Oh, What a Day!

It's been a long day, and tomorrow will begin a long work week. I'm going to respond here to a few comments, then I must be off to bed! 6 a.m. comes way too soon!

Before I begin, I have to say something about being "anonymous." People are up in arms about who is writing this blog. Other blog owners who chose to reveal their identities were attacked relentlessly and had their background looked into by people who claimed to only want justice for Ayla. It is also hypocritical that MOST of the people complaining about the blog owner being anonymous are posting their concerns ANONYMOUSLY. You do not want your real identity to be associated with your own words, yet you want to hold me to a different standard? You all are constantly trying to figure out who I am, while making statements that I "forgot" about Ayla. Well, every second you devote to finding out who I am, takes away from Ayla as well. Comprende?

VTLadyFeb 26, 2012 03:05 PM

I do appreciate your point of view WRT the DHHS angle, 'Anon'.

And, I fully understand DHHS could NOT legally stand in JDiPs WAY, when he decided to excercise his parental rights, taking Ayla from Jessica Reynolds' apt. while Trista was in rehab.

BUT, my question is this:

Why did they get involved in his decision and HELP him take her??
And, after involving themselves in the situation BY HELPING him take Ayla..
WHY didn't they open a case to record their involvment, and then FOLLOW UP by checking on her??

It's one thing to say "DHHS has no authority to STOP" a bio-parent from taking his child to which he is a virtual STRANGER (Ayla kicking & screaming, during the trsf., IIRC!)
And it is ANOTHER THING ENTIRELY to help FACILITATE the man to do so.

That is where I, personally, DO fault DHHS.
If that IS how the system generally works, it REALLY needs to change IMO.

This was a child who was safe where she was, AND, agents of DHHS were instrumental in HANDING HER OVER to a man she barely knew and who was in obvious DISTRESS being given to.
A child not old enough to be explained to, WHERE her mother was, who was being NEEDLESSLY TRAUMATIZED (at minimum) by the hand-over!!

Where was Ayla's BEST INTERESTS being served by this arrangement?
Moreover, once traumatized by being handed over kicking,screaming and TERRIFIED why wasn't JDiP MANDATED BY DHHS to bring Ayla to a child-psychiatrist?? The kid was being obviously TRAUMATIZED.

If this IS how the system generally works, and DHHS followed protocol TO THE LETTER, then I hope Trista Reynolds STILL sues.
Not for monetary damages... but for POLICY CHANGE!!!

In order to say that DHHS took Ayla from the Reynold's family, you have to totally ignore the fact that Trista says she and Justin had an agreement that he would care for Ayla while she was in rehab. Also, it has been stated that DHHS'  role in the situation was to verify to law enforcement that Justin is Ayla's father.

Ayla could have been handed over to Justin with little to none of the "trauma" that you refer to. Jessica Reynolds was notified that she needed to hand Ayla over to Justin, she refused, and her actions are what necessitated police officers handling the exchange the way they did. Jessica Reynolds has already had her own child(ren) removed from her care by DHHS, so I can see why she'd be reluctant to turn over another child.


I hope Trista Reynolds sues as well. It's her right to do so, and I hope that she would be suing to reform the system and not pad her pockets. It would be awesome if she sued so that no other child's case would be handled in the manner she claims Ayla's was. This case makes it clear that DHHS is in need of serious reform, and that law enforcement may want to conduct some sort of refresher training when it comes to diffusing/handling these types of situations.

AnonymousFeb 26, 2012 01:30 PM

Here's the thing about "custody". If parents are not married and there is no court order in place, which is often the case, each party has equal rights to the child and can take the child from the other parent at will without committing a crime. The fact that DHS was involved in this does not mean they placed Ayla with Justin but rather did not stand in the way of a biological father exercising his right, over that of extended family, to care for his child while mom is in rehab. The fact that Trista's other child was not removed shows us that this was not a case where DHS could prove jeopardy to the child but rather facilitated what was supposed to be a safe mutual agreement between the parents. Not uncommon and none of it means anyone lied...they just didnt have a very sophisticated understanding of "the system". Given Trista's problems and those of her sons father, it isn't surprising that DHS was watching. Doesn't mean they had a court order of any kind....or that anyone did.

These are  very good points, and this is  well said. The big part of the custody situation that I cannot understand is why the baby boy was not removed. Either both children were safe, or both were unsafe. It makes it look more like Ayla going to Justin was indeed an agreement between parents. Did Trista's family try to change her decision to let Ayla go with Justin? Were they unhappy with that arrangement, and trying to stop it from happening? 




If anyone comments, please keep it clean. Good night, and Ayla---hopefully tomorrow is the day!