FACE$ OF DCF ADOPTION$ FOR FEDERAL MONEY is a new series we’re starting to expose how the Florida Department of Families (DCF) rakes in federal money by removing kids from their families, placing them in state custody, and then adopting them out to others. This “system” was established after President Bill Clinton’s 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act established financial rewards for state’s which meet adoption quotas.  

My name is (REDACTED), and I went through an extremely traumatic situation with the department (which lasted 5 years) and included the suicide of my children’s father. My case ended in my rights being terminated to 3 of my 5 children, although I was able to get a third child back part time after he had been adopted out.

The two kids I was reunified with were not in a pre-adoptive home. So what it very much felt like the department trafficked the children who were able to be sold into adoption but gave back the ones who weren’t.  

I would like to note that I am a recovering addict, and have been in recovery 6 years to date. I did need rehab. But I was a completely functioning addict. I was prescribed pain killers after an accident and became addicted. I had the same job at (a local restaurant) for 8 years, and we had a nice clean home. The children made excellent grades, and I had them in a gold seal daycare their entire lives. That day care provider even spoke on my behalf, but nothing was going to stop what DCF had planned for my children. They were literal walking dollar signs to the department because I had so many – 5 children.

My family attempted to adopt all of my children once they realized the department was locked in on stripping my rights. But the department had one excuse after the next as to why my parents could not adopt my children. My parents don’t have an arrest record. It would have been perfect for my children. My parents spent over $100,000 on 2 separate attorneys to try to get my children either back with me or with them to adopt.

My children were put in homes where they were sexually molested, received double black eyes, and more. Our story is completely devastating, and the worst part is that I was more than willing to accept help – but rehab was never, not one time, offered to me by the department. Instead they tried to force me into the methadone clinic after I had already been clean 6 weeks. Which made me extremely sick. Eventually my family paid for me to go to rehab, and I’ve been clean ever since. I got out of rehab and earned, not one but two criminal justice degrees so that I could learn about court proceedings and how to get my children back.

There is no way possible to justify the fact that I was safe enough to parent 3 of my children but not the other 2 who were sold into adoption.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, some kids need to be removed from dangerous situations, obviously; however, the goal of this series is to share stories from families who seemingly deserved reunification instead of parental rights termination. Hundreds of families have reached out since we started uncovering problems with DCF in Northwest Florida. Many are afraid to speak out, and others can’t because they’re under judge-imposed gag orders. Want to share your story? Email info@ssrnews.com. 

South Santa Rosa News/Milton Post is especially grateful to volunteers, including Sherry Chapman, Cindy Smith and Jess Prescott, who are helping gather and process information with the goal of legislative-based DCF reform.

Want to help? Ask for DCF reform by emailing GovernorRon.DeSantis@eog.myflorida.com