CHARLIE
A letter to Charlie
Dear Charlie,
This letter comes
after 30 years of silence. It may find you well. I hope so. Please know that I
tried to do all that was humanly possible to rescue you from your horrible young
*********. It is not that I did not try to notify all that I could, but I was
stopped at every turn by those who were hired to keep you safe. Let me start
where I first came to know about you. I will use only your first name, for your
continued protection.
In 1984 I was
trying to adopt a son. Our family had two daughters, but I could no longer have
any more ******** due to ovarian cancer. I went to where all that wished to
adopt were sent. The counties, Department of Family *********’Service. Which
was also known as DFACS? There was a big push by them on T.V. to come and look
at their book called “My Turn Now”. In this book was picture after picture of
“available and ready for adoption”, ********. I did so. After picking out many
and having stories told to me that this ***** or that ***** was not “available”
I began to doubt their story. At this same time I worked for a law enforcement
agency. Not only was I a traffic court clerk, but I was the only K-9 handler in
the county. I also did search and rescue on horseback when needed. As I was
also the only other female in the department, when a call came out for a
domestic problem involving ******** I was taken along to ******.
Here is where you
and I met. You were a foster ***** and had been placed in a foster home.
Neighbors called to complain and law enforcement arrived. We were not ready for
what we all saw. You had been kept in a wire dog crate and had only a dog food bowl
and a dog water bowl with you. Both were empty. You had no clothes on. You were
five years old. To say that all the officers were mad at what they saw would be
an understatement. We were horrified. No one knew how long you had been in this
closed and locked crate. You were immediately taken out and taken to another foster
– emergency 24 hour home. We all then had to continue to work. We all checked
on your status with DFACS. We were told you were doing much better after your
short visit at the hospital to be checked out and were starting to communicate
with you new foster parents.
I, however, was
not satisfied. I continued to call and check on you. The T.V. continued
to display the ads. Now I was asking those at DFACS to make
me your mom. Our Home Study had been long approved. It seemed to me that you
and I were both waiting on something to happen that would never happen. Then I
called the governors’ office. I asked the person who answered the phone, “where
are all these ******** that are “ready and available” for adoption?” After he
yelled, someone else picked up the phone and asked me to repeat what I had just
asked the governor. So I did. Then the next question I asked the operator was
when could the governor set up an appointment with me and all employed at this
DFACS. I felt they were not doing their job and wanted a full investigation.
After several months this did happen. Two people from the State of Georgia
governor’s office arrived and the meeting began. I had my tape recorder out and
on my knee. Since I had to come from work I was dressed in my full police
uniform. I also clocked out for this meeting. I used this time as my lunch
hour. After much round about discussion that was going no where, I asked to be
approved to adopt you and stated your full name. Since this was a small county,
they were all very familiar with your case. I was told no. Around we all went
again. In this round I found out that the place were I first saw you, the
foster male was from out of state and no criminal background investigation had
been done. Neither was he even fingerprinted. No background and no
fingerprints. No wonder he was able to get away with what he had done .There
was no one looking or checking on him or you. Now I was more determined than
ever to get you out of the “Foster Care Syndrome” you were in. All kids knew
that at least every six months they would pack their little case of clothes and
move. Birth parents would not be able to locate their ********. Georgia is a
large state. I told all people in this meeting that this was indeed a “Foster
Care Syndrome”. I also told them that the victims were the ********. There was
no reaction. Then the Director made a statement that almost put me on the
floor,” the state received $2,000.00 for every ***** they kept in this Syndrome”.
I then asked my final question:” Would I be able to adopt a male *****, age 0
to 14 years of age, with or without mental and/or medical handicaps from them
before I reached the age of 65 years. The Director’s answer was NO. Now all
there knew I had my approved Home Study in my hand for the meeting. With this
type of answer I got up and said I think this meeting is over. The Director
then wanted to know what I was going to do with the tape. This was all he was
concerned about. I told him to worry about it and that he would be the first to
know, if and when I decided to let it out to the media. I then went back to
work. All at work wanted to know the outcome. I told them. They were all very
upset. My ******** wanted to know. I told them and they were upset. No other
calls of mine were ever returned. We then adopted out of the country. He was
the same age as you.
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