netflix called “The Magic Pill”. Their problems subsided until the were literally thriving with no negative issues. They began taking tennis lessons, taekwondo and playing at the local playground regularly. The boys started at a local charter school in August of 2018. Shortly thereafter, they experienced great change in their bodies. They felt yucky overall, suffered from joint pain, weakness in their muscles and headaches. The problems escalated. DCS took custody of both boys two weeks after one was admitted to the hospital. The parents were told they were taking custody of the boys due to medical neglect. They said the boys were in pain due to abuse from the parents.

Criminal Charges Dismissed After Oregon Medical Marijuana Parents Refuse to Quit Fighting After State Took Away Their Daughter

For Kitrina Nelson and Cody Stanphill-Kiser, the year 2018 began with a celebration, and 2019 is also beginning with a celebration and time of healing. Initially taken over her parent’s medical marijuana harvest, 1-year-old Kaylynn was ripped from her parent’s arms on Oct. 24th, 2017, by Malheur County, Oregon Child Protective Services. Kaylynn was placed with strangers in foster care, as her parents were forced to fight allegations of Child Neglect in Family Court over their legal status as Medical Marijuana patients. Kitrina represented herself, and won the case on Dec. 28th, 2017; and Kaylynn was returned home immediately - after spending 70 terrifying days in State Foster Care. Now, almost a year later, Kitrina and Cody are celebrating once again, as all criminal charges against them have finally been dropped.

Where Is Christmas Hope in the Shadow of CPS Darkness?

Christmas is an especially hard day for families who have been separated by Child Protective Services and family courts. How can Christmas possibly be "merry" when that which means the most - the children, or in some cases the elderly parents - are not there? The laughter and wonder of Christmas is missing, and their hearts have been shattered. My heart has been very heavy this Christmas as I carry so many hurting families in my heart. It is hard to see hope and remember joy when there is so much evil in the world, but as I woke up this morning, I was reminded that Hope didn't come two thousand years ago as a blazing warrior on a white horse bringing victory. He came as a tiny baby. Yet He represented in human form all the love and promises and hope of God. I am reminded that, even in the midst of deep sorrow and desperation, the true message of Christmas is that "Hope" has been born. This season is a timeless marker that, no matter how dark and hopeless it may seem, there is still a light that shines in the darkness.

Doctor in South Carolina Claims Mom’s IQ Too Low to Take Care of Handicapped Daughter Who Was Sexually Abused by a Nurse in Foster Care

Kaya Jackson never abused or neglected her children. It all boils down to the fact that the government agency known as Child Protective Services has decided that she doesn't have enough intelligence to care for one of her children. Though a judge ruled months ago that Kaya didn't need to have a neuropsychological evaluation, another judge since then approved the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) request for the test. Now a doctor says that her IQ is too low to care for a special needs child, even though she has taken many classes and learned what she needs to know to care for her daughter. Unsupervised visits had begun in October, and Egypt was supposed to be returned home by February at the latest. This new development unravels the progress that has happened over the last 4 years as Kaya has fought to bring her family back together again. She has jumped through every hoop that DSS has placed before her. Every time that she meets another demand, social workers have managed to get a judge to approve yet another demand.

Massachusetts Seeks to Disbar and Silence Attorney Fighting to Expose Corruption in Senior Medical Kidnappings

Attorneys and guardians have plundered the estate of Marvin Siegel, a retired attorney from Boxford, Massachusetts. At the same time they have gone through the courts to isolate him from his children and essentially imprison him in his own home. His youngest daughter Lisa Belanger followed in his footsteps in becoming an attorney, inspired by her father's principles of fighting for what is right. She says: "He taught me to not be silent when wrongs are being done to others." She and her sister Devora Kaiser were shocked to see the strong arm of the state in keeping them away from their beloved father when he was captured from his family in 2011. Marvin Siegel's daughters had no idea how deeply the corruption in the guardianship issue runs, but they have had a front row seat to see the conflicts of interests, sweetheart deals, drugging of senior citizens, and raping of their estates that are standard fare in some probate courts, such as the one their family has had the misfortune of being subjected to. In our last update on their story in July 2018, we reported that attorney Marsha Kazarosian retaliated against Lisa Belanger and her efforts to free her father by filing with the Bar Association to have her disbarred. The latest developments seem to paint a picture of the deck stacked against the attorney who is simply fighting with all she has for the God-given human right to have a relationship with her father, without government interference. Meanwhile, Lisa and her sister were notified on Monday, December 10, that their father has been hospitalized. He has pneumonia, but Lisa Belanger is forbidden to see her father by Marsha Kazarosian and the new court-appointed guardian for Marvin Siegel, Brian Bixby, who was recommended by Kazarosian.

Arizona Adoptive Mother Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Scalding Young Foster Girl Who was Part of Pedophile Ring

The Arizona woman convicted of scalding a little girl placed in her care by Child Protective Services has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 15 years probation. Samantha Osteraas could have received up to a 30 year sentence at her hearing on December 3, 2018, but Superior Court Judge James Marner of Pima County felt that Osteraas "deserved some leniency," according to the Arizona Daily Star. A group of concerned citizens called the AZ DCS Oversight Group says that they tried to submit a Victim Impact Statement to the court, but were refused. The judge's clerk threatened to throw the group representative out of the courtroom if the document was distributed, but the group had already given it to various media representatives before giving it to the clerk. Osteraas was found guilty in October of reckless child abuse for waiting for several hours before calling 911 after then 5 year old Devani was scalded in the bathtub. Devani suffered 3rd degree burns to more than 70% of her body and had to be placed into a medically induced coma. She lost all 10 of her toes and has undergone 29 surgeries since the crime against her almost 2 years ago. During the trial, Devani, now 7, testified that Osteraas held her down in the bathtub with a pink towel.

Child Abuse Pediatrician Testimony Rips a South Carolina Family Apart

One doctor says that the ONLY way a child's injuries could happen is by "brute force." Other doctors can look at the same data and say that that the injuries could have been caused by an accident, metabolic disorder, nutritional deficiency, infection, or other non-abusive mechanism. When these two perspectives collide, then justice demands that we examine other evidence. Is there a history of violence? Is there other evidence of abuse? Has anyone witnessed abuse? What about the perspective of those who know the accused - is abuse consistent with the character of the person who is accused? All too often, parents lose their children to Child Protective Services, often permanently, and others have gone to prison based on the testimony of one particular kind of doctor - a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) - even though there is no other evidence that the parents have abused their child. Robbie and Jennifer Ray of South Carolina are facing just such a scenario. Dr. Susan Lamb, CAP at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, says that the only possible explanation for the couple's twins' injuries is child abuse, even though other doctors and their families disagree. Jennifer Ray told Health Impact News: "If there is no evidence to prove physical abuse, then you need to second guess the diagnosis [made by the child abuse doctor]."