-- We the parents of the United States
It All Started When I Went On a Job Interview with SOSCF
By Melody Owen, September 2, 2002
After being interviewed and being hired by a well known agency, I was told there was to be an interview with 'SOSCF' (Oregon’s State Office for Services to Children and Families), as the program was part of a contract with SOSCF. The interview went well and I was told I would be called on Tuesday, one week from this day, telling me when I would start.
On the way out the door, the interviewer said, "Oh, by the way, I have to ask, have you ever been involved with SOSCF before?" Being an
honest person I said that yes I had. Something, not of my own doing, had happened, but everything is fine now as it had occurred almost 3 years ago and I had taken care of my children to the satisfaction of this office.
The social worker taking care of my case had closed it saying she was satisfied with everything I had done. The interviewer said she had to read the file and that everything should be Ok, just a formality.
Tuesday came and went. Wednesday two social workers and one state trooper showed up at my business to question me. After several minutes of the social workers throwing their weight around threatening me that they had the power to take my children, I asked them to leave as I was getting upset and needed some time out.
They would not leave and kept up their menacing posturing. I told them that if they didn't leave, I would. I went into my house, we had been in my store at the time and my house is behind the store. I thought about how ridiculous the whole thing was:
1) That the SOSCF reviewer was not mature enough to call me and say "we need to talk with you and/or you children"
2) What a waste of taxpayers' money. 3-4 hours of pay for two social workers and a state trooper and 2 vehicles driven 90+ miles round trip.
After laughing at the stupidity of the situation, I called the office and left a message saying I was disgusted with how unprofessionally this had been handled and would talk to them. I went somewhere for a short while. When I got home a neighbor said a state trooper stopped at their house saying I needed to call SOSCF. I was angry that no message was left on any of my 4 doors, instead my business was spread to the neighborhood.
I did call SOSCF and had to leave another message and again, no one called me back. The next day social workers and state troopers arrived to take my children. No investigation had been done.
Later my children told me the workers were not only speeding- my kids looked at the speedometer- but also they talked badly about me in front of them. Totally unprofessional.
I should also add that these children were 11 and 12 at the time. So they could have been asked if there were any problems at home.
Those poor kids spent the next 2 weeks in foster care. The children were isolated from their mother and father for 7 days with no way to be contacted and not allowed to call home. Due to religious convictions, we do not eat pork. They were told they had to eat what was put in front of them. This included sugar cereal for breakfast. At one visit I saw marks on my son's neck and chest, also on the left side of his face by his eye.
It took just over a year of playing the state's games but we were no longer under their control. Before we went into the courtroom the last time, my lawyer and a social worker warned me that the state would always be controlling me and watching over me.
When I went in and the judge asked if there were any questions, I complained about what I was told. She, the judge, said no, that what the social worker meant was if they ever heard anything negative about us, they would step back in. This was a definite victory over what I was told before I entered the courtroom.
I am fortunate to be articulate enough to stand up in court and ask to be heard. At one point during the past proceedings, a social worker stood up and lied saying that I was unwilling to cooperate. I was aghast as I had tried every avenue to speak with these people. I leaned over and asked my lawyer if she could really stand up and lie about me like that and his answer was yes.
Oregon is a 'good ole boy' network. When the judge answered my final question, the social worker and my lawyer looked down at the floor. The judge was not backing them up. She was a good judge and we were fortunate. There are many families out there not as fortunate.
Melody Owen may be reached at melodyowenis@hotmail.com
published with permission, September 2, 2002
[Editorial note: This is the very short version of her family's story. Much pain and many more very inappropriate actions of SOSCF and policies are not written here.]
