Christine is not her real name, but this mother cannot identify herself or speak completely openly until matters in the courts are settled. In her personal life, she has been through a lot, both within her family and as a mother. Christine joins me, Brian Gerrish, to talk about her experiences and battles with Children’s Services in as much detail as she can without prejudicing legal reporting restrictions.
In some ways, her story is not unusual; she was a mother struggling to cope with a new baby and an older child with complex special needs. Children’s Services say they are there to help, but not for Christine. As the pressures of mothering the baby become overwhelmed by the demands and troubles of her older child, Christine is denied support or respite. She turns to drink, a mistake to which she freely admits, and of which she is not proud. Her failings are ultimately the catalyst for her older son to be re-homed in damaging environments and her youngest child to be taken from her.
As Christine battles to stabilise her own life, she is forced to fight in the Family Courts to defend both her children from the mistakes and abuses of what she describes as a failing Children’s Services system. Yet, as she is labelled an unfit mother and her own children taken, Christine is stunned to be suddenly given a vulnerable child to foster. The duplicity and hypocrisy of the decision by Children’s Services is breathtaking.
Christine cleaned up her own life and taught herself how the Family Courts system really works. Using meticulous record-keeping, engaging with the system, and working with her legal team, Christine tells how she ultimately regained custody of her youngest son. In a second interview to be scheduled after ongoing court proceedings have been finalised, Christine will join me to tell the deeper story of her fight to stay free of the clutches of an abusive family member.