Successful Actor and Teacher is Denied the Right to Parent His Own Children Because He Is Blind

The right of the natural parent to the care and custody of his or her child is considered a fundamental right in the United States. In spite of that, a New York Kings County Supreme Judge in Brooklyn has slammed the door on an American father’s right to parent is own children – solely it seems because he is blind. The judge, in this case, would insert “able” and in particular “sighted” in front of “natural parent.” “No vision, no children” sums up the Court’s decision, upturning decades of civil rights progress and common sense.

Somehow the fact that tens of thousands of blind parents raise their children every day without “sighted supervision” was lost to the judge.

Christopher G. Roberts has over 23 years of experience in professional theatre. He is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Steppingstone Theatre Company (SSTC), a not-for-profit arts organization. He has an MFA degree in acting from Brooklyn College and a BA degree in theater from the University at Buffalo.

Is Foster Care “In the Best Interest of the Child”?

Current laws in the United States that give legal authority to social workers and law enforcement to remove children from their families and place them into foster care often use the term “in the best interest of children.”

This sounds like a noble reason to take children away from their families, but what do measured outcomes of such actions really instruct us about the definition of “the best interest of children”? Are children truly better off in foster care than they would be if they had stayed with their natural parents who are accused of some “abuse” or “neglect”? Let’s take a look at some statistics to find the answer to that question.

Pregnant Homeschool Mom Assaulted by Sheriff as CPS Kidnaps Her Kids in Kentucky

Friends of the Naugler family in Kentucky reached out to us and asked us to tell their story. Their 10 homeschooled children were allegedly taken away by Breckinridge County Sheriff deputies and CPS this week, allegedly acting on an anonymous tip. The officers reportedly had no warrant to enter their property. Nicole Naugler is currently 5 months pregnant, and reportedly attempted to drive away from the property with a couple of the children. Officers allegedly detained her from leaving her own property, and when she objected to them taking away her children, they allegedly “slammed (her) belly first into the cop car and bruised and scraped on both arms.”

They also allegedly arrested her for “disorderly conduct” when she objected to them taking away her children, and spent the night in jail. All ten children are reportedly now in State custody. Much of the encounter with CPS and the Sheriff deputies was recorded, and the recordings are available on the Save Our Family blog.

Ohio CPS Destroys Family of 5 Children - Parents Acquitted of Any Wrong Doing

Chris and Kathy Butner of Ohio answered their door one day and found two policemen and Child Protection Services there to take away their 5 children. They asked “why,” but no explanation was given. They were told that “everything was going to be just fine.”

They reportedly complied with everything CPS told them to do, and CPS allegedly told the parents that reunification was the goal. But their children were apparently being told by their foster parents that they were going to be adopted. They were frightened, and their parents told them not to worry, as they would soon be home.

Originally accused of Munchausen by Proxy, Kathy says the court later found no evidence of abuse or medical neglect. But apparently that did not matter. Their visits to their children were cut off, and the children were adopted.

Chris and Kathy have been told there is nothing that can be done for them now that they have been adopted, and that they should just move on.

They ask, “How? Could you just move on?”

Kathy still hears her oldest son saying, “I thought you made me a promise?” Those words don’t go away for Kathy and her husband. There is no closure for them. Not a day goes by in that home that was once filled with their children’s laughter where the silence continues to take over their minds. Their children have now been led to believe that they have stopped fighting. They want their children to know they have not stopped fighting, and they will not give up.

Report Exposes Why Corrupt CPS Agencies Seldom Place Foster Children with Family Members

Fox 8 points out in their investigation that North Carolina rejects funding that would put children permanently with relatives instead of in foster homes. Grandparents who are able and willing to care for their grandchildren, for example, are routinely rejected by the State.

Why?

Melissa Painter of Fox 8 points out that in North Carolina more than 10,000 children are in foster care under the care of the State. This brings in more than $198 million of funding to take care of these children.

Federal laws actually require States to give preference to placing children with relatives. There is even federal funding available to place the children with relatives in “permanent legal guardianships.” But North Carolina (and many other states) do not follow this practice, because children put up for adoption bring in more federal funding. Instead of giving federal funds that can be designated for relatives in guardianships, they keep the funds for themselves to administer the foster care and adoption system.

In short, a child put into the foster care system on the path to adoption, brings in more money to the State, and employs more people to “administer” these children.

Texas CPS Kidnaps 19-month Old Child for “Failure to Thrive"

The Giwa’s are not the kind of parents who come to mind when you think Child Protective Services.

“They’re well educated they are hardworking people the mom actually has a PHD in special education dad works for an energy company here in Houston” says attorney Jon Parchman.

The couple says they know their 19-month-old son is not developing like he should but say they’ve never gotten a medical reason for his developmental delays and say they’ve never denied him medical treatment.

In court documents CPS admits the reason for the boy’s developmental delays are not known but still that state agency is accusing the parents of medical neglect.

As for the medical neglect the attorney says CPS’s only witness in court was a doctor who never saw the boy or talked to the parents.

“The most they really got was the hospital room was a little dirty that was the extent of what they proved in court,” Parchman says. “The judge said so you’ve proven there’s a dirty hospital room that doesn’t get us to danger in returning the child home.”

Still the judge ruled in CPS’s favor granting them temporary custody and only allowing the parents to see their son for one hour twice a week. “It’s horrible he’s never been without us he’s my baby the entire family is a mess because of it we can’t function,” Giwa said.

Whistleblowers Reveal CPS Child Kidnappings in Kentucky Adoption Business

Investigative reporter John Boel has exposed much of the corruption taking place in the “child protection” system in Kentucky. His reports were broadcast in the local media, and include some amazing interviews with former CPS whistleblowers, documenting the depth of the alleged corruption within Kentucky CPS.

In a report aired originally on WLKY Target 32 News, news anchors begin the story by explaining that the station had to go to court just to get permission to air their investigative report, because the State of Kentucky attempted to censor their report from the public.

Reporter John Boel states that they were “being swamped with complaints” against CPS in Kentucky. He explains that his report gives an “in-depth look” into Kentucky CPS which exemplifies what they were hearing from so many other families who were coming to them.

Boel reports that children are often removed quickly with no evidence of parental wrong-doing, and that the State retaliates against those who try to fight back.

Breastfed Babies Kidnapped by CPS Because Parents were "Homeless" Living out of RV

Amber is one of those free-spirited people who takes even incredible hardships and turns them into adventures, inspiring others in the process. When her young family wound up homeless, through no fault of their own, she and her husband Krishna Mehta made the best of it. Their children didn’t even know that they were homeless; they thought that they were having great adventures and making lots of friends.

This latest chapter in their saga, however, is a nightmare, and the rainbow is really hard to find in the storm that Child Protective Services has allegedly brought into their lives. Their children, ages 6, almost 2, and 9 months, have been seized by CPS and placed into 3 different foster homes. The two babies were still being breastfed. Social services has gone so far as to accuse Amber of having a mental disorder because she is “homeless,” even though the family RV they were living out of was apparently approved as “acceptable.”

Now under State control, Amber states that children are suffering poor health whereas before they were healthy, happy children. She was forced to consent to vaccinations against her wish, under threat of being charged with “medical neglect.”

Special Needs Sisters Kidnapped From Homeschooling Christian Family

Throughout history, people have taken a stand for their faith which oftentimes resulted in unfavorable consequences for the individuals. For disabled veteran David Owen and his wife Teresa, their refusal to stop practicing their Christian faith was ultimately used as a rationale in Kansas Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) seizing custody of their two special needs daughters, Angel and Catrina. According to Teresa Owen:

”Our daughters were wrongfully removed from our home because we refused to stop attending church and teaching our daughters about Christ. Angel and Catrina are being wrongfully kept out of our home, abused, and medically neglected. We are still fighting for our daughters and trying to help other families.”

Their children were taken at the beginning of 2011. To this day, they are not home, and Teresa and David are fighting to regain custody of their daughters. They believe their daughters are being abused both physically and emotionally in State custody, and are pleading with people to get their story published.

The Ultimate Irony: The Decimation of Families to Protect the Children

Mothers from across the country are appalled at the outrageous action of the schools and police, when they seized an 11-year-old child and arrested his mother after he defended medical marijuana during a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) school drug presentation in Kansas on March 24, 2015. Is this freedom of speech? Does government encouraging children to spy and turn in their parents sound familiar?

Sadly, the mother in this case who is a motivational speaker and author may face drug and child endangerment charges. She uses medicinal marijuana to help treat her Crohn’s disease. Her son is in temporary protective custody, and the DA is considering removing him long-term from his home.

CPS Threatens To Kidnap 7 Year Old in California When Parents Try to Transfer to Different Hospital

Kennedy May Willey suffered her first seizure as a child shortly after receiving the DTaP vaccine. Today she is a 7 year-old girl diagnosed with Dravet syndrome who has led a very active and “normal” life. They attribute much of their success to the GAPS diet.

When her seizures recently increased, her parents found themselves in a hospital with what they believe was an over-zealous doctor that wanted to try a drug cocktail of treatments. Seeing her condition quickly deteriorate, they sought to transfer her to another facility. They were threatened with losing their daughter to CPS, so they hired attorneys to help them get her daughter transferred.

The Willeys want to share their story with others as a warning to the dangers of medical kidnapping that so many other parents are facing today. Have we now come to the point in the United States that in order to get one’s child transferred to another hospital or seek different treatment options that one needs to hire attorneys to do so? What about those who cannot afford attorneys?

Feds Order Baby Returned After Massachusetts Kidnaps Baby Due to Mother's Disability

In an unprecedented move, the federal government has ordered the Department of Children and Families to return a child to her mother. And on Tuesday, we are hearing for the first time directly from the child’s family about their 2-year battle with the department.

FOX25’s Investigative Reporter Kerry Kavanaugh examines allegations the state discriminated against this young mother because of her disability. A newborn girl had yet to leave the hospital when DCF decided the 19-year-old mother, with an intellectual disability, was incapable of caring for her. The mother is publicly known by the pseudonym, Sara Gordon. Her battle to get her baby back is now seen as a victory for people with disabilities.

N.J. Family Sues CPS for $60 Million for Invading Their Homeschool without Cause

A Warren County (New Jersey) family is suing the state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency for alleged unconstitutional home intrusion and civil rights violations.

Christopher Zimmer and his wife Nicole, of Belvidere, filed a civil rights complaint in United States District Court in Trenton against DCP&P.

“I won’t forget that morning for a long, long time,” said Mr. Zimmer, thinking back to a Tuesday morning in January that began with a caseworker pounding on their door.

Mr. Zimmer said that the caseworker demanded she be let inside, adding that the family did not have a choice. Startled by her aggression, Mr. Zimmer questioned why she was there.

The Zimmers allege that the caseworker refused to answer the question, until later admitting that the homeschooling of 15-year-old Christopher Zimmer, Jr. was the focus of her investigation.

Not knowing the extent of his rights, Mr. Zimmer called town police to sort out the matter, but police ultimately said the caseworker was allowed to come into the house.

Their suit alleges that home schooling issues aren’t the responsibility of the DCP&P.

Senator Nancy Schaefer: Did her Fight Against CPS Child Kidnapping Cause her Murder?

Georgia Senator Nancy Schaefer may have known more about State-sponsored kidnappings than any other politician in the United States before she was murdered in March of 2010. Her published report, The Corrupt Business of Child Protective Services, was a scathing expose on the terrible practice of State-sponsored child kidnapping. It was the basis for many lectures and interviews she gave on the topic, several of which are available on YouTube. She claims the report caused her to lose her Senate seat in the Georgia State Senate, but she stated:

“However, there are causes worth losing over.”

This cause was so big however, that there are some who believe she lost more than just her job. They believe she lost her very life.

In this article, we reproduce the message and work of Georgia Senator Nancy Schaefer. Her scathing report is included here, as well as a very comprehensive interview she gave less than 1 year before her death. Nancy Schaefer had first-hand knowledge that children all across the United States were being kidnapped and taken out of families by government employees for very evil purposes, including child sex trafficking.

California Orange County CPS Sued for Kidnapping More than 5,000 Children

Attorney Shawn McMillan is continuing his fight against the corrupt Child and Protective Services in California, and has now filed a class action lawsuit against Orange County California for allegedly seizing more 5000 children in State-sponsored kidnappings.

This follows his December 2014 class action lawsuit against CPS in Riverside County in California, which is also accused of kidnapping “thousands” of children without cause.

Another Medical Kidnapping at Boston Children's Hospital: Baby Seized Over Formula Disagreement

Unable to pump enough breast milk for her prematurely born baby, the search began for an appropriate formula to feed baby Bella. Finding one that worked, they took their baby home in Alabama.

A trip back to Massachusetts, their former resident state, to gather belongings and visit family members resulted in difficulties in finding the same formula they had used in Alabama. They found one that the baby tolerated, but a visit to the local WIC office in Massachusetts put them at odds with a pediatrician who insisted on changing her formula, one that baby Bella did not do well with as her weight allegedly began to decline.

The parents decided to go back to Alabama immediately, to be with a pediatrician who was using the right formula. But Massachusetts DCF followed their case to Alabama, contacting Alabama DHR. Alabama DHR investigated the family, and cleared them after seeing how well the baby was doing.

But this was not good enough for Massachusetts DCF, which allegedly threatened the family with criminal charges if they did not return to Massachusetts. The frightened family complied, and their baby girl was put into Boston Children’s Hospital, where they soon lost custody. Now, Massachusetts DCF is planning to adopt out baby Bella.

Arizona Family Court, CPS, and Doctors on Trial in 9th Circuit Court

On Friday April 17, 2015 9:00 a.m. the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit heard the Leanna Smith v. State of Arizona case in the medical kidnapping of Leanna Smith’s two daughters by CPS and Arizona doctors.

The contrast between the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and the Arizona Juvenile Courts is the difference between transparency and darkness; the difference between fairness and corruption; the difference between hope and despair.

The entire trial was recorded in the court room in San Francisco, and you can view it here.

Years After Medical Kidnapping, Woman Claims She Was Not Victim of Munchausen or Abuse by Mother

It was a heartbreaking case that ripped a 9-year-old girl from her South Florida family and sent her mother to prison for years.

Exactly 19 years ago… Jennifer Bush was placed in state care amid allegations that her mother, Kathy Bush, was deliberately making her ill in an unusual — and some say now discredited — form of child abuse called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

After shunning attention for years, Jennifer Bush is publicly defending her mom for the first time and agreed to release a written statement this week and answer a few, limited follow-up questions from the Sun Sentinel.

“Jennifer made it very clear: She thinks her mother never abused her,” said Fort Lauderdale lawyer Robert Buschel, who defended Kathy Bush in her criminal trial.

CPS Destroying Rengo Family: Demands Erica Separate from her Husband to Get Children Back

It has been more than three months since the dramatic arrest and capture of Erica and Cleave’s 3 small children by CPS, where Erica shouted to reporters: “Send a message to America for me. Children don’t belong to the government. The government belongs to the people.”

After a period of media silence, Erica has reached out to the media. She says that the tyranny against her family is continuing, and she is exposing what she is calling “enslavement” by the system. The latest developments are that Erica and Cleave have been forced to separate as a condition to getting the children back, and the children are allegedly being medically abused while in state foster care.

Texas Deputies Punch Pregnant War Veteran Woman While CPS Takes Her Child

Deanna Robinson-Katsuki is a decorated Air Force Veteran, who once received the Airman’s Medal for helping drag soldiers from a burning plane in Iraq. Yet Deanna recently came under an investigation by Texas Child Protection Services, who arrived at Deanna’s parents’ home with Sheriff deputies from Hunt County. Deanna is also 9 months pregnant.

What followed was partially recorded by a home security camera, which showed Sheriff deputies repeatedly punching her in the stomach, because she did not want them to remove her 18 month old son. The video has gone viral, and has been viewed over 400,000 times already.

Federal Government to Monitor Weight and Collect Data on Children in Daycare

The Washington Free Beacon is reporting that bureaucrats from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will weigh and measure children in daycare as part of a study mandated by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Will this data be used by medical professionals as another way to medically kidnap children if they do not measure up to government standards for growth and weight, or are not eating government-approved foods?

Illinois Stops Teen from Going to Mayo Clinic - "Legalized Terrorism" Claims Distraught Mom

“Today, they are threatening to take Isaiah back to Chicago. Friends, this is legalized terrorism going on right here in our country. We have to stop this. They are violating our civil and constitutional rights and no one is stopping them.

This has to become a concern to all. I’m afraid if it doesn’t become a public issue of concern soon, we will all be stripped of our rights. This is a reality, it’s happening right now. My son is terrified, my family is terrified, I am terrified. Please speak up for us.”

Maryland Couple Sues CPS Over Unlawful Seizure of Their Children

The Meitiv Family in Montgomery County Maryland is reportedly beginning litigation against Maryland CPS and possibly Montgomery County Police as well, for the unlawful seizure of their children this past weekend.

As we have seen in so many other cases we have covered here at Health Impact News, there were no criminal charges filed against the parents of Meitiv children, and the alleged “victims” of parental abuse or neglect were incarcerated by force, in a total violation of their civil rights. The children were walking home from the park when police and CPS detained them for hours, not even allowing them to call their parents.

Danielle Meitiv, the mother, has posted an article on her Facebook Page showing that the neighborhood they live in has recently been voted one of “The 10 Most Caring Suburbs In America,” and yet she now fears to allow her children to walk alone in their neighborhood due to the threat of kidnapping by local police and CPS. Such is the sad state of affairs in the United States of America today, where parents fear having their children kidnapped by government authorities more than they fear other criminals who could harm their children.

Warrant Issuing Judge in Stanley Children Kidnapping Case Forces Sheriff to Reveal Documents

Reporter Clay Herrmann of the Hot Springs Daily News in Hot Springs Arkansas has published copies of the Search Warrant, the Affidavit for the Search Warrant, and the Search Warrant Return form used to take the seven children out of the Stanley home on January 12, 2015 with the full force of a tactical SWAT-style team. As has previously been reported, the children were removed by Garland County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Michael Wright, against the protests of social service workers and a medical team who were present at the scene and saw nothing warranting the children’s removal.

Until Mr. Herrmann’s investigative report, the Affidavit for the Search Warrant could not be located, even after attempts to procure it were made by the family’s attorney. Mr. Herrmann went directly to the judge who issued the warrant, Judge Lynn Williams, who forced Deputy Sheriff Mike Wright to finally hand over the documents. So far, no criminal charges have been filed against the father Hal Stanley, or any other family member. And yet, the State retains custody of their children.

If you are a citizen of the United States living in Garland County Arkansas, maybe it is time to take action if you do not want to continue living in a police state where authorities can come and kidnap your children with no criminal charges filed. If Sgt. Wright does not believe he has to give an account of his actions because he can hide in Juvenile Court, maybe it is time for a “Citizens vs. Garland County Sheriff Department” complaint to be filed in Garland County, and specifically against Mike Wright.

9 Year Medical Kidnapping Case in Arizona Reaches Federal Court - Mother Speaks Out

Leanna Smith of Arizona recently spoke out on her federal medical kidnapping case on the Robert Scott Bell show. In this interview, Leanna explains that she has two cases that will be heard on the 17th. One case is against the doctors who filed a report against her to CPS allegedly to cover up their medical malpractice that caused her first daughter to suffer, and which resulted in her losing custody of her daughter.

The second case involves conspiring to take custody of her second daughter because she had initiated the first lawsuit against them.

A panel of judges from the 9th Circuit Court will review the case. Leanna is hoping that the court will unseal over 1800 audio recordings in the case which will expose just how the medical system and CPS in Arizona work in taking children away from their parents by medically kidnapping them.

Parent advocate Steve Isham also spoke on the Robert Scott Bell show and stated that the secret dealings of Arizona Family Court will finally come to light in federal court. He stated that in his 40 years of working as a parent advocate on these cases, the secrecy in which family court operates in Arizona has never been for the benefit of the children, but to cover up injustice.

The public and media are encouraged to attend on Friday April 17, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, located in the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco.

New Mexico Lawmakers Join Growing List of States Protecting Children From Forced Psychiatric Drugging

New Mexico took a big step toward protecting children’s and parents’ rights when, last week, Governor Susana Martinez signed into law a bill ensuring that a parent’s decision not to administer psychotropic drugs to a child is not grounds for a child being removed from parental custody by Child Protective Services (CPS).

And the legislation goes deeper. House Bill 53, sponsored by State Rep. Nora Espinoza, also restricts school personnel from taking any action against the parent or compelling or requiring any student to take a psychotropic drug and, further, requires parental written consent prior to any psychological screening.

Police and CPS Detain Kids (Again) for Walking Home from Park without Parents

The Meitiv family’s two children were picked up by police in Maryland this past weekend, again for the “crime” of walking home from the park without their parents.

From Danielle Meitiv’s Facebook page:

“THE KIDS ARE HOME! CPS finally let us see them at 10:30 and after making us sign a “safety plan” let us bring them home.

The police coerced our children into the back of a patrol car, telling them they would drive them home. They kept the kids trapped there for three hours, without notifying us, before dropping them at the Crisis Center, and holding them there without dinner for another two and a half hours. We finally got home at 11pm and the kids slept in our room because we were all exhausted and terrified.”

The Meitiv family has one thing in their favor that most of the other parents in our stories do not have: the support of the mainstream media who seem to be outraged over this story. Why are they outraged over this happening to the Meitivs, but not other families? Is it because both parents are well-educated scientists, and more accurately represent families among the national mainstream media elite? Do they realize that if this can happen to the Meitivs it can probably happen to them too?

In the meantime, Danielle Meitiv said she won’t leave her children unsupervised until she and her husband are cleared.

“Child Protective Services has succeeded in making me terrified of letting my children out,” she said. “Nothing that has happened so far has convinced me that children don’t need independence and freedom, except that they’ll be harassed by police and CPS.”

Parents Trade Tips to Prevent Confiscation of Kids at Washington D.C. Meeting

About a dozen parents and medical marijuana activists gathered in the nation’s capital recently to share horror stories and advice on how to shield families from authorities who wield the power to take away their children. State marijuana laws are increasingly common in the U.S., but protections for parents who legally use the drug as medicine or administer it to their children are missing, panelists and audience members at the event said.

Roughly half of states currently allow medical marijuana – four of them also allow legal recreational pot use – and a handful more allow use of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound thought to have medicinal benefits that doesn’t produce a high.

Maria and Steve Green of Michigan, where residents approved a medical pot law in 2008, shared the well-reported story of officials taking away their 6-month-old daughter, Bree, in 2013. In California, the first state to set up a medical marijuana program in the 1990s, a couple sued in 2013 after their children were taken for a year because the father, a veteran, allegedly used the drug for medical purposes near them. Another California couple sued, alleging their son was sexually abused in foster care after he was taken from his San Diego home when a raid recovered pot his father says was grown for medicine.

CPS Defies Doctors and Police to Take Young Children Away from Mother

It was a sequence of events that could happen to any new mother, but Brenda Maney of Richmond, Kentucky, could never have anticipated that it would result in her losing her children, perhaps forever. But that is what is happening. In less than a month, on May 7, Brenda faces a hearing to permanently terminate her parental rights.

Brenda’s baby girl was born two weeks early via c-section. She went to the NICU and was in a coma for eight days. She was diagnosed with sleep apnea and severe GERD, and required an apnea monitor when she was finally released to go home. Between an infection in her surgical scar, and a monitor that sometimes went off every half hour or hour, Brenda wasn’t getting much sleep. She was also caring for her 11 year old special needs son.

She didn’t have much help either, because her mother had passed away not long before the birth, and she was a single mom. When her baby was 6 weeks old, she learned that she was going to have to move soon because the building she lived in was being sold. By this point, she was still under doctors orders not to lift anything over 10 lbs.

Then the transmission on her car went out.

It was a bit overwhelming, and Brenda called a friend, crying about the series of unfortunate events. Her friend offered to try to help her. Her friend was a bit naive, and called CPS to help the new mama, believing that their role was to help parents in time of need. That is when the problems really started. Although local police objected, CPS took away her children. Even after doctors cleared Brenda of any psychological or medical problems, CPS refused to give her children back.

Arizona Families Hold Umbrella Rally on Anniversary of Diegel Sisters Medical Kidnapping

It has been a year now since Melissa Diegel’s daughters, Kayla and Hannah, were seized by Arizona CPS and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, one year since that horrible week last April when the Diegel sisters joined the ranks of not hundreds, but thousands of children in foster care in Arizona, many of whom are believed to be there unjustly. The Diegel story helped to thrust the issue of medical kidnapping into the national spotlight.

In commemoration of the painful anniversary, other families and supporters joined together for an Arizona State House Umbrella Rally, to “rally for the 17,000 Arizona children currently in State Care.” Umbrellas have become a symbol for these children, starting out as simply a tribute to the Diegel sisters because Hannah has always loved umbrellas. As the number of supporters grew, the umbrellas have come to symbolize much more, as a rallying cry for activists fighting to bring these children home:

“All children belong under the protective umbrella of loving parents.”

Cook Family vs. CPS Case in Texas Heads to Grand Jury

In this interview with Angel Cook, she explains how a Texas CPS worker came into their home after the death of one of their adopted children, and misrepresented herself as a police detective, and then accused her of murdering her child, a charge that was later dismissed in a court of law.

CPS removed their other 7 children from the home, and they were subsequently mistreated and sexually abused while in Texas foster care.

Today, the Cooks have their children back, but they continue to fight against the abuses of Texas CPS and the foster care system. Angel Cook and two of her sons have testified twice before legislative committees about the failings of CPS and the foster care system.

Although all charges were dropped against the parents for the death of their adopted son, who was allegedly abused and mistreated prior to coming into the Cook Family’s care, Angel Cook is now listed as a Child Abuser and can no longer get a job or visit her children in school. The social workers who knew about the mistreatment and sexual abuse of their children while in foster care remain on their jobs as social workers, and the foster parents who allegedly abused their children are still fostering other children.

Court Approves $2.075 Million Settlement for Ex-foster Children Who Were Abused

The federal court in Nevada has approved a $2.075 million settlement for seven former foster children who claimed they were injured while in Clark County’s child welfare system, the National Center for Youth Law announced.

“The track record for the county is not good,” said Bill Grimm, a senior attorney at the Oakland, Calif.,-based National Center for Youth Law, which filed the lawsuit and lobbies for the protection and care of foster children.

The suit cited concerns with numerous aspects of the county’s child welfare system, including the use of psychotropic medications on children, reported physical and sexual abuse in foster homes, and the adequacy of Child Protective Services investigations.

Isaiah Rider Speaks out on Robert Scott Bell Show - Wants to go to Mayo Clinic for Pain but Held Hostage

Isaiah Rider, the 17 year old teenager who is still in the custody of Illinois against his will, appeared on The Robert Scott Bell Show last night (April 6th) along with his mother Michelle Rider to give an update on their current situation.

As reported on the Epic Times today, one of the more amazing moments in the interview was when Isaiah was asked by Robert Scott Bell “What do you need?”

Isaiah’s response was:

“The one thing that I need is I really need people to help me make a difference in the world. I want kids to have better lives than having DCFS take them away from their families.”

Today (April 7, 2015), Michelle Rider reported that Isaiah is experiencing another pain crisis, and they desperately need help. The family wants Isaiah transferred to the Mayo Clinic, but they need the permission of the State of Illinois DCFS to do so.

Vermont Teen Drugged Against Her Will, Held in Custody in Massachusetts Mental Health Facility

“I’m just literally here as a hostage. I didn’t do anything. I haven’t harmed anyone. I haven’t harmed myself, and they won’t let me go home. I just want to go home to my mom, so I can have my life back. They took it from me. They are drugging me up every single day against my will.”

This is the heartfelt plea recorded by a homeschooled American teenager being held in a mental health facility in Massachusetts against her will and that of her family in Vermont.

Arizona CPS on Trial in Federal Court - Will Justice Prevail?

Leanna Smith has been fighting the State of Arizona for several years for allegedly taking away her two daughters illegally in a massive medical cover-up and fraud case. Now she gets her day in federal court on Friday April 17th in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

But will justice prevail?

Leanna Smith has over 1700 audio recordings of alleged interviews with government and medical personnel in the case, which have been sealed. Why have these recording been sealed for so long in Arizona courts? Will they finally be released, and will Leanna Smith be able to present her case against the State of Arizona and medical authorities in federal court?

Health Impact News has published the stories of several families who claim their children were medically kidnapped in Arizona. One of the most tragic stories we have published is the story of Leanna and Darrell Smith’s two daughters, which perhaps most illustrates the depth of corruption that many families have reported exists in the Arizona “medical kidnapping” system. The Smith family was completely destroyed, as they lost 2 of their 3 children, and they have been embattled in years of legal proceedings. Now, their case will be heard outside of Arizona in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

HSLDA Takes Prosecution of Arizona CPS Workers to Supreme Court

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit excused two Arizona social workers from liability for threatening to take John and Tiffany Loudermilk’s children into state custody if they didn’t immediately consent to a search of their home.

This result is deeply disappointing.

It allows CPS workers to continue to coerce parents into cooperating by threatening to take away their children. It endorses their tactic of calling in the police to intimidate parents in their own home. And it sharply discourages parents from seeking legal counsel to find out what their rights are.

This is why we at HSLDA take cases like this one. We will be asking the Supreme Court to review the case.

Federal Court Rules Against South Dakota for Taking Children Away from Native Americans

We have previously reported how the Department of Social Services makes up 53% of the entire budget for the state of South Dakota every year, mainly by removing children from Native American homes, and usually placing them in white people’s homes.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced this week that a federal court has ordered South Dakota officials to stop violating the rights of Indian parents and tribes in state child custody proceedings.

Medical Kidnapping of Twins Reported in Michigan

WDIV in Detroit Michigan is reporting on a medical kidnapping in Novi Michigan (outskirts of Detroit). The parents of 5 children, including two premature baby twins, appeared in court today after police and CPS removed all 5 of their children from their home last night. Many members of their community turned to support the family, saying the children were being taken away from loving parents.

Doctors found injured ribs on one of the twins, but the parents say it is a result of brittle bone disease. The mother was told to pump her breast milk because she can now only see her babies twice a week.

Teen Forced to Undergo Chemotherapy Denied Visitation with Mom, Must Stay in Hospital

Cassandra C., the Connecticut teen forced to undergo chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, says she “hoped beyond hope” that a judge would let her leave the hospital where she has been legally required to stay since December.

But on Wednesday, a Connecticut Superior Court judge ruled that the 17-year-old must remain at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford under the temporary custody of the state’s Department of Children and Families until she completes her court-ordered chemotherapy.

The judge also denied visitation to her mother, Jackie Fortin.

“I cried when I found out,” Cassandra tells PEOPLE. “I’m just heartbroken right now. Why are they keeping me from my mom? It is really unnecessary. I want to be with my mom. I’m devastated.”

Cassandra has not seen or spoken to her mother since New Year’s Day after DCF prohibited the teen from having any contact with her, she says.

Black Businesswoman Held in Psyche Ward at Harlem Hospital Against Her Will

We have previously reported that adult medical kidnappings also happen in America. The NY Daily News has published the story of Long Island resident Kam Brock’s eight day confinement and forced injections of powerful sedatives in a Harlem hospital. She recently filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan.

The Daily News reports that New York police her prized BMW car in Harlem because they suspected she was high on marijuana. While they allegedly found no marijuana in the vehicle, they confiscated it anyway. When Brock showed up the next day to retrieve her vehicle, her lawsuit claims that the police handcuffed her and had an ambulance transport her to the Harlem hospital as a doctor injected her with a sedative.

Medical Kidnap in Georgia: Newborn Nursing Baby Seized at Hospital

Without identifying herself, the parents said, the social worker began interviewing Multari, asking about their parents, their relationship, their health.

“Who are you?” Multari said she asked.

“You best not get defensive,” Multari said the woman responded.

The woman told her that if she cooperated, everything would be fine.

Minutes later, while Multari was nursing the baby, a nurse came and took the newborn away.

Medical Tyranny in Tennessee: Forced Antibiotics on Newborns

The Times Free Press in Chattanooga Tennessee reported last week that the Erlanger Health System was going to start forcing all newborn babies in their health facilities to receive an antibiotic ointment applied to their eyes at birth, whether their parents want it or not. Even if nurses and midwives attending the birth do not approve of the antibiotic ointment, the hospital allegedly stated that they will apply it anyway, using security guards at the patient’s bedside if need be.

Cleared of Criminal Charges, Yet Infant Taken Away from Family for Failure to Thrive

They kicked her out of the hospital and took her baby away from her over a month ago. She hasn’t seen her since. They won’t even tell her where her daughter is. Jamie Martin took her baby Hope to the hospital because she and the doctors were concerned about Hope not gaining weight, no matter what they tried. Instead of finding answers, she lost her baby and she is devastated. Now DHS of Oklahoma is trying to terminate Jamie’s parental rights to her baby girl.

“I have done nothing wrong to my baby. She is my miracle child. I need my daughter back!”

Jamie Martin is the typical girl-next-door in America’s heartland. She workes as a substitute teacher in her local elementary school. She volunteers and is on the board of a tornado disaster relief organization.

Her 8 year old son was thrilled when he found out that he was going to be a big brother.

Yet now Jamie has found herself in the middle of every parent’s worst nightmare – her baby has been taken away from her.

Mainstream Media Finally Exposing Shaken Baby Syndrome as False Diagnosis - How Many Innocent Parents Have Suffered?

Two major mainstream media sites (Washington Post and PBS) ran reports on the injustice of false Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnoses this past week. Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) diagnoses have been used for many years now to falsely accuse parents of shaking their babies, with the result of parents either losing custody of their children to Child Protection Agencies, or parents being wrongly convicted of murder and being sent to prison.

While neither of these reports explored the vaccine connection to SBS, this is certainly a step in the right direction to stopping these false accusations against parents who love their children and never did anything to harm them.

Is Arizona Governor Doug Ducey Continuing Practice of Medical Kidnappings?

This new report from The Arizona Republic suggests that it is business as usual in Arizona in the area of state-sponsored child kidnappings. Arizona has the highest percentage of children being removed from biological parents and put into foster care among the 50 U.S. States.

According to The Arizona Republic, Governor Ducey’s office is refusing to release a whistle-blower complaint made against Greg McKay, who is now the department director the Department of Child Safety.

Medical Kidnap? Mother Loses 3 Children Because "Daughter is Too Short"

It’s true – Angela Borths’ daughter is short. So is she – just under 5 feet tall. In fact, being short runs in the family. But that didn’t stop her pediatrician from allegedly reporting her to Child Protection Services (CPS.) The petite mother has now had her 3 youngest children taken by the state of Oregon on grounds of “medical neglect,” because her 6 year old daughter is short, and because she says she missed an appointment for her son when there was a 2 month lapse in their ObamaCare insurance.

“I shouldn’t have to defend my family for being short.”

Billion Dollar Children for Profit Industry: Foster Care Deaths and Sexual Abuses

A recent BuzzFeed News investigation into the nation’s largest for-profit foster care company revealed deaths, sex abuse, and serious lapses in the training and oversight of foster parents.

The investigation into National Mentor Holdings found instances of long-term sex abuse in Maryland by Mentor foster fathers, widespread problems with Mentor documented by the state of Texas, and at least six deaths of children in the custody of Mentor since 2005.

Mentor trades on the New York Stock Exchange as Civitas Solutions Inc., which reported $1.2 billion in revenue last year.

Medically Kidnapped Teen and Family Escape Canada: Speak Out on Abuses

It was a day that they were terrified would never come. The Herrmann family has escaped from Canada and has been reunited in Germany! Teenager Marc Herrmann was slated to stay within the system for the rest of his life after he was taken from his family in late 2013 over allegations of medical neglect. He was misdiagnosed several times, institutionalized, then placed in foster care, despite the urgent pleas of Marc and his family.

After he was falsely labeled as “retarded,” a hearing was scheduled on his 18th birthday to turn him over to the custody of the Canadian Office of Public Guardians. A man whom the family had never met was reportedly waiting in the wings to assume guardianship. Because his parents are German citizens, they were told that there was no way that they could be guardians over their own son. Marc says that he was told repeatedly that if he did not comply with numerous threats, he would never see his family again.

Today, after public outcry and intervention from the German Embassy, the Herrmann family is together again, and safely out of reach of the system that the Herrmanns insist is rife with corruption. They are in Germany. With the help of the German Embassy, they have escaped.

Innocent Father Wants Child Social Worker Charged After Spending 7 Months in Jail

A Gwinnett County (Georgia) father cleared after spending seven months in jail now wants police to charge the state worker who accused him of attacking her. John Blue lost his interior design shop, his apartment and most of his belongings as he sat in jail for seven months. It took a jury less than 45 minutes to find Blue not guilty.

For the past several days, Blue has been living in his van. Police said it is the same van he used to ram a state welfare worker last summer during a Division of Family and Children’s Services investigation at the time. Blue left with his children, and a Levi’s Call was issued hours later. As police arrested Blue that day, he insisted that the worker assaulted him.

Now out of jail following the not-guilty verdict, Blue is on a mission to recover some of what he lost.

Who is Trying to Silence Filmmaker and Judicial Watchdog Bill Windsor, Currently Held in County Jail?

Filmmaker Bill Windsor has been in the process of producing a film called “Lawless America” since 2005. It is a film project which exposes the corruption in the American judicial system. He currently has over 1200 videos in his YouTube channel of testimonials from American citizens who have experienced corruption in the judicial system first hand.

Windsor was detained in Texas in October of 2014, and held in jail for over 50 days before being released in December of 2014. He is 66 years old, and claims this is the first time he was ever arrested and detained, and previously had never been charged with a crime. He states he has never used drugs, and is a “non-violent law-abiding citizen.” He has filed numerous lawsuits across the country, including a couple of cases where he claims he was attacked by “cyberstalkers” who allegedly want to discredit his work.

After being released from jail in Texas, he started a “road-trip” and blogged twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night, to let everyone know he was still free. The blog posts stopped on February 19th. Health Impact News and other alternative news media began a search for Mr. Windsor, and found that he had been incarcerated in Ada County jail in Boise, Idaho on February 19th.

Health Impact News spoke with Bill Windsor from Ada County Jail this past weekend, and he wants us to covey to everyone that he is “OK.” He stated that he is currently being held on a $4.1 million bond.

Why?

Medically Kidnapped Isaiah Rider: "Don't Underestimate Me"

Teenager Isaiah Rider is speaking out about being a victim of DCFS and Lurie Children’s Hospital after they seized custody of him from his mother last year. A verdict was reached Wednesday, March 11, that the 17 year old will remain a ward of the state of Illinois, a state he only visited in order to have surgery.

His message to the world and to DCFS is this: “One thing you’re not going to do – take me away from my family. Don’t underestimate me. You’re never taking me away from my family. I love my family more than anything.”

Retired Arizona Judge Reveals Corruption in Legal System

Justice John F. Molloy was an attorney in Arizona who went on to serve as a judge on the Arizona Superior Court bench. He is probably best known for his time serving as Chief Justice to Court of Appeals for the State of Arizona, where he authored the famous Miranda decision that was subsequently appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in what is known today as the “Miranda Rights” which law enforcement now quotes to suspected criminals upon arrest.

Judge Molloy wrote a book that was published in 2004 a few years before he died in 2008. He was apparently suffering from cancer at the time, and perhaps knew his remaining time on earth was short. The title of the book is: The Fraternity: Lawyers and Judges in Collusion, published by Paragon House.

It is an amazing expose on just how corrupt the American Judicial System is today, and it perhaps gives us a better understanding on how so many judges in family or juvenile courts across the United States are able to successfully remove children from the custody of their parents in medical kidnapping cases.

Breastfeeding 2-day Old Newborn Seized From Parents Because Mother Has Disability

A Florida couple is devastated. Child Protective Services just took their breastfeeding newborn from her mother’s arms at the hospital. She was is not even two days old, but parents Tracey and Freddie Verzosa of Kissimmee, Florida will now only be able to visit their baby for feedings, under supervision. The accusations against them, according to the parents’ story, boil down to the facts that Tracey is a slow learner, they are poor, and the baby was born too quickly for them to make it to the hospital.

The Verzosas have 6 other children, and they have been fighting since last summer to get them back from DCF (Florida’s Department of Children and Families.) They say that their other children were taken unjustly, and the children, who are divided between 3 different foster homes, cry and plead to come home whenever they see them.

Verdict - Missouri Resident Isaiah Rider To Remain Ward of the State of Illinois

Michelle Rider is in shock. Her son is upset and angry. They cannot believe that the system can get away with making 17 year old Isaiah Rider a permanent ward of the state of Illinois. The Missouri residents only visited the state in order to have a surgery there that was supposed to help Isaiah, who suffers from a rare neurological condition that leaves painful tumors on nerves. Instead of helping him, the actions initiated by Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago have resulted in custody of Isaiah being seized by Child Protective Services of Illinois.

The final hearing for the Riders was on Wednesday, March 11, and the verdict was not at all what they had hoped to hear. Michelle writes:

“Isaiah was just made a ward of the court in the state of IL. A Missouri residing resident is a ward of another state.”

New Film Exposes Shaken Baby Syndrome Myth - Opponents Want to Silence it at Film Festivals

A new film exposing the corruption behind much of the Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnosis used to remove children from the custody of their parents, and in some cases put parents behind bars, is currently making its way through the film festival circuit. The Syndrome is an explosive documentary following the crusade of a group of doctors, scientists, and legal scholars who have uncovered that “Shaken Baby Syndrome,” a child abuse theory responsible for hundreds of prosecutions each year in the US, is not scientifically valid. In fact, they say, it does not even exist.

However, doctors and groups who benefit from Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnoses are opposing it, threatening film festivals with litigation if they consider including this film.

Chicago Lurie Children's Hospital Takes Baby Away From Family for Seeking a Second Opinion

When Lakisha Tanna’s infant grandson was transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, she thought that he was in the best place he could be to receive the care that he needed for his medical condition. She never dreamed that this choice would eventually result in her adorable grandchild being what she terms “medically kidnapped” more than a year later. On March 12, the family faces a hearing to determine whether Malik, now 2 1/2, will be able to return home to his grandparents who love him, or forever become a ward of the state of Illinois.

The Fight for Jaxon Adams Continues After He Was Taken by CPS When Parents Sought Second Opinion

As the Adams family continues to struggle to get their son back from the state of Missouri, they are reaching out to the public and to the media in the hope of exposing the tragic reality that far too many people are facing when they simply seek a second opinion or better medical care for their beloved child.

The Adams family is yet another family that has fallen victim to the disturbing trend of “medical kidnapping” which is occurring across the United States. Medical kidnapping is a term used to describe children being taken into state custody after parents disagree with a course of treatment recommended by a doctor, or in the case of the Adams seeking a second opinion and/or a change in medical care. Upon being informed of the same, the physician then places a “hotline” call to child protective services and reports “medical abuse” by the parent.

4 Year Old Benjamin Stanley: Why Can't I go Home?

It has been about 50 days now since a military-style SWAT team arrived at the home of the Stanley family in Arkansas, and removed all seven home-schooled children from the home. The parents have been charged with no crime, let alone been convicted of any wrong doing, and yet the children still remain separated from them, placed in foster care, as the State of Arkansas continues to collect federal funding for each child that has been placed into the foster care system.

Hal Stanley, the father of the children and Baptist minister who has been required by the State to attend “parenting classes,” shared this letter written by a 19 year old girl who prays every day for his children held in captivity: “Has anyone tried to imagine the Stanley’s story through the eyes of 4 year old Benjamin­?”

Was Medical Kidnap in Washington State a Cover-up for Medical Malpractice?

Being worried about Child Protection Services (CPS) taking her child was the last thing on the mind of Anne Giroux, a mother living in Washington State who was seeking medical treatment for her son, Kevin Kulman. Kevin started having concerning symptoms which drove her to take him to multiple doctor visits looking for an answer. She worried about having a family history of heart disease and why the doctor wasn’t concerned nor would he give her a referral to a cardiologist. Instead he was allegedly misdiagnosed as having asthma.

On May 21, 2012 Kevin suffered a heart attack while at school during his physical education class. The explanation of why he suffered the heart attack was a rare congenital heart condition which had been previously undetected. Not only did Kevin need open heart surgery, but later CPS took custody of Kevin claiming that Anne suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Anne writes: “If a doctor performs an operation and prescribes drugs for my child based upon ME having Munchausen by proxy, what PSYCHIATRIC MALADY afflicts THE DOCTOR?”

South Dakota Foster Care Scandal: Lakota Children Sexual Abuse Case Covered up by Attorney General

We have previously reported about what some in South Dakota are calling a “Shocking Genocide Against Native Americans by Abducting Their Children.”

Attorney Daniel Sheehan of the Lakota People’s Law Project explains how the Department of Social Services in South Dakota makes up 53% of the entire state budget every year by removing Lakota Native Americans from their families and placing them into the foster care system.

One of the most horrifying stories to come out of South Dakota regarding alleged abuse of Lakota children in foster care is The Mette Rape Scandal, where 6’9” 310 pound Richard Mette allegedly raped & tortured his adopted Lakota Indian daughters for years at the home he shared with his wife Wendy Mette in the town of Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Investigative reporter Lee Stranahan, who has written for two of the biggest political sites in America: The Huffington Post and Breitbart News, spent several months in South Dakota in 2014 investigating this story, and has started a new series of audio broadcasts at BroughtToLight.com. He kicked it off with a press conference in Washington D.C. this week, where former South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Black spoke, alleging that South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley was involved in a scheme to falsely accuse innocent people in an attempt to cover-up the crimes committed in the Mette Lakota Children Rape Scandal.