FROM PART 2: In March 2014, a Hancock County couple, along with their five children, were thrust into a child-protection case that left the family torn apart for months. Almost a year after getting their kids back, the couple watched closely as a familiar name emerged from a criminal investigation involving a child-services worker accused of forgery.
A single mother from rural Hancock County walked into the sheriff’s office in 2015 with a stack of documents and an allegation that sparked criminal investigations into what may be the most secretive government entity in Mississippi. The woman told investigators a child-services worker had forged a document and used it to take away her child.
The allegation, described as “disturbing” by Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam, was the first of several lodged against the Mississippi Department of Human Services throughout 2015. The other allegations included document tampering and children being sexually abused while in DHS custody.
This is Part 3 of ‘Fostering Secrets,’ a six-part investigative series into Mississippi’s child protection system.
Can DHS take your kids if you make them do too much homework? This couple says it happened
- Details
-
Category: Unaccountable caseworkers
-
Created: Friday, 26 August 2016 20:54
-
Written by Wesley Muller & John Fitzhugh - Sun Herald
They lost custody of their kids for making them do too much homework, couple says.
After a false claim of neglect was submitted to Mississippi DHS, they took five children away from a Bay St. Louis couple. After months and many tears, CASA helped the family reunite.
Four months after child-protection workers showed up at their home to investigate an anonymous complaint, Jennifer and Scott Berry began packing — they couldn’t get out of Hancock County fast enough. The Berry family endured what they say was the most traumatic experience of their lives, a nightmare that still keeps Scott, Jennifer and their five children awake at night.
This is Chapter 1 of ‘Fostering Secrets,’ a six-part investigative series into Mississippi’s child protection system.
