FamilyStrong: Recent Episodes
Melinda Butler
Building Character, Integrity and Knowledge of Parents and Grandparents through education regarding South Carolina DSS Laws
How much authority are you willing to let the government have over your life and your children? As long as we continue to sit back, they will continue to take and take and take. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Does DSS do more harm than good? The overwhelming majority of people I talk to who have been in Foster Care, do not feel that it helped them. They feel strongly that it hurt them more and caused unbearable trauma. Hear one of my clents story today.
4 baby steps for how to not let fear take over and keep you from doing great things and having the life you want.
Baby steps will lead to giant leaps.
Private schools were at one time against the law until someone challenged that law and it changed! What laws do we need to challenge?
What keeps you up at night?
What gets you out of bed every morning?
From making dog food bags in a factory to C.O.O. at Butler Law Firm!
Today Iâm sharing why I prefer grandparents over foster parents when dealing with children in the DSS system.
on this episode, we will be discusiing more about your rights in this area.
SC Judicial Department is where you can find opinions that come out weekly.
Heather shares her story of living through both and which one she feels was more detrimental.
I am discussing my case where Mama fought for over a year to regain custody of her four children while working at a Fast Food restaurant, and had a state appointed attorney (myself). How she kept hope and prevailed!
Take time to replenish yourself so that you have more to give to your kids and your people.
Step Parent Adoption Statute SC Code #63-9-1110
Adult Adoption Statute SC Code #63-9-1120
State of South Carolina DSS verses Erica.
Grandma is in a competing adoption case trying to obtain custody from the foster family and win custody of her granddaughter.
Grandparent Rights SC Code Section 63-3-530 #33 Siblings Rights SC Code Section 63-3-530 #44 Relative Rights SC Code Section 63-7-1680 E
This is the culture, my people, that Iâm seeing destroyed by the government coming in and taking children from their parents. My sisters and I would have all been removed from our homes based on the way things are done today with DSS in South Carolina.
Is this right constitutional? Should it be your right to decide or the state decide for you?
What law/standard should apply in this case? Grandparents DO NOT have to have a prior relationship with the child inorder to file and exercise their custody rights.
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Believe in yourself and your value.
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Listen and lean into your desires.
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Train your brain
see Andy Stanelys series called, "Love, Dates & Heartbreaks" Part 1 Finding The Right Person and Part 2 How To Become The Right Person
Take control of your day or your day will take control of you. Â All it takes is 20 minutes to take back your power. You got this Mama!
Book I referred to is The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
There is no change your mind period once you sign the â Consent and Relinquishâ form. It is final, so be sure to go in with eyes wide open! You Do You! Own It! Wear It! Embrace It! Â Do what's best for your child --not out of defeat---but out of hope!
My case where DSS has threatned to take the children out of the home for what they consider to be  "neglet". Their accusation of "neglet" comes from their own oppinion of what a "clean" home should look like. What DSS considers neglect is not always what the court considers neglect.Â