my name is kandi stallings. i have a 9 year old of my own. my sister has been addicted to crack cocaine for 15 years. she had a little girl(who is in the picture) and i brought her home from the hospital. i raised her for 6 years. my sister then gave birth to a little boy (the littlest one in picture. he was born dead and s[ent 7 days in icu due to the drugs and alcohol in his system. i received custody of both these children when they were born. In 2008 they all 3 were taken from me due to my benzo level being to high. i had a script but level did not match. in may of 2009 my sister gave birth to a 3rd child who was placed in foster care. for a year my sister did right stayed clean and recived custody back of her little girl from foster care. she petitioned the court for custody of the 2 i had. since she had been doing so good i agreed to give them back. i thought it was best for them to be raised by their mom if possible. 4 days after she received custody she failed a drug test and they were removed from her. While i was in court giving her kids back i was also drug tested. i failed for marijuana. marshall county turned the information over to blount co dhr which is where i live. they did an investigation and found no reason to open a case. i passed 2 drug test for blount co and they closed my investigation. the kids were placed with their old daycare owner and she was given custody in june. I petitioned the court for custody. We went to court on september 30,2010. when i went to court, my lawyer did absolutely nothing for me. dhr had a 5 page report on reasons y i should not have the kids. The only thing they had to use against me is what happened in 08 which i have already taken care of and received the children back! then they had the failed drug test in court on june 9,2010 which i have not failed another 1 since. i have begged marshall county dhr to let me take drug test or do what ever to get the children and was refused and told i had no rights! the other thing they had against me was my pass criminal history. i have only been charged with 2 disorderly conducts and a shoplifting charge which all happened in 08 while the children were not living here. my sister was married a week before she lost kids so they have a step dad now. i have never done any drug other than my nerve pills that r prescribed and smoked marijuana. never ever have i ever done any drugs in front of my children. i have not ever even drank around them. all they proved in court was i have been in trouble a couple of times forpetty crimes and smoked pot. not 1 thing proved me to be an unfit mother. the dhr worker who is refusing me the children is the same one that helped me get the children in the beginning. what is the most confusing is my sister is now in work release and suprisingly showed up in court. 2 months ago the dhr worker stated she was not giving her another chance. however it was ordered she has every sunday visits supervised and her husband who is no blood to the kids get them any time unsupervised.. they offered me VIP visits which is 4 hours a month and i have to pay 100 dollars to do that. their reason was of course my "criminal background" and my "drug history". but the step dad has several drug felonies, and several burglary charges and a much much more extensive criminal and drug history than me. i do think he deserves to see the kids but i dont understand why he gets that and i have to pay 100 dollars to see them 4 hours a month. i never received xhild support for these kids and raised them on my own as a single mom. these kids call me mama. the few times i have seen them the 6 year old begs me to get her back home. not 1 person besides the dhr worker has talked to the kids not even their gal. now all contact betweenn me and the kids have been stopped. i have never missed a holiday or birthday and am fixing to miss the 6 year olds bday and their christmas. judge burke did not even give me a chance to speak and i think none of them are doing what is best for the kids. the kids need to be with their family and their not. they r very unhappy and want to come home. i am at my last draw and dont know what else to do. my children always had all their needs and wants. they did sports. my 9 year old is still in sports but when the 6 year old was given to this lady she pulled her out of gymnastics and says she dont have time to take her. i really feel cheated and feel i did not get a fair trial. noone will listen to me or the kids. the 6 year old may only b 6 but she knows what she wants and she wants to come home! please sign my petition. i assure you my children have always been taken care of and safe. please help i dont know what else to do!