Family Together First Organization assists families with children. One focus to assist families remain families when appropriate.
We provide support and education for families. We are also dedicated to educating the general public and raise awareness on key issues.
Family Together First Organization will assist families with support, support groups and guide families to legal and medial assistance if necessary.
Family Together First Organization is offering assistance throughout the United States by networking with other organizations with similar goals.
You may find suggestions from others in similar situations on the blog. You may contact us with your issues via the contact form.
The following online sites may be helpful to some:
http://littlehostages.blogspot.com
http://custodyscam.blogspot.com
http://justicewomen.com/help_family_law.html
http://www.blogger.com/profile/00027601171660269956
http://www.childrensrights.org/reform-campaigns/legal-cases/rhode-island/
The above website describes a current case against RI by Children’s Right group. The case is against the state for failing to provide even the most minimal level of care and safety for children in foster care.
The above website is designed with the mission of asserting the rights of families and children and discusses the issues of false allegations on many levels.
Alexander, David A., & Klein, Susan. (2009) Kidnapping and hostage-taking: a review of effects, coping and resilience. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 102 (1) 16-21. Retrieved on April 2, 2012 from http://171.66.127.115/content/102/1/16.full
The article discussed the history of, motives for, authorities responses to kidnapping as well as the effects kidnapping has on the hostages. The article does not address legally kidnapped children in this current society however children have been stolen throughout history for ransom or for slavery. The development of PTSD and Stockholm syndrome is discussed and could be equated to the legally kidnapped children as well.
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Benedek, Elissa P. (1985) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children. Los Angeles, American Psychiatric Association.
The author starts her book off by sharing her experience in a professional meeting. During the professional meeting a member shared her accounts of families after a disaster. The group as whole rejected her research and findings insisting she over-analyzed the event and minimized the amount of trauma a child would experience from a trauma. The author then reviews the studies that have been conducted in regards to children who experience trauma. The author made a keen observation in that therapists and doctors alike resisted bringing up or discussing the events of the trauma. The professional tended to avoid what they themselves feel helpless to assist and this transfers to the child continuing the trauma rather than healing. The discussion regarding treatment suggestions was clear and helpful. I originally thought the work would be too outdated but I felt most of the issues addressed pertain to current treatment planning as well.
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (n.d.) The Impact of Kidnapping, Shooting and Torture on Children. Center for the Study of traumatic Stress. Retrieved on April 3, 2012 from: http://www.cstsonline.org/wp-content/resources/CSTS_impact_kidnapping_shooting_torture_children.pdf
This article gives concise information regarding trauma and clear direction toward treatment. The treatments for PTSD include stabilization, trauma exposure based interventions, and cognitive-behavioral treatments. The article was informative and directional as well as brief. I appreciated the straightforward information.
Doyle, Joseph. (2008) Journal of Political Economy. 116(4), 746-770. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/doyle_jpe_aug08.pdf.
The paper discusses the effects of foster care as on adult crime. The paper explains children who were marginally qualified to be taken from the homes and placed in foster care were three times more likely to enter the criminal justice system. The effects of kidnapping can be seen in a longer-term outcome. The paper adds a refreshing research approach to illustrate the negative impact kidnapping children from homes, labeling them victims who need to be saved from their victimization, segregating them from peers in society by forcefully altering family structure and placing them is a no win situation in society not only has a negative moral feel to it but research that includes long numeric equations to support it. Theory for the PTSD should be offered and yet providing basic follow through for medical care for children in state custody seems to be challenging.
Greif, G. (2010 November) Parental child abduction and its impact. Psychology Today. Retrieved on April 2, 2012 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/buddy-system/201011/parental-child-abduction-and-its-impact
The article explains how issues created by being kidnapped may continue on for several decades. The oldest person in the study discussed was 53. The symptoms described in the article mirror what you would expect to find in PTSD.
Kaminer, D., Seedat, S., & Stein, D. (2005 June) Post-traumatic stress disorder in children. World Psychiatry. 4(2) 121-125. Retrieved on Aril 14, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414752/.
The article gives a good overall description for diagnosis and assessment of PTSD. The authors were clear in their intent to bring the symptoms to the attention of professions so children may receive treatment. There is substantial evidence that PTSD will impose challenges to the physical, cognitive and emotional development in children.
Koch, Wendy (2007) Study: Troubled homes better than foster care. USA Today. 2007 July 2. Retrieved on April 12, 2012 from website http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-02-foster-study_N.htm
Miller, G. (2002) The Psychological Best Interest of the Child is not the legal best interest. Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry Law, 30, 196-200 Retrieved on April 5, 2012 from http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/miller.pdf
The article discusses the difficulty in providing the best for the child when it conflicts with what is best for society. A kidnapped child that is well-adjusted to his or her new home may suffer greatly by being replaced back to the correct parents and yet criminals should not benefit from a criminal act. Legally kidnapped children are often kept in the system because the state was successful in prolonging a trial (yes the one point in which a parent is allowed to answer to an accusation and attempt to clarify and correct the mounds of misinformation) In a non legalized kidnapping a child would be returned to correct the injustice. When children are in state custody the state will often mandate they remain in state custody if the have been in placement for over a year arguing the child may have obtained stability in the state custody over time and should not be placed back. The child should never have been taken in the first place but the state will retain custody. This will not benefit society or the child, only the institutions that profit financially and with power from this cycle.
Moroz, K. (2005) The Effects of Psychological Trauma on Children and Adolescents. Retrieved on April 2, 2012 from The article was prepared for the Vermont Agency of Human Services http://mentalhealth.vermont.gov/sites/dmh/files/report/cafu/DMH-CAFU_Psychological_Trauma_Moroz.pdf
The article was prepared for the Vermont Agency of Human Services. The report discusses the need to provide and develop Mind-Body-Spirit Approach to Assessment and Treatment. The author also went on to discuss stage based treatment. I am aware the author would not identify coworker and fellow agencies as part of the abuse the families and children are recovering from. I did enjoy her discussions not only on treatment approaches but also what direction she would like to see treatment move toward.
Morphonios, J. (2008 February) Topic: Divorce and child custody issues, the nuclear option: False child sexual abuse allegations in custody disputes. Retrieved on April 12, 2012 from http://mkg4583.wordpress.com/category/kidnapped-children/
The article discussed the bias the general population will have toward a person who is falsely accused. The person will always be judged by the allegations tossed at the mad further reinforced by state investigation. There is a truly horrible and ugly event that happens. The general public and the state workers automatically assume accusations are true. The loss of family, status in society, financial resources, creates traumatized family members. If and when the injustice to the family is recognized the family is still shunned by many in the community and often the attitude from the state workers continue and you will be treated as despised, shunned, loathed and forever a culprit. The assault on families or individuals created by anonymous false allegations is staggering. Treating PTSD for families who will endure lifelong consequences seems paramount.
Sarnoff, S. (1997) Assessing the Costs of False Allegations of child abuse: A prescriptive. Found on the The Institute of Psychological Therapies website www.ipt.com at http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume9/j9_3_2.htm
Murray, K., & McAteer, V. (2011 April) A guide to identifying and reporting child abuse in the schools, Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved on April 2, 2012 from Parental Rights website at: http://www.ride.ri.gov/ride/GuidetoIdentifyingandReportingChildAbuseApril62011.pdf
The report outlines what teachers and school workers should identify as possible abuse and mandates they report such behaviors. The person reporting questionable behavior will unleash the state on the unsuspecting family. The family will never know who had made the allegations and the family will be destroyed. The list is a standard list of vague general statements that could be attached to any child such as the terms too talkative or does not talk enough. The descriptions are so subjective you are mandating teachers to provide a larger feed of families to sacrifice to support the broken, dysfunctional and yet expanding DCYS. Furthermore at this time tremendous information is available supporting different personality traits and learning styles the Rhode Island School system is reusing an old, unsubstantiated and misleading list of potential behaviors.
There is a national campaign directed at tolerance of different personalities in the classroom and outside the classroom it is a war on parents to have children conform to highly debatable ways to behave that perhaps cranky teacher’s perception of what should be or lose your child. The temptation for schools to now dismiss a child who could use a different educational approach and dump into state custody to elevate responsibility is great if not overwhelming. Families of all societal segments are vulnerable to teacher sensing but those who would benefit from different approaches are the greatest at risk.
It is natural to feel discomfort to behavior you do not understand. Providing a blanket excuse of a victim of abuse and then offering to separate the accuser leave the accuser completely free of any responsibility to the hardship of the family is a power of its own. I hope schools will become responsible enough to consider the many other reasons for behaviors listed including the fact that all children behave in the behaviors listed as abnormal at some point. This is why we allow them to be kids and grow. Children are being encouraged to be themselves in school and yet unwanted or not directed behavior will have them legally kidnapped from their home. I am sure there will not be any shortage for the need of PTSD treatment.
Wexler, Richard. (2010, July) State of denial, Why Rhode Island’s child welfare system is so dismal and how to make it better. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from National Coalition for Child Protection Reform website: www.nccpr.org/reports/stateofdenial95472ri11.pdf.
This article explains several glaring broken areas of Rhode Island’s DCYS as well as ways to correct the horrendous problems. It helps make evident the issue of money and power precedes the issue of what is best for children and families. Until the general population is educated and the destructive processes are made on the political agenda families will continue to lose the rights to parent their children. Normal families will have their children and lives sacrificed to continue supporting the dysfunctional, expanding bureaucracy. The right to due process for American families continue to be stripped away assist in the out f control expansion of our DCYS. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common effect for both parents and children who have the misfortune and injustice to be a sacrifice to the growing bureaucracy. Providing therapy for families with PTSD due to state intervention may become a new segment of professionals feeding of the destructive force of legal kidnappers. Adult criminals and prisoners of war have more protected rights than anonymously accused families.
Wexler, Richard. (2010 July 20). Spending so much more, getting so much less: The numbers tell the story. Retrieved on April 2, 20102, from the National Coalition for Child Reform web site at http://www.nccpr.org/reports/RIdataataglance95472ri19.pdf
This brief article provides the research that compares the number of children Rhode Island takes from their home versus the national average. An example is Rhode Island takes 6 children per thousand while the national average is 3.7 children per thousand. The article does not address PTSD directly however the graph and charts provided illustrate the staggering difference between Rhode Island and the rest of the country.
Websites that provide as wealth of information, validation and support not listed above are:
The organization is dedicated to the rights of all children.
The article listed above discusses the failure of RI DCYS to protect children from abuse in childcare. This is particularly painful because often if a family is a state hostage other family members will step forward to take care of the child. These families pushed aside until the state can get around to investigating the family who is attempting to assist. Up to 30% of foster care s with families who have not been inspected themselves. The state would rather pay a non inspected foster care facility than allow another family member to look after a child while the parents are forced to prove false an allegation from an anonymous stranger but are not allowed to defend themselves until a court date and even then the proceedings are routinely continued to prolong the crisis situation of state involvement.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/204607.pdf
The proceeding website discusses programs such as the CASA program we have in Rhode Island. The CASA program is flawed in that CASA has no safeguards on. The position becomes one of power and grandstanding loosing the child again to corruption of power. Accountability and visability will assist providing children rights. All conversations the child is forced to have should be recorded for the safety of the child to assist the child defend themselves.
http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume9/j9_3_2.htm
The above is the site of a press release explaining that RI foster families receive an average of $729. A month. The tax payers pay the foster family $729 a month per child to prevent the child to be home with their own parent and providing supports.
http://www.childrensrights.org/reform-campaigns/legal-cases/rhode-island/
The above website describes a current case against RI by Children’s Right group. The case is against the state for failing to provide even the most minimal level of care and safety for children in foster care.
http://www.angelfire.com/co2/childprotectorwatch/Manual2.html
the above website discusses the unsafe conditions foster-care children live in. Statistically children are more likely to be abused in foster care than at home. It also discusses the events of being falsely accused.
The above website is designed with the mission of asserting the rights of families and children and discusses the issues of false allegations on many levels.
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