The dangerous label of parental alienation is now the single biggest threat to the credibility of victims of domestic abuse, and to the voices of children. It gives validation, power and control to perpetrators. Any court that countenances unevidenced allegations of parental alienation is potentially sanctioning abuse. Sadly, it may take a tragedy before anyone will actually listen. I really enjoyed reading this book, no spoilers obviously but nice for a happy ending. Laura Facebook Every time a Cathy Glass book comes out I know I need to set aside some time because I cannot put these books down once I start. Angie, 6 and her sister Polly, 4, are utterly distraught when they arrive to stay with foster carer Cathy Glass. Their older half sister Ashleigh has accused their father of something horrible and the two young sisters have been removed from home to keep them safe.

That was Bradley’s cinematographer, Nisa East, she explains. “I was driving in my little Honda Civic right behind their car, driving and texting, and Nisa saying, ‘It’s getting really hot and heavy in here. You sure you want me to keep filming?’ And I said, ‘It’s not up to me, it’s up to Fox and Robert. Let them guide you.’ So much of being a film-maker is energy work. But what was most profound about that scene is that people have come to me and said it wasn’t till that moment that they understood how much was lost.” In hindsight I wonder if the truth would ever have come out if Angie and Polly hadn’t lived with me. I’m not saying I’m a better foster carer than others, but splitting up the girls from their older sister allowed them to disclose what was really going on. However, I’m jumping ahead of myself. It was Tuesday afternoon when Joy Philips, my supervising social worker (SSW), telephoned and their story began. A US judicial guide states that the supreme court ruled the syndrome was based on “soft sciences” and is thus inadmissible. It is not recognised as a legitimate clinical term by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. A UK government report last year highlighted concerns about the unscrupulous credentials of so-called “experts” on parental alienation. And yet, over the past decade, the concept has gained traction here and is now a regular fixture in our family courts. And the weight applied to so-called parental alienation experts by the family courts is often significant. The family court support service, Cafcass, has adopted a practice guidance on parental alienation giving junk science further weight. There is no empirical evidence that a transfer of residence can make a child love the alienated parent, but there is evidence that it can result in further harm to children. PDF / EPUB File Name: A_Family_Torn_Apart_-_Cathy_Glass.pdf, A_Family_Torn_Apart_-_Cathy_Glass.epubCathy Glass is hands-down my favorite author. I have read and re-read her fostering memoirs over and over again. Her latest certainly did not disappoint. At the start of August I had just said goodbye to Jamey, whom I’d fostered since before Christmas. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was asked to take another child or children and I steeled myself, wondering what their sorrowful story would be. In over 25 years of fostering, I’d looked after many children who had suffered abuse and neglect, but no two children’s stories are ever the same, and that was certainly true of the girls who arrived next. Soon. This afternoon. Their father is still with the police but he will be bailed later and is returning to the family home to live. The children need to move before then. The girls’ mother is standing by him.’

Cathy's casual writing style allows the reader to feel as if they are sitting across from her listening to her tell the story. She always explains unfamiliar fostering jargon, procedures, and processes in easily digestible terms to eliminate any disconnect or confusion. Cathy also brings an interesting perspective to light throughout her memoirs. She is able to perfectly capture and balance the perspectives of herself as the foster carer, her children, the foster children, and the foster children's families. Cathy is very diplomatic in the way that she discusses and interacts with the families of the children she looks after, a characteristic which shines brightly throughout this particular story.The eldest, who’s fourteen and has a different father to the other two girls, has made allegations of sexual abuse against her stepfather and would feel more comfortable in an all-female environment.’ Joe and Maureen Hannigan. By outward appearances, they appear to be stable, dedicated, church-going parents who have earned the respect of their flag-waving community by participating in selfless civic endeavors. But behind closed doors we get to see an entirely darker side.

In addition, the children are faced with behavior that's erratic and unpredictable. They feel as if they're forced to walk on eggshells in their own home for fear of upsetting mom & day. Then with no reasonable explanation Joe & Maureen unleash their rage and abuse. Soon, Chris, Brian and Daniel feel anxiety when coming into the "home" from school because they don't know what's waiting for them. In Vilma’s situation, had she not had attorneys, she would have certainly lost custody of her daughter, she would certainly already have been deported,” said Tabak. “I think it’s critical to ensure that individuals like Vilma who don’t speak English, who have gone through severe trauma, who haven’t had the benefit of formal education, that they get access to legal service providers.” There is someone who can take Ashleigh if we can’t keep them together. She’s a single carer who has just returned to fostering after a long break so doesn’t feel up to taking all three girls as her first placement.’

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Add the fact that Joe & Maureen are so preoccupied with a double-standard lifestyle of presenting themselves as vanguard parents of decency causing their own problems of duplicity and pain that they're unable to give their "adopted" children what they need and crave - consistency, safety, unconditional love. As a result, the children feel highly stressed, anxious, and unlovable. It’s not that, it’s the work involved. I’d be spread too thinly and couldn’t meet their needs.’ I’d said this in the past to Joy, but I understood why she was asking. With so many children coming into care, and with some foster carers having to shield because of health concerns, and children’s homes full or in quarantine, those carers that were able to take extra children were being asked to. They have absolutely no idea what it means to have a father in the house,” Rich muses to the camera. And we see Rich herself grow from a regretful but spirited young woman into a resilient, complex older one – albeit with vulnerabilities still close to the surface. In one memorable scene, she stands before her church congregation and asks for forgiveness from all those she has made suffer. It’s just one of many scenes that’s missing from collective notions of crime and incarceration.