I never thought I would be in a position where I have to fight this hard just to protect my child.
My son, Phoenix, is 13 years old. He has been held in a juvenile detention facility since February 6th for non-violent reasons, and despite everything I have done to advocate for him, he is still there.
Since being detained, my son has been hurt multiple times.
He has been punched in the face, physically assaulted by other youth, thrown into furniture, placed in confinement, and denied basic care—even after being injured. Most recently, he was assaulted again and suffered another head injury. His face was visibly swollen, and he reported blurry vision, dizziness, nausea, and headaches.
What makes this even more serious is that he was already recovering from a concussion and has a history of prior head injury.
As his mother, I have raised these concerns over and over again—to attorneys, to the court, and to the facility. I have provided medical records, counseling documentation, educational records, and a detailed timeline of everything that has happened.
At the same time, I have been doing everything in my power to bring him home to a safe and stable environment.
Family members traveled from out of state to attend his hearing and take him in. We submitted detailed safety and care plans. He already had counseling and medical support in place before he was taken. He is a straight-A student who has been actively involved in sports, scouts, and his community.
Despite all of this, DHS has refused to release him—not just to me, but even to family who showed up ready and willing to take him home. There are processes in place for family placement across state lines, and we have followed those steps and submitted everything requested.
Instead, recommendations have been made that could transfer both legal and physical custody of my son to the Bureau of Juvenile Services. This would push him further into a system where he has already been hurt, instead of allowing him to return to a safe and supportive environment.
At his hearing, no witnesses were called on his behalf—not my son, not me—and none of the medical or supporting documentation I worked so hard to gather was meaningfully presented.
I feel like my voice as a parent is being ignored, and my rights are being taken from me while my child is being placed deeper into a system that is not protecting him.
I am doing everything I can—but I cannot do this alone anymore.
I am asking for help so I can retain a strong, independent attorney who will truly advocate for my son’s safety, fight for his release to family placement, and protect both his rights and mine.
This is urgent. Every day he remains there, he is at risk.
In addition to securing legal representation to bring my son home safely, I am also facing significant legal expenses related to his case, including approximately $4,500 in associated costs. These financial pressures are part of what makes it so difficult to navigate this situation alone.
All funds will go toward legal representation, filings, and advocacy to bring my son home safely. This includes $4,000 for criminal lawyer and $7,500 for family law attorney.
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No child should have to go through this. And no parent should have to fight this hard just to protect their child.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can give.
— Monique