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Shirley M. Berens I agree the legislators should do something to help those families who have disabled children and adults living with them. If we can spend millions of dollars on criminals to keep them in jail and make their lives comfortable, than we should be able to give those individuals who harm no one the services they need to help them live and have a better life. I have a grandson who has Aspergers Syndrome and when he got sick and too much for me to handle without help I had to force Denver Dept of Human Services to open a case by pleading to something I did not do, because in Colorado to get a disabled child help you have to plead in court to something you did not do to open a case. What is wrong with that picture? Then after that, I was put on a database for abusing him which I did not do. I then had to plead my case to the Attorney General by writing a Pre Hearing Statement forcing Human Services to look at the case and re evaluate their decision so it would not ruin my name. Going before the Attorney General to clear my name was an experience I will never forget. But my family stood together as it always has and presented a good case. My grandson whom I have adopted when my daughter lost her rights to him in Chaffee County back in the early 90's was then put on the visiting list to see her son by the same department that took him away from her. I hope you’re getting the picture here that Human Services needs to clean up their act. Families need to get assistance from the county they live in so that families like mine do not need to go through so many traumas. If it had not been for Dr. Hildegard Messenbaugh at Third Way Center the whole mess would not have been straightened out before the Attorney General. If my daughter would have received the help she needed back in 1991 her son would not have had to have been put into 27 out of home placements but could have been taken care of at home by her. But my daughter received no help in order to get him the services he so desperately needed, instead she had her rights terminated. When the Attorney General heard our families’ story they were left to tears. Obviously there are not enough tears being shed for those families who desperately need help for their children. Wake up Colorado, Wake Up…….Pass laws that will service the families of Colorado…. Because of our families’ hard work and unfailing desire not to give up on our disabled son and grandson he is now getting the help he needs. But the family had to go through termination of rights, fighting a court system and human service system for years spending over $250,000 in legal fees just to get their son and grandson the help he needed. The money was paid to attorney’s which should have gone for his care. Yes it is sad my family had to go through such an ordeal but because of the tragedy our family faced we became stronger and out of the tears and sorrow an organization was built to help families when such crisis situations happen, it is the Grandparents Resource Center our web site is www.grc4usa.org. My daughter Natalie runs the Parents without Custody Program to help parents whose children have been placed in the system for whatever reason. She advocates for them, by helping them become better parents and helping the family keep their children out of the system. The GRC advocates for families to keep the children within the family either with the grandparents or some other family member who can keep the children until the parents can get their lives together to take over the parenting job…..If you need help call us
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