experiences of social services intervention towards disabled parents

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hi my name is nicki and i am a 3rd year mature, social work student. For my dissertation i want to investigate the way that social services intervene when a disabled woman becomes pregnant and when she has her baby.From research carried out i recognise that childcare social workers seem to take the lead role (in my county anyway)and that communication between them and adult services seems poor, also that a disabled mother has to prove that she is fit to be a parent were as an able-bodied mother doesn't. Although the dppi has some very useful publications and i would like info on how to access these, i would really like to hear from disabled mothers to find out their personal experiences of social services involvement, negative or positive. thanks

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2001

Answers

Hello,

What a timely question for the situation at hand here in Oregon. I am a case coordinator for a non-profit agency here in Eugene. Our program offers services to families where at least one parent is disabled.

I am working with a mother who has had her child removed from her home 3 months ago and placed into foster care for issues that would not even be a viable concern for "normal" parents.

This young mother has a mild cognitive limitation, but based on one evaluation, by one "professional", has been found unable to parent her child. She is being pressured to give up parental rights to her child and has been told that if she does not give up those rights willingly, she will face the possibility that they will take any other child she would give birth to immediately from the hospital. If this is not discrimination, I don't know what is.

I have been searching for legal resources for her online. I am a parent of a young child, and cannot imagine being in this horrific siutation.

If you would like any other details on this case, or others I have dealt with, please feel free to email me.

Also, if you may have some resources I could use to help this parent, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks, Laurie Kronmiller

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001


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