Legal Fees for Custody of my niece Kali
Donation protected
My name is Elizabeth Kirt. Almost a month ago on February 19th Panama City, FL DCFS left my 14 year old niece, Kali, with me after she had run away.
In November she had been kicked out of her grandparents house (in Graceville, FL) and had no where to go other than her alcoholic, drug addict mother's place in Dothan, AL. They were living with her mother's friend who on more than one occasion hit and slapped her, as well as throwing her against a wall. This also happened with her grandmother's boyfriend. They had no food and no heat. She was allowed to drink, party, and go wherever, whenever, with whoever.
She finally was fed up and ran away on February 12th after my sister left her alone at a hotel for two days with nothing. No one even noticed or reported her missing for three days, and my sister even lied on the missing persons report so she wouldn't get in trouble. I was the ONLY one who even looked for her. She had hitchhiked to Panama City Beach where she stayed with this kid and his family until she realized I was looking for her. She showed up on my house the morning of the 19th.
It has been almost a month and DCFS has not done anything! I don't have a custody order. I can't enroll her in school. I can't get her birth certificate. I can't get her social security card. I can't add her to our Tricare and DEERS (my husband is military). I talked to a lawyer who said I needed custody for 6 months before we can leave the state, and my husband is being stationed in Maryland in December!
I have called and called and called. I am usually met with attitude and no progress. Panama City sent the case to Graceville but they haven't done anything but talk to the grandparents. They refuse to investigate the jurisdiction or make any claim. I am beyond frustrated. I tried to get them to call the lawyer and they won't. The lawyer even said she would represent me for free if the state would file something! But since they won't I will have to pay a retainer and other legal fees to get her to help me get custody. Money that we simply do not have and Legal Aid turned us down for assistance.
Kali deserves better than the life she had, the life we are willing to give her.
Thank you for reading,
Elizabeth Kirt
In November she had been kicked out of her grandparents house (in Graceville, FL) and had no where to go other than her alcoholic, drug addict mother's place in Dothan, AL. They were living with her mother's friend who on more than one occasion hit and slapped her, as well as throwing her against a wall. This also happened with her grandmother's boyfriend. They had no food and no heat. She was allowed to drink, party, and go wherever, whenever, with whoever.
She finally was fed up and ran away on February 12th after my sister left her alone at a hotel for two days with nothing. No one even noticed or reported her missing for three days, and my sister even lied on the missing persons report so she wouldn't get in trouble. I was the ONLY one who even looked for her. She had hitchhiked to Panama City Beach where she stayed with this kid and his family until she realized I was looking for her. She showed up on my house the morning of the 19th.
It has been almost a month and DCFS has not done anything! I don't have a custody order. I can't enroll her in school. I can't get her birth certificate. I can't get her social security card. I can't add her to our Tricare and DEERS (my husband is military). I talked to a lawyer who said I needed custody for 6 months before we can leave the state, and my husband is being stationed in Maryland in December!
I have called and called and called. I am usually met with attitude and no progress. Panama City sent the case to Graceville but they haven't done anything but talk to the grandparents. They refuse to investigate the jurisdiction or make any claim. I am beyond frustrated. I tried to get them to call the lawyer and they won't. The lawyer even said she would represent me for free if the state would file something! But since they won't I will have to pay a retainer and other legal fees to get her to help me get custody. Money that we simply do not have and Legal Aid turned us down for assistance.
Kali deserves better than the life she had, the life we are willing to give her.
Thank you for reading,
Elizabeth Kirt
Organizer
Elizah Kirt
Organizer
Panama City, FL
