Shreveport mother fights state DCFS for return of her children
Shreveport mother
By Chelsie Burroughs
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — A Shreveport mother has hired an attorney as she fights with the state Department of Children & Family Services to have her children returned.
“It was just devastating and horrifying,” said Kerri Rose.
It all started in the middle of summer in 2022. Rose, a local Shreveport mother, was trying to provide for her two children then she received a phone call from a DCFS caseworker asking to talk in person.
“In a public area, not in a closed off room in a public area standing about 10 feet away from me, hollers out of his mouth that, ‘Miss Rose I just wanted to let you know that your children are now in the care of DCFS,’” Rose said.
According to Rose, the Department of Children and Family Services took her children away due to drug use. She says she was clean and there were no drugs in her system.
“How do you remove children if you don’t have any evidence of what you’re saying?” Rose asked.
Rose admits that she was not in the best situation. She said she had a history with drug use.
“Am I perfect? Absolutely not. But I didn’t deserve this. I did not deserve this. My kids, my children, they don’t deserve it. And they are split apart and it’s the holidays,” Rose said.
Now the mother of two is terrified for her children. She believes they are being verbally and emotionally abused in their new home.
“They try not to acknowledge that. They try to only acknowledge physical abuse, DCFS does,” Rose said.
DCFS released the following statement about Rose’s claims:
“Thank you for giving DCFS the opportunity to respond. Suspected child abuse and neglect should be reported to the hotline, 855-4LA-KIDS (855-452-5437). State confidentiality laws (R.S. 46:56) generally prohibit DCFS from commenting on, or even acknowledging, a case involving the potential abuse or neglect of a child, with very limited exceptions.”
Rose hired an attorney to fight for her children. She believes that many parents across the country experience this and by telling her story, it will encourage other parents to do the same.
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