Hi, my name is Stacie and I am now a single mother of a 28yr old biological daughter, Ashley an 18yr old biological daughter, Makenzie, an 18yr old foster daughter, Miranda, a 15yr old foster son, Isaiah and a 5yr old beautiful granddaughter, Piper. June 1st of this year my foster daughter Miranda got mad at me because I would not let her move across the state before she turned 18yrs old in September. She was told by one of her biological aunts that if she could get CPS to remove her from my home than she would be able to come get her from Southern California and take her back to Sacramento (Where miranda was wanting to go) because she was next of kin. She contacted the social workers and told them that she was being abused. They were going to take her right then but Miranda told them she was not afraid to go home and they told her “ok but if you feel in fear of your life, run away and call us.” Two days later Miranda left for work at McDonald’s and a few hours later I received a text from her that said “I want to go to Sacramento my counselor said she can mail my diploma to me… I’m sure if we talked to my social worker that would be okay but it’s ultimately up to you?.. I don’t want to hurt you by leaving no matter what has happened I love you and you are my mom and I don’t want us to never speak again or for our relationship to be like rays” (ray is her biological dad that she has not seen in ten years). I replied to her with “Miranda i love you, but the answer is still no.” That day was the last day I seen her. I called the police, put in a missing child report, and the next day I had two police men at my door investigating me for child abuse and neglect stating that miranda told them that I punched her in the face, held her to the ground by the throat, ripped her hair out and that I was starving her. The police talked with us, I explained my side of what happened about Miranda wanting to go to Sacramento before turning 18 and then showed them the text she sent me. They concluded that there was no abuse and the left. A couple hours later CPS called me and stated they were investigating me for the same charges. She asked me two questions, “who is living in the home” and “when was the last time I took miranda for a routine physical at the drs.” I told them who was living in the home and that it had been a little over two years for the routine physical exam.” The CPS went crazy and started yelling at me saying all children must go every year! Please let me explain, that I am not a foster care provider, Miranda and Isaiahs mom asked me to take them because she was leaving their step dad for another woman and she needed to find a home. After saying prayers and asking God to guide me on this decision and hearing God tell me that this was my purpose, I told their mother I would but that she would atleast have to make me a temporary guardian so I could do what needed to be done through the school and in case there was a medical emergency. She gave me guardianship, it was just going to be maybe a couple months, that was 13 years ago. When she went back to the courts to get them back they could see she was doing drugs and ordered her to do AA classes and parenting classes. She refused to do them and the courts stripped her of her and their biological fathers parenting rights, its been about 12 years since I seen either of them. The CPS worker told me she would call me the next day to finish the investigation. She did not call the next day, instead, over the next 7 days I had seven different police men show up at my front door to conduct and chd abuse investigation all leaving, never filing an abuse charge stating their was no abuse. So, the CPS workers illegally removed her from my home with no warrant, no proof, knowing about the text miranda had sent me and knowing what her biological aunt told herabout getting CPS to remove her from my home. I got a notarized letter in the mail, from the CPS worker stating that the physical child abuse charges were unfounded, there was no proof and that I was getting a neglect charge for not taking her to a routine physical appointment. They never returned miranda to my home. About 15 days later, two days before the hearing, I was upset and crying over Miranda, I had just lost my father and my other children were stressed and very distant, not knowing what to do, when I collapsed my heart stopped, the paramedics had to revive me twice and I was told by the dr that my heart was enlarged and that the stress was just too much. So, on the day of the hearing the CPS workers asked my public defender if I was going to speak and testify and I told her to tell them no, I was terrified the stress would get to me and my heart would stop again and I would lose my child forever for not attending the hearing. When the CPS workers heard I would not testify they changed their minds as we were getting ready to start the hearing and they were charging me with physical child abuse on top of the neglect charge. The judge said “because Mrs. Gregory decided to remain silent, she pretty much admitted guilt, therefore im charging her with child physical abuse and neglect.” I was devastated, not only did i just lose one of my children, but I just got charged with no evidence for something I did not do. My method of punishment was to take their phones away or ground them and I was so weak that the grounding would be lifted and they would get their phones back the very next day because I felt bad and didn’t want them at school or work without their phones and as far as starving, miranda is in no way emaciated and my OCD/food holding has me stocking up so much that even my coat closets are filled with food and snacks, the police officers even documented the food I had in my house and laughed and said there’s no way anyone could starve in my home for atleast a year. We are now appealing it, but, my public defender was awful so I cant/won’t have her represent me and I cant afford to higher a lawyer, so I have to pray that my next public defender will be better. The hearing was back in July and I still haven’t heard or received anything regarding the appeal and worse…..I still have not seen or talked to my daughter, even though, as I said, they removed her from my home illegally with no warrant and no proof. So, after pouring my heart out, and putting my putting my devastation on display, im in need of multiple different prayers and fully believe in the power of prayer.
So, here it goes
1) please pray that all four of my children will find atleast a little bit if peace in their hearts.
2) please pray for guidance and lead the way for my next public defender.
3) please pray that the judge sees the truth and reverses the charges.
4)please pray for the CPS workers who decided it was best to lie, cheat and break up a very close lite family for money (a lawyer explained to me that CPS gets $4,000 for each child they remove from the home and $2,000 extra if the child is special needs.
5) please pray that my daughter miranda sees that lying is not Godly and never the best policy, but that she fully understands that I am still here for her and will always love her no matter what
6) please pray that my heart mends medically, emotionally and spiritually.
7) please pray for me to be strong enough to go out and start fighting and advocating for other families that are being torn apart illegally , by social workers and that Kathryn Barger, a politician in the 5th district that over sees LADCFS reads my email I sent her regarding all this and sees how unjustified this was and does something to correct it.
8) please pray for Mirandas aunt to see the error in her ways in telling Miranda to lie and allows Jesus to enter her heart and life so it never happens again
9) please pray for all the other children and families that are going through this as you sit and read this
10) please pray for my lawyer (not the public defender) who will step in after the appeal process and go in for the fight in a lawsuit against LADCFS to assure everyone this will NEVER happen to another innocent family
And lastly but definitely not least by any means
11) please…please pray to mend my family and give us some peace in our hearts so we can get back to loving and nurturing each other as we once did and that God watches over us and protects us from this day forward.
Thank you so so much, we need God to wrap his loving arms around us so badly and protect us. Our God is a mighty God and through him all things are possible, again thank you!
God bless
Stacie Gregory
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