Bellamy/Dennis
Donation protected
Friends, family I am really feeling at my wits end. Having not seen or had any contact w/ my children since April 2, 2018
And having recently received the below communication from my court appointed attorney.
I started a new job just this week which seems to be very promising, but as you all know I have been homeless since March 31, and separated from my beloveds
The attorney has done a magnificent job of fielding communication between myself and DCS but has not been able to arrange any communication at all between the children and I or any information regarding the children’s well being or placement.
The 1st is my comment to her after her response to my request to have some exception made to my work schedule and a court date assigned prior to that.
I’m not asking for your sympathy but I am again asking for your support during this difficult period. I am still residing in a extended stay hotel. And am hoping to be back in my own space before the end of the month.
While we all may find ourselves experiencing difficulties from time to time I hope my honest telling of my experience w/ DCS, family and friends after doing what I thought was the right thing in adopting my nephews children has led me to this period of what I consider for me the worst of times. Please again pray for me, my children and my family. That we may all experience the peace, love and joy that should be our legacy.
Thx
B
“How is that possible when what the f’n court is asking me to do is work?!? That is BS. What I want is my children back. Can you help?!? It does not appear that you can???”
Sent from my iPhone
Hi,
I don’t want you to miss work. However. . .
There’s no way to reschedule at this late date. (Court is in less than a week.) We can vacate the mediation scheduled at 9 but then we don’t get to talk about the issues. They don’t schedule mediation’s before 9.
The court can probably give you permission to call in for the hearing at 1015. Will your employer allow you to take a break at 1010? My guess is the hearing will only last 10 minutes but I can’t promise you that will happen or that it will go on time.
You are never “required” to come to court like in a criminal case where if you fail to appear, a warrant could be issued.
I understand you want to be at court and I’m not suggesting you don’t come.
Our mediation is to talk about whether you want a trial or not. Based on our in-office appointment, I don’t believe you want one. I think it’s a waste of your time other than to discuss visitation and what/how the children are doing. I can ask to vacate the mediation if you would like.
Please let me know if it makes sense for you to call into the ptc at 1015. Your employer shouldn’t hold court against you. I can get you a letter showing that you had a court hearing.
If you don’t call in for court or appear in person, the court unless there’s a really good reason which doesn’t include work (in the hospital or in jail), the court will making a finding the kids are dependent meaning dcs maintains legal custody until you can regain it or it’s taken from you permanently.
Thanks, Amanda
Sent from my iPhone
On May 31, 2018, at 8:00 PM, Bridgitte Dennis wrote:
Amanda, I'm wondering if there is any possible way to reschedule our court times for 8am and w/ a pretrial conference at 9am for June 7? I started working this week and I work from 1000am til 630pm Monday through Friday. My employers are saying they don't allow any missed time during training and if I miss any time I may b pushed back to their next training class if not terminated. I wasn't initially concerned w/ an hour or 2 but I just realized that the appointments I have w/ SOUTHWEST BEHAVIORAL were not the psychiatric assessments I needed to have my anti-depressant medication evaluated and titrated for correct dosing. This process was started some months back when the family preservation team and my family members kept saying I appeared depressed. I kept insisting that I wasn't depressed but tired and overwhelmed by all that had been going on w/ the children and additionally so w/ the new information they'd sprung on me regarding parenting children whod undergone major trauma/PTSD. While I'd known the children had been subject to major neglect I had no idea that I was parenting children who were suffering from PTSD. Being a childhood survivor of sexual abuse myself that information struck me like a ton of bricks. And if I hadnt been depressed initially I know now that that's very likely the form my reaction to this new information was taking. It was like finding out as an adoptive parent that the 3 beautiful children you'd adopted were autistic or suffering from serious mental retardation. You can imagine my disbelief, denial and yes some anger(which often comes across as depression).
And then to have the children so unceremoniously snatched from me and denied any contact as if I was the bad guy if I wasn't depressed then I certainly am now as well as being extremely hurt.
So I scheduled a psychiatric evaluation w/ SW Behavorial for Monday June 4 after realizing that none of my previous 4 appointments was that. My appointment is Monday at 10, I implored SWV to get me in earlier they said 10 is their earliest appointment time.
Feeling like my mental health and well-being are priority 1 I really feel compelled to make this appointment and may therefore only be able to attend the 1st part of the hearing on June 7. And while I know this mean any likely opportunity to see the children off further and as much as that wrenches at my already broken heart I don't really see any alternatives
I did get a voice mail from the DCS case mgr today, and returned his call but was only able to leave a voicemail.
As I said earlier all of this and not seeing my beloved for 2 months has broken my heart and taken away any confidence I once had in DCS and the system in place to care for these children and our family.
Please respond ASAP RE: any possibility of changing court times w/o pushing court dates back.
Sent from my iPhone friends and family as you know in November of 2016 I adopted my 8 and 11 year old great nephews and 10 year great niece. The children have been in my care since Jan of 2014 and we moved into thie home where we live in July of that year. The 1st 6 months in our new home we struggled financially on my salary as a pharmacy technician until I was certified by the state to be a Kinship foster care provider and began to receive Kinship Foster Care benefits of approximately $1800 monthly.
I then officially adopted the children November 19, 2016 NATIONAL ADOPTION
I worked as a pharmacy technician out of our home until Jan 2016.
Please know that i love my children w/ all of my heart. The children have however experiencer a great deal of loss, abandonment and trauma in their short lives. Particularly in the last year.
Within a short time their Grandmother (my sister) Jennifer married and moved to Buckeye, AZ. Their beloved Great, great Grandmother, my 93 y/o Grandmother Jessie died in September, in addition the maternal Grandmother figure w/ whom they'd lived from the time they were born until shortly before they came to me died suddenly and unexpectedly w/I the last 18 months. I believe that complete honesty w/ the children is very important and so thus summer when their dad was sentenced to 6 years in prison we broke this news to them as delicately as we could. They were understandably upset but that was somewhat tempered by the fact that they hadn't seen him in nearly 2 years.
In 2013 before the children came into my care and were living w/ their Grandmother Jennifer at my mother's home they were kidnapped by their maternal Grandmother in November and then abandoned by her in Jan of 2014 at a Department of Childlren Services office where she walked away from them without telling them she was leaving. It was at this time that the children were placed in my custody.
After not working for a year after our adoption in 2016 I went back to work outside of the home in April of 2017.
Since adoption day in 2016 I have petitioned the agency w/ whom Wed worked since they children came into my care to provide individual therapy for each of them as I felt they would individually continue to be affected by so much trauma and loss. Despite my continued request for therapy for the children and our family the agency in question failed to provide the needed services that I knew would be key in getting our young family off to a solid start and rendering us happy and healthy.
As a result the children began acting out by stealing money from me, my mother and a family friend, using my debit and credit cards and w/ aggressive behavior which has required me to contact Social Services and the Phoenix Police Departmeent and to require numerous family interventions . Sometimes as often as 3 to 4 times a week. After repeated interventions rendered me feeling, depressed, isolated and like a failure as a parent I lost my job due to my inability to perform my duties as a pharmacy technician w/ the proficiency reqyured. I have been unemployed since November of last year.
Unfortunately, I have fallen 3 months behind in our rent and the children and I are being evicted in 3 days. MONDAY JANUARY 22. I owe approximately $ 4300 in back rent, interest and legal fees. This is my last ditch effort to keep us in our home until I am able to return to full time employment which I am currently seeking.
I AM ASKING EACH OF YOU IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO HELPING US STAY IN OUR HOME. Please contribute what you can if you can and know that you will be helping our little family at this as time of our greatest need.
Fortunately DCS has ordered a family preservation team to come into our home 3 times a week and assist us addressing the issues both the children and I are facing and finally the children are being set up for individual therapy and we hope sometime soon to also be able to participate in family therapy. My goal is to keep our little family in tact and to raise three loving, lively children who will go on to be productive members of the world that we live in and that I've had the opportunity to take advantage of .
- [ ]
Bellamy/Dennis Emergency Family Fundraiser
And having recently received the below communication from my court appointed attorney.
I started a new job just this week which seems to be very promising, but as you all know I have been homeless since March 31, and separated from my beloveds
The attorney has done a magnificent job of fielding communication between myself and DCS but has not been able to arrange any communication at all between the children and I or any information regarding the children’s well being or placement.
The 1st is my comment to her after her response to my request to have some exception made to my work schedule and a court date assigned prior to that.
I’m not asking for your sympathy but I am again asking for your support during this difficult period. I am still residing in a extended stay hotel. And am hoping to be back in my own space before the end of the month.
While we all may find ourselves experiencing difficulties from time to time I hope my honest telling of my experience w/ DCS, family and friends after doing what I thought was the right thing in adopting my nephews children has led me to this period of what I consider for me the worst of times. Please again pray for me, my children and my family. That we may all experience the peace, love and joy that should be our legacy.
Thx
B
“How is that possible when what the f’n court is asking me to do is work?!? That is BS. What I want is my children back. Can you help?!? It does not appear that you can???”
Sent from my iPhone
Hi,
I don’t want you to miss work. However. . .
There’s no way to reschedule at this late date. (Court is in less than a week.) We can vacate the mediation scheduled at 9 but then we don’t get to talk about the issues. They don’t schedule mediation’s before 9.
The court can probably give you permission to call in for the hearing at 1015. Will your employer allow you to take a break at 1010? My guess is the hearing will only last 10 minutes but I can’t promise you that will happen or that it will go on time.
You are never “required” to come to court like in a criminal case where if you fail to appear, a warrant could be issued.
I understand you want to be at court and I’m not suggesting you don’t come.
Our mediation is to talk about whether you want a trial or not. Based on our in-office appointment, I don’t believe you want one. I think it’s a waste of your time other than to discuss visitation and what/how the children are doing. I can ask to vacate the mediation if you would like.
Please let me know if it makes sense for you to call into the ptc at 1015. Your employer shouldn’t hold court against you. I can get you a letter showing that you had a court hearing.
If you don’t call in for court or appear in person, the court unless there’s a really good reason which doesn’t include work (in the hospital or in jail), the court will making a finding the kids are dependent meaning dcs maintains legal custody until you can regain it or it’s taken from you permanently.
Thanks, Amanda
Sent from my iPhone
On May 31, 2018, at 8:00 PM, Bridgitte Dennis wrote:
Amanda, I'm wondering if there is any possible way to reschedule our court times for 8am and w/ a pretrial conference at 9am for June 7? I started working this week and I work from 1000am til 630pm Monday through Friday. My employers are saying they don't allow any missed time during training and if I miss any time I may b pushed back to their next training class if not terminated. I wasn't initially concerned w/ an hour or 2 but I just realized that the appointments I have w/ SOUTHWEST BEHAVIORAL were not the psychiatric assessments I needed to have my anti-depressant medication evaluated and titrated for correct dosing. This process was started some months back when the family preservation team and my family members kept saying I appeared depressed. I kept insisting that I wasn't depressed but tired and overwhelmed by all that had been going on w/ the children and additionally so w/ the new information they'd sprung on me regarding parenting children whod undergone major trauma/PTSD. While I'd known the children had been subject to major neglect I had no idea that I was parenting children who were suffering from PTSD. Being a childhood survivor of sexual abuse myself that information struck me like a ton of bricks. And if I hadnt been depressed initially I know now that that's very likely the form my reaction to this new information was taking. It was like finding out as an adoptive parent that the 3 beautiful children you'd adopted were autistic or suffering from serious mental retardation. You can imagine my disbelief, denial and yes some anger(which often comes across as depression).
And then to have the children so unceremoniously snatched from me and denied any contact as if I was the bad guy if I wasn't depressed then I certainly am now as well as being extremely hurt.
So I scheduled a psychiatric evaluation w/ SW Behavorial for Monday June 4 after realizing that none of my previous 4 appointments was that. My appointment is Monday at 10, I implored SWV to get me in earlier they said 10 is their earliest appointment time.
Feeling like my mental health and well-being are priority 1 I really feel compelled to make this appointment and may therefore only be able to attend the 1st part of the hearing on June 7. And while I know this mean any likely opportunity to see the children off further and as much as that wrenches at my already broken heart I don't really see any alternatives
I did get a voice mail from the DCS case mgr today, and returned his call but was only able to leave a voicemail.
As I said earlier all of this and not seeing my beloved for 2 months has broken my heart and taken away any confidence I once had in DCS and the system in place to care for these children and our family.
Please respond ASAP RE: any possibility of changing court times w/o pushing court dates back.
Sent from my iPhone friends and family as you know in November of 2016 I adopted my 8 and 11 year old great nephews and 10 year great niece. The children have been in my care since Jan of 2014 and we moved into thie home where we live in July of that year. The 1st 6 months in our new home we struggled financially on my salary as a pharmacy technician until I was certified by the state to be a Kinship foster care provider and began to receive Kinship Foster Care benefits of approximately $1800 monthly.
I then officially adopted the children November 19, 2016 NATIONAL ADOPTION
I worked as a pharmacy technician out of our home until Jan 2016.
Please know that i love my children w/ all of my heart. The children have however experiencer a great deal of loss, abandonment and trauma in their short lives. Particularly in the last year.
Within a short time their Grandmother (my sister) Jennifer married and moved to Buckeye, AZ. Their beloved Great, great Grandmother, my 93 y/o Grandmother Jessie died in September, in addition the maternal Grandmother figure w/ whom they'd lived from the time they were born until shortly before they came to me died suddenly and unexpectedly w/I the last 18 months. I believe that complete honesty w/ the children is very important and so thus summer when their dad was sentenced to 6 years in prison we broke this news to them as delicately as we could. They were understandably upset but that was somewhat tempered by the fact that they hadn't seen him in nearly 2 years.
In 2013 before the children came into my care and were living w/ their Grandmother Jennifer at my mother's home they were kidnapped by their maternal Grandmother in November and then abandoned by her in Jan of 2014 at a Department of Childlren Services office where she walked away from them without telling them she was leaving. It was at this time that the children were placed in my custody.
After not working for a year after our adoption in 2016 I went back to work outside of the home in April of 2017.
Since adoption day in 2016 I have petitioned the agency w/ whom Wed worked since they children came into my care to provide individual therapy for each of them as I felt they would individually continue to be affected by so much trauma and loss. Despite my continued request for therapy for the children and our family the agency in question failed to provide the needed services that I knew would be key in getting our young family off to a solid start and rendering us happy and healthy.
As a result the children began acting out by stealing money from me, my mother and a family friend, using my debit and credit cards and w/ aggressive behavior which has required me to contact Social Services and the Phoenix Police Departmeent and to require numerous family interventions . Sometimes as often as 3 to 4 times a week. After repeated interventions rendered me feeling, depressed, isolated and like a failure as a parent I lost my job due to my inability to perform my duties as a pharmacy technician w/ the proficiency reqyured. I have been unemployed since November of last year.
Unfortunately, I have fallen 3 months behind in our rent and the children and I are being evicted in 3 days. MONDAY JANUARY 22. I owe approximately $ 4300 in back rent, interest and legal fees. This is my last ditch effort to keep us in our home until I am able to return to full time employment which I am currently seeking.
I AM ASKING EACH OF YOU IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO HELPING US STAY IN OUR HOME. Please contribute what you can if you can and know that you will be helping our little family at this as time of our greatest need.
Fortunately DCS has ordered a family preservation team to come into our home 3 times a week and assist us addressing the issues both the children and I are facing and finally the children are being set up for individual therapy and we hope sometime soon to also be able to participate in family therapy. My goal is to keep our little family in tact and to raise three loving, lively children who will go on to be productive members of the world that we live in and that I've had the opportunity to take advantage of .
- [ ]
Bellamy/Dennis Emergency Family Fundraiser
Organizer
Bridgitte R Dennis
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ
