Enter 'Child Protection'

Finally, the end of the school year arrived and I filed for divorce. I first approached Jeff about divorcing and he was enthusiastic. He said he would let us stay at our farm and he would move elsewhere. Once the papers were drawn up and the (mandatory) amount of child support was assigned, Jeff changed his mind. Not about the divorce, but about the farm...and cooperating. He immediately hired an attorney and yes, all hell broke loose.

I filed in June and within two months Child Protection was knocking at my door. 'Someone' had phoned them and alleged that we were living in filth and squalor and that I was physically abusing my children. A quick (surprise) tour of the house and schooltime interviews with my children assuaged their concerns and the allegation was promptly dismissed. While stunned at the level to which Jeff had sunk, I was relieved to have put that temporary terror behind me. In November we moved out of the farm taking only what furniture I had owned previously and some dishes and clothes. We moved back into town and were now residing in a different county than Jeff was. Jeff would come and pick up the two youngest (his children) and ignore the older ones (my children). This was mutually acceptable as the older kids had no desire to spend time with him either, for obvious reasons.

Another allegation was made. 'Someone' had made precisely the same allegations once again. Again my children were interviewed and the allegation was dismissed. I had a very poor attorney and was at this time receiving NO child support. This went on for 10 months while I drove taxi five nights a week in 12 hour graveyard shifts. I also accepted, with chagrin, food stamps and I will say they were a blessing. Jeff, meanwhile was single with his income of over $3000 a month.

A few months later 'Someone' made not only the same tired allegations but this time a new one. Alienation. I was 'charged' with preventing Jeff from visiting with the older children he so desperately wanted to see and accused of talking badly about him to them. After a third home visit showed the house was still sanitary, I was given a finding of 'Services Recommended' meaning it was 'strongly recommended that I seek out counseling for myself and my children' in order to combat the possibility and/or effects of alienation. Ironically I was informed that a big part of why services were now being recommended was because of 'multiple previous allegation being filed on our family'.