By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, investigative journalist Terri LaPoint spoke to the Alabama Federation of Republican Women at their biannual convention in Prattville, Alabama. LaPoint spoke about about abusive practices of government child protective services.
LaPoint said that bank robbers have more rights than a parent under investigation by state child protection services. They are the Department of Human Resources (DHR) in Alabama.
LaPoint said, “If you are a parent you can lose your child without any real evidence, without any due process.” Many parents have been told, “The Constitution does not apply to family court.” “The first couple of times I heard that I disregarded it,” but other parents kept saying that they were told that.
“I didn’t get involved in this because this happened to me and I have an axe to grind.” LaPoint said that she was a reporter when the editor of Health Impact News asked her to work reporting on some “medical kidnapping.” “I had four kids and was involved in caring about America.”
Terry LaPoint said that in Boston, Justina Pelletier was taken from her family because doctors and the family had a disagreement about her medical treatment, “The most famous case of medical kidnapping. I thought it was an anomaly…At the time, most of the public thought this story was an anomaly – an egregious abuse of power by an out-of-control hospital and bureaucracy that was stunning in its tyrannical reach, but still the exception to the rule. Few ever dreamed in their wildest nightmare that this was common, everyday practice all over the United States and other countries. Silence and shame surrounded the families to which this kind of thing happened, and it may well be that the explosion of stories that have come out in the years since then may be attributed to Lou Pelletier’s boldness in speaking out, opening the floodgates for others to come out of the shadows and speak up.”
Medical kidnapping is, “Child Protective Services overreach. DHR is what we call it in Alabama. Don’t ever get mad and say, ‘I am going to sue you, in a hospital.’ The hospital can call child protective services.” Doctor shopping can provoke the medical community to refer a child to child protective services, LaPoint said,
“Parents can take their child to their pediatrician or children’s hospital for a relatively minor injury or problem, and end up losing their children to the state,” Lapoint said. “Actual evidence of wrongdoing by parents is not required in many family courts, and in many states, hearsay is legally permissible as evidence.”
DHR often act as if they does not need a warrant to take a child. 80 percent of the children are taken by DHR (child protective services) is not for abuse. At least 80 percent of the allegations against parents are not substantiated.” A child is too short, there are dirty dishes in the sink, laundry on your laundry room floor. If your neighbor does not like you. These are all reasons for DHR to take a child from the family.
Lapoint said, “This is a national problem it is a state problem and a federal problem.”
LaPoint said that there are federal dollars that states access “By taking your children.” This is done “for the children, but it is not working. The data is very clear. Ch si6 times more like to be raped, abused or killed in foster care than if they had stayed at home even in a troubled home.”
http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/fostercare_aer.pdf
LaPoint blamed changes in policy after the Adoption Assistance and Safe Families Act of 1997, sponsored by U.S. Rep. David Lee Camp, R-Mich., was signed by President Bill Clinton. LaPoint said, “There is something we must do about it.” LaPoint said that that legislation should be repealed and the $20 billion a year in federal funding for states seizing and trafficking children should go away.
LaPoint was selling the book, Medical Kidnapping: A Threat To Every Family In America. Brian Shilhavy is the author; but LaPoint contributed to the book
AFRW President Frances Taylor said, “This is a fascinating topic,” and recommended that members invite LaPoint to be a speaker to their group.
Other speakers at the AFRW biannual convention included: U.S. Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore, Congresswoman Karen Handel, R-Ga., Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, Republican strategist Angie Horn Stalnaker, and others.
