Is there anyone here who knows much about cafcass??
Over the last year I have been in a custody battle with my daughters father who has only been on the scene since last year as he abandoned myself and daughter when she was a baby. He has been back and forth a few times in between but not for long, he has constantly reported me to social services, police and now cafcass and every time there has been no safeguarding concerns. He even went as far as to make up some childish allegations of sexual abuse against me with no evidence. Although untrue, it really affected me because he is the father to my child and he is so disrespectful towards me.
Anyway, I’ve been wanting to move for ages and I was finally offered the perfect house for myself and daughter. It’s in a different county but only an hour and a half away. My daughters father has been convicted of drunk driving and lost his license and is now complaining that he can’t see our daughter. I offered to do half the trip and this was still unacceptable to him.
So I wrote a letter to the court explaining i was moving and my daughter would be coming and an address to contact us etc. i told cafcass, I told school and I told her father.
An emergency hearing was called the next day and I was unrepresented just as, I have been through out. It’s very scary and intimidating and I was shitting a brick and I wrote I wanted to move due to my depression because i tried to complain about the fathers abuse towards me but the court and cafcass were not listening. he has bad mouthed me to my daughter and she told me. Cafcass made out that my daughter is a liar. The appointed officer even came out to observe my relationship with my daughter and spoke to my daughter in her room and all was well but behind my back she was saying she thinks I should be psychologically assessed. However, she didn’t tell me that, instead she allowed my daughters solicitor to tell me literally 2 minutes before the hearing began so I was automatically pissed when I went in.
Anyway I was an emotional wreck in court and then the judge decided I’m unsafe because of my depression and anxiety so my daughter was to live with her father in the week and me on weekends. This got my back up and I felt angry and upset at being failed by the courts and for my daughters father getting away with the shit he has put us through. Anyway, after the hearing I was crying in the waiting area and my daughters father walked out through the same door. I saw him and saw red and I punched him. This is not something that happened in front of my daughter, Ive never exposed her to violence and never would. Cafcass decided to take my daughter away and I now have to have supervised contact. I have gone from living full time with my baby to only seeing her 4 hours a week supervised. It’s only been a week but it’s killing me. I miss my baby terribly as she’s the best thing in my life.
I haven’t always been a great person but I’m a bloody good mother and now my daughter has been forced to live with her father and his girlfriend and her 2 kids. My daughter barely knows her dad and she is desperate to come home and it’s breaking my heart as there is nothing I can do.
Does anyone know if cafcass have to have an order to remove a child??
How long will it take me to get my baby girl back home??
I have another hearing in 22nd March, I have legal aid now but how long will I be fighting to get her home where she belongs.
I tried to ask cafcass for help but the appointed officer has just blanked me since February.
I am a broken shell of a person with out my baby. If anyone has any advice or helpful comments please say.
Thanks guys