Foster Teen Mother (Bethel, Alaska)

Quick summary

Quick summary

A judge sanctioned Alaska's OCS for unnecessarily removing a newborn from his mother, a teenager in foster care, finding a supervisor's testimony 'anything but truthful'.

Full story

Full story

A teenager from Western Alaska gave birth while in foster care. After relations broke down with her foster parents, who claimed she was psychotic and could not care for the baby (a view rejected by medical professionals who assessed her), OCS removed the newborn. Bethel Superior Court Judge William Montgomery found OCS misrepresented its efforts to find a home for mother and baby and that a supervisor's testimony was 'anything but truthful to this Court', and publicly sanctioned the agency in a 23-page order.

Where

Agency

Office of Children's Services (OCS), Alaska

City

Bethel

State

AK

Country

United States

First Nations

Yes

The removal

When the baby was taken

Not Stated

Where the baby was taken from

Not Stated

Stated reasons

Young Or Teen MotherMother Grew Up In CareMental Health

Their stated reason in detail

Foster parents claimed she was psychotic; medical professionals disagreed.

How it was done

Order Later Found Wrong Or Invalid

Support after

Grief counselling offered

Not Stated

Getting baby back

Steps taken

Court HearingsGot A Lawyer

Did she get her baby back

Unknown

Where the baby is now

Unknown

People, hospitals and agencies

Official response

Official response

OCS said it takes the findings seriously and set up a dedicated unit in Anchorage for Bethel-region cases.

Legal action

Court Ruled For Family

Sources

• In rare move, judge sanctions OCS for removing foster teen’s baby from her care against court order · Anchorage Daily News · News

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