Complaint Review: Florida Child Enforcement - Tallahassee Florida

I had taken the mother of my soon to be daughter and her other three children into my home after news of her pregnancy. I supported her and her children through the pregnancy. From the minute my daughter was born I have cared for her financially and physically. I furnished 100% of my daughters financial needs. My daughter's mother is an alcoholic. After two years, I could not handle my daughter growing up with this disease and offered her mother a choice to attend counciling or move out. I had a decent job that provided day care for my daughter as well as a good insurance plan.

I offered to attend counciling with my daughter's mother to help her with her alcoholism as my insurance would pay for this only if I would attend (which I agreed). She refused and made the choice to move out. My daughter remained at home with me while her mother moved away with her other three children.I would take my daughter to see her mother anytime either of them felt they wanted to see each other. I also gave my daughter's mother money for her bills and helped her with food for her other children, because I felt sorry for them and that is how I managed to ease myself of guilt of not being able to help her addiction. A couple years later I had been laid off from my job due to a closing. My job offered me a tuiton to attend college and I would collect NAFTA for the next year while attending school. I had no reason to stay in the area I was in after my employer had moved. I talked with my daughter's mother and explained that I had plans to move to Florida after graduation. My daughter's mother had some family in Tampa, FL and did not hesitate that she would be willing to go along.

I felt it was the least I could do and offered to get a truck big enough for her and her other kid's stuff. We had talked about getting help for her alcoholism and she was willing to get help. I made it clear that I would not tolerate her alcohol and that she would have to work with me and I would do all that I could to meet her half way. After arriving in Florida we stayed with her brother and I began looking for work. I had a job within two weeks. Within a few days she was drinking again. My daughter's mother said that the stress of being in her brothers house with his girlfriend and two other children was to much for her. I told her that she needed to look for a job and we would get a place of our own. After another two weeks went by she still had'nt looked for work and I was tired of living in the conditions once again. I used my first two paychecks and some money I had saved and got an apartment for me and her with the four kids hoping we could get her the help she needed and leave no excuses.

Needless to say she was still drinking and not looking for work. After three months of trying to help her and putting up with misery, I told her that I wasnt going to do it again and that I was moving to stay with my aunt in Orlando. My aunt came down and helped me and my daughter pack our stuff and we moved to Orlando. My aunt has no children and lives in a 4 bedroom house with her husband. After a few days I had another job and my aunt offered to watch my daughter while I worked. I would take my daughter to see her mother on most weekends and still feeling sorry for them helping with the bills and food. My daughter wanted to play with kids and had dreams of going to school. I enrolled her into a daycare at 90.00 a week even though she didnt need it, but she wanted to go there and learn and play with other kids.

When traveling to Tampa 100 miles one way for my daughter to visit with her mother, I would feel so helpless seeing the other kids living the way they were and the smell of beer and garbage full of empty beer bottles, I decided that I was not going to give my daugher's mother money anymore, but just buy them food. I had a pretty good idea that the money went towards beer and felt that was partially my fault. Well, I get there for a visit and she asks me for some money to pay her electric bill and I refused. Telling her to give me the bill and I would go pay it. Later to find out she had some assistance program pay the bill and was just trying to get money from me. She got angry and had been drinking as usual and said no money then your not taking your daughter with you. I told her I was leaving and she called 911. I thought to myself go ahead and call the police you stupid drunk. The police showed up and would'nt let me take my daughter back home with me. My daughter was screaming,"Daddy, Daddy, Please, don't leave me here. My heart broke to pieces.

I told the police that she had been drinking and that she was in no condition to be caring for the children. They replied to me "Im sorry but this is a domestic issue and if you have no court papers you will have to leave without the child" I replied but she is an alcoholic and she is drinking. They said "she is of legal age in her own home and she can drink alcohol if she chooses" I could not believe it. As hard as it was, I got in my car and drove back home to Orlando. After talking with some people I heard of an organization called childrens services. I immediatly called childrens services to see what could be done. Days to come I would drive to Tampa in attempts to see my daughter. It would all depend on how drunk her mother was and what mood she was in. I then filed paper with the courts to obtain custody. Day after day calling my daughter and hearing "daddy please come and get me" and crying I was being consumed with depression.

Every visit that I did get to see my daughter was heart breaking in the end when I would have to leave. Then it got to the point where my daughter was being abused for her emotions as I was leaving. I would call children service again and explain that my daughter was being abused and that someone needed to help her. The police would do nothing and now childrens services of all people would do nothing. I would call my daughter on the phone only to hear her mother abuse her while I had to listen helplessly. My daughter's mother made the comment to me that "if her and the other children have to be miserable then so does my daughter". What kind of mother would do such a thing to her children. I grew up with an abusive father and vowed that I would never do such a thing to my children. Months go by and finaly I get a day in court. I talked to several attorneys and getting assurance that I would have no problem getting my daughter back in court. I was also told that If I would take an attorney to court and knowing my daughter's mother would not afford one, then the judge would postpone the hearing and suggest an attorney for her. So I figure ok then, its just me and her. I state my facts and question her about many things.

I ask her about being evicted from 5 apartments in the previous two years time, she states she only been evicted from 4. oops my bad. I ask her about her alcoholism, she admits to drinking a few beers a day, but claims she doesnt have a problem. I ask her about her alcoholic mother, she states her mother is not an alcoholic, I then ask how many dui's her mother has had, two she says. I say "you dont think 2 dui's is an alcoholic problem?" She says no. I mention her mother, because this is my daughters new babysitter now that my daughter's mother has found a job. I ask her if she has ever abused her children. She says no, I ask do you consider smacking your kids with a spatula abuse, she says no. I have seen her spank her son repeatedly a dozen, yes 12 times in a row with a spatula. She smacked her other daughters face hard enough to make her nose bleed. Ok so nothing wrong with that either. Hmm well dam, I guess my daughter is in good hands then, sorry to bother you judge. Judge grants me partial custody and gives me the right to see my daughter three weekends a month with one month of summer visitation.

I pray and thank God for atleast getting a stable time to see my daughter. My daughter is depressed and asks me why the police wont help her and why childrens services wont help her. I don't know what to tell her. What do I say, well honey, the police only arrest robbers and people who drink and drive. My daughter says what about children services, mommy hits me with a spoon and smacks me in the face. Childrens services responded to me a month later saying, "we sent someone out there two weeks ago and the case worker said everything seem to fine with the kids. I said two weeks ago, that means that two weeks went by before you even went to her apartment. I call my daughter every day, yes every day since we've been apart. Some days I get to talk to her and other's I dont. It got to the point where her mother would sit by her on the phone so my daughter would not tell me about what has happened to her. I would hear the abuse on the phone and many days of listening to her cry and be abused. I would call childrens services a second time and a third time.

Childrens Service replied to me "Mr. do you realize it is a felony to falsly report abuse, we sent someone there already and that case has been closed. I said oh my God. I insisted that they have wrongly given up on my daughter and that is something I will would never do. My daughter is being abused physically and mentally and your going to threatin me with a felony charge. I would take 10 felony charges if it meant giving my daughter a chance to live free from the abuse she has been put through in the past year. I then insisted that they re-open the case and get to the bottom of this. Every day my daughter is living a life of hell and the police will do nothing and childrens services will do nothing. Needless, but sad to say I have'nt heard from Childrens Services since. Im sorry for such a long post, but felt the need to get this off my mind. Back to the child support enforecement. After losing the battle in court for custody, I receive a letter to appear for child support.

Her retaliation for me trying to get custody of my daughter. It's a game to her and she is winning. I get to court and they place a support order and add arrears on to that. I have no problem supporting my daughter, I have done this her whole unborn and born life. My daughter's mother has a free attorney from children services, me, I can't get a free attorney and my funds are depleted. Children services based my support on money I made two years prior at the job I had back in Pennsylvania that shut down (twice as much as im making now). They attatch my wages leaving me a check for support taking the maximum allowed by law (which is only 70% of what my court ordered support is for). Great now im 30% behind on arrears every two weeks. In the meanwhile I am driving 400 miles a weekend to pick up my daughter, my gas money, my vehicle, half the time of the trip is my visitation time. I get rearended by a semi truck on the highway and end up with neck and back problems, final diagnosis 5% disabled for the rest of my life and three months out of work.I go for another hearing to get the support reduced. I work 40 hours a week five days a week, I get my daughter 3 weekends a month and a month out of the summer, limitations on my work abilities in finding a new job, because no one wants to hire a handicap and this was the whole court hearing summed up in one sentence.

Judge tells me "I suggest you get a second job and pay the arrears or you will get your license suspended" end of hearing. Ok, I work 40 hours a week five days a week, I get my daughter 3 weekends a month and a month out of the summer and that was the whole court hearing summed up in one sentence. By now I have had enough of this system. I make sure my daughter gets plenty of attention, Love, has a roof over her head, food to eat and stays healthy to the best of my ability. A couple weeks go by and I get a letter in the mail, your license has been suspended due to arrears in support. Ok no problem, you take my daughter away from me, attatch my wages for support totaling 80% of my wages and now suspend my license. Im not a genuis, but how am I to work and get a second job ect. with no license. I don't have six months of support money laying around to pay these arrears.

If it took six months to accumulate, how am I going to pay them in one day. (they went back on arrears from the time my daughter's mother filed the papers at court to the actual hearing date) My first thought is my daughter. She is 100 miles away and I will not miss any time I can spend with her. I start looking for ways to get her to me for visitation. Greyhound bus. 35.00 round trip times two for the return trip. Yeah thats 70.00 a weekend to get my daughter, not to mention its a 6 hour ordeal. On Friday two hours down, two hours waiting for the next bus and two hours back home. Yeah times two. I gotta do it again on Sunday. Three times a month. I go to buy a ticket and my bank card balance is showing 1.00. What the hell is going on, I then find out that my bank account has been frozen and depleted to 1.00 with a 100.00 charge by the bank for a transaction to Children Services. Now Im upset. You take my daughter, you take my drivers license, now your taking everything that means anything to me in my life. Time with my daughter. After they take my deduction from my paycheck for support, I get the final 170.00 every two weeks direct deposited to my bank account. yeah thats 85.00 a week to live on. I spend 70.00 three weekends a month for a bus ticket to get my daughter. Which I was forced to sacrifice a weekend so I could afford to feed my daughter while she stays with me.

I try calling the Child Enforcement Drivers Liscense Center. Yeah, I guess they do this to so many people that they need a seperate department for each tactic. One takes your kid, one takes your money, one takes your license, and one to freeze your bank account. I call to see if I can get my license back, the number on the suspension notice. Lady answers telling me I have to call the drivers license department and gives me a number. I call the number to get an answering mail box that is full and to try again later. Hmm who would of guessed. I call the original number and get another lady. I explain that I tried to call to see about getting my lisence back and that the message machine answered and it was full. She asks for my name and phone number. I don't have a phone. She says she will forward the message to the drivers license dept and that I should stop in at the office. Im 100 miles away with no drivers license. I ask if I could call and talk to someone that can help me.

She replied no and hangs up the phone. I try calling the drivers license dept three more days in a row only to find a full mail box. I just found out today that you don't need a drivers license to drive a moped in Florida. Wow why did'nt I think of that. Thank you all for reading this and don't make the same mistakes I did. God bless you all. God bless America.

Steve

Orlando, Florida
U.S.A.