My 40-year old cousin arrived at my house in Vista, CA without her child (infant). My cousin appeared very upset, scared, and fearful in regards to interactions between her and the child's father. My cousin called the family friend who was taking care of her son many times that night and the next day but was unable to reach the family friend for an update and to find out if the infant child was still safe. I received a manic call from this family friend, that she was getting threatening calls from the child's dad and I was told to come to Nevada right now to pick the child up because she feared for her family's safety. My cousin and I drove straight to Las Vegas, Nevada and picked him up around midnight and arrived back at my house around 7:00 am that morning. The child's father was aware that there was a "cousin in California" but he did not have any other info on where I lived so I just wanted to get the child here with me and have both of them in a safe environment.

Within 3-weeks, my cousin got on Medi-cal, food stamps, and WIC. With the exception of the constant crying, he appeared to be in good health. He had no bruises or scars. I focused on him and met his needs and also assisted my cousin who was scared, desperate for help, and desired to see a therapist and get back on her medications so that she can get back on track.

The same day Medi-cal was approved and before she admitted herself into the Crisis center in San Diego, my cousin wanted to make sure that the child was taken to Tri City for possible ear infection and eye infection. He was given antibiotics and eye drops, which I paid for the prescription's. After that, my cousin voluntary checked herself in to a crisis center in San Diego and I had had physical custody of the child while she was there. A few days later, a social worker / CPS with a police man appeared at my door and took the sleeping child from my house even though he was in no apparent danger and my cousin was starting to thrive at the center, being medicated and see a therapist. I was told by the CPS worker that by taking the child from my custody, it would make it easier to secure a restraining order against the child's father for both my cousins and her sons sake. Neither happened. They also took with them his prescriptions that were prescribed to him by the emergency room.

You could imagine how scared the child was and also it completely messed up my cousin's chances of getting help. She could not trust her counselors anymore and because she was now without therapy, meds, and her son she lost it as anyone would. She was now depressed, distraught, and not able to trust anyone at the crisis clinic. They even released her EARLY because they couldn't handle her after the CPS intervention. She moved back into my house. We visited the child at a group foster care center a couple of times which was 40-minutes away from my home.

Then the child was moved very quickly into a Foster Family's home, and our visitations were in the San Diego area, 45-minutes away from Vista. We visited him at different McDonalds in that area.

All of this happened within 2-months of my cousin arrival to California.

I have no criminal history or any past CPS issues so I petitioned for his return from the moment he was taken from my home. My home was finally approved to bring him home on 2/14/13. It was on 2/20/13, that we had a TEAM DECISION MAKING (TDM) meeting. It was at this time that I was informed, and it is documented, that I can move my cousin in "once the agency receives concurrence from minor's attorney." In the ACTION STEPS: my cousin "will continue to try and enter a shelter". My cousin was to have "Liberal Visitation". The social worker was supposed to follow up on helping get medication prescription and getting her in services i.e. Domestic Violence and Parenting classes.

That evening, I picked up the child from his current caregiver and brought him back to my home that evening. My cousin was forced to move out because it wasn't until this moment that the social worker told me that they could not be in the same home together. WE TRIED but were unable to get into any shelter in my area, not even a for Domestic Violence, because at this point the physical violence between my cousin and the child's father was not immediate, the womens shelter was full, and the ones that we could find room were the shelters that allowed Family's only. My cousin lived in her car and then ate and showered at my house and pretty much was at my home daily.

The child had no reason to be removed from my care.

The child was not in any immediate danger nor was his needs not being met.

CPS worker did not secure any restraining order as stated against the father.

My cousin was asking for, searching for, and attempted on her own to receive help before CPS's intervention.

She did receive all of the above BEFORE Cps intervened. Once they removed the child from my care, she was left on her own with no help AND now no medications for her depression.

There was NO reason that we could not have them both in the same house living together.

I feel that we could of picked up where we left off prior to CPS involvement and my cousin's mental health would of not deteriorated.

My cousin would of had my daily support and help getting the child what he needed and her back onto the right track. Not stressed out, stuck in another State with NOW NO FAMILY support.

The home environment was stable, safe and suitable and that no one in the home was abusing or neglecting the child. TRUE

The family provided for the basic needs of each child by supplying safe shelter, food, clothing, medical care and education. TRUE