There certainly have been cases in the US where babies have been taken from moms for very good reasons, and cases where babies ought to have been taken out of homes before they were injured or killed, but I have also seen quite the opposite. To suggest that thorough investigations always or even usually precede such interventions is untrue. To suggest that there is always "more than meets the eye" is also untrue. Babies may be taken on a moment's notice, prior to an investigation or hearing of any kind. Considering the cultural attitudes towards feeding at breast, mothers do not tend to find empathetic responses to such needs, either. As a matter of fact, moms are often suspect for feeling so passionately about feeding their babies and being with their babies. I once testified on behalf of a mom whose baby was removed based purely on the father's allegations--this in a divorce case. Baby was returned to mom after a hearing, but also after missing mom for several days, during which time she was allowed several supervised visits to feed him per day. There was absolutely no cause proven for removal and it seemed as if breastfeeding was on trial--utterly surreal. The judge happened to be pro-breastfeeding, but that is often far from the case. The system view of a "safe" environment can be badly skewed in favor of very mainstream lifestyles and choices. I have sadly been party to several referrals over the years, b/c there was no other option, but I do not think it is a system that works and I think that mothers in the US and perhaps the UK may fear protective services for good reason.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:30:36 +1100
From: Karleen Gribble <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: baby snatched from breast in UK
Regardless of the circumstances the onus is on social services to seek to
retain what is good in a family for the best interests of the child. For
this reason assisting the mother to maintain lactation and provide milk to
her child even if the child cannot be in her care is their responsibility.
It is a crying shame that many organisations do not seem to have appropriate
policies in place in this area.
Children in out of home care are a vulnerable population. They deserve not
to be further disadvantaged by ignorance that prevents them from being fed
breastmilk.
Karleen Gribble
Australia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marna Moore-Barr" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 5:01 AM
Subject: Re: baby snatched from breast in UK
Well, I hate to be a peg in the wheel, and truly I do not know how UK social
services works, but I do know how the U.S. system does. I have worked as a
CPS worker here in the U.S. and have "taken nursing babies from arms" and
have had court orders put in place to cease mothers from nursing their
babies. There is ALWAYS more than meets the eye in these cases. It takes
in the U.S. anyway, hours of hard follow up and work to take a child out of
the parent custody, because in general, most parents with help (typically
drug
rehab) and education they can do a much better job of raising their children
than the government. In my experience, taking a child away from their
family
is never an easy or hasty choice made by social workers. I had parents of a
child I took out a custody years ago also do a letter campaign, it did not
change a thing. The parents instead need to focus their energies on what is
needed to get their child back in their care in a safe environment.
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