share.triangle.com - What should happen in the Lynn Paddock case? - Comments

Indeed, you are right! But

joeAnne — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:21:52 -0500

Indeed, you are right! But have you considered the idea of attending an alcohol treatment rehab? I am sure that this would be one of the most suitable solution.

Government Regulation Needed

Visitor — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:48:05 -0400

I heard of this story when it first came to light. What country is this? Heavily monitered areed to be in place. 35 years ago I was adopted from this agency. Six months, have passed since my first contact with that agency and just like mechanical,"Stepford Wives", a saga continues, but, no more, me. When the post-adoption social worker first spoke,'dont ask for money" and I said, I do not purchase humans at Gap, but what was the going rate today. "Actually,I am calling for an advocate." The agency told me I should have come forward sooner. I am a male adult victim of incest. It lasted 8 years, details are gruesome and will not share anymore here.

My life feels like it has stolen from me, no, they are not responsible for incest. But paper, always perfect and pretty, full of grand things they are doing. It always says
in a corner, first sentence, the agency says they will be there in the future. disability, yes, for 3 years and complex PTSD, not financially profitable. Somehow I get back to where I was and much better person. Talking to the agency was always like being revictimized.

How many more children must die? The NC Children's Home Society, needs to be regulated. My own experience, Bad things happen behind closed doors." They want me to visit, NO WAY!!!!

In closing, thanks for hearing my ramble. If your suffering right now, things will get better. WE have enormous voice and use them, to end the NC Children's Abuse and a message to others.

I do have so much evidence, the agency has mailed me. Careless errors, workers with fake credentials and one more.They advised me to go to a rape crisis center. I don't hurt people, women or men, and me in a rape crisis, swap me in stirrups and group meeting. No.

P.S.

Visitor — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:50:00 -0400

FYI Yes a law suit is being filed BUT THE FORDS ARE NOT TRYING TO GET ANY OF THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SUIT IS BEING FILED IN FAVOR OF THE PADDOCK CHILDREN INCLUDING OUR LITTLE DAVID AND HANNAH! IF THE CASE IS WON THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL BENEFIT FORM IT ALONG WITH THE GOOD FAMILIES THAT HAVE THEM NOW!!!!!!!!!! SO AGAIN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU RUN YOU START TALKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In response to Locke should be ashamed

Visitor — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:54:00 -0400

I can not and will never try to speak for anyone else but I will speak for myself and my husband. You ask how does Mandy Locke really know anything and you have that right to ask. As far as my husband and I WE DID WHAT WE COULD!!!!!!!!!! You WERE NOT in our home so YOU DO NOT know what you are talking about. I have nothing against adoption and I know there are wonderful adoptive and foster parents in this world. Seanie, David and Hannah had wonderful foster parents before they were ripped away to the Paddocks. As far as my husband and I WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS FOSTER PARENTS BECAUSE WE WERE FAMILY! WE WERE TOLD WE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT FOSTER PARENTS COULD GET BECAUSE WE WERE FAMILY. EVEN IF WE HAD TAKEN CLASsES AND TRAINING NOTHING CHANGED THE FACT THAT WE WERE FAMILY! We kept those children as long as we could! No one wants to take into account that we had six children, four under the age of 6. Two of which I stayed home to tend to. With all of those children we had one income. I would have kept those children for the rest of my life if I could have afforded it. We knew that keeping them without sufficient income was not good for them, us or our own children. We intended for foster care to be temporary. My husbands company was sold, he lost his job, we lost our home, we had to start over with NO SAVINGS as we had used every source we had to care for the children. We of course will never regret spending every dime we had to care for all of the children and We will be forever thankful for every minute we were given with David, Hannah and Seanie! After getting on our feet, my husband taking on a new job, finding us a new home and me going to work myself WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT HAVE THE CHILDREN BACK! You see our new home was an apartment, all we could afford and that WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR SOCIAL SERVICES! YOU WERE NOT IN OUR HOME OR LIVES YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF. YOU TALK ABOUT MANDY LOCKE WELL YOU NEED TO GET FACTS YOURSELF! MANY TIMES DAVID AND HANNAH HAVE ASKED TO SEE US AND NO ONE WILL LET THAT HAPPEN. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW OUR HEARTS ACHE OVER THEM. HOW OUR CHILDREN'S HEARTS ACHE OVER THEM. UNTIL YOU WALK IN SOMEONES SHOES I SUGGEST YOU KEEP YOU MOUTH OFF OF THEM AND THEIR DECISIONS. I PRAY THAT GOD WILL OPEN YOUR EYES AND THAT HE WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR YOUR JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE! Let me say again I know there are WONDERFUL foster parents and adoptive parents in this world. UNFORTUNATELY My Seanie, David and Hannah were not given to wonderful ones! I think now David is with a wonderful adoptive family, from what I understand and I wish the best for that family and will forever keep them in my prayers. From what I have been told Hannah is with a wonderful foster family and I am thankful that both David and Hannah are happy now. I miss them both so much and pray that someday we will see them again. I hold no hatred towards you whoever you are I just encourage you to steer clear of judging people when you know nothing about them!

The mother was a real

daniel — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:40:15 -0400

The mother was a real miserable person, she must be in jail for ever. I hope the kids can have a better life and that the Adoption Agency don´t make any other mistakes as these.

Submited by : Dietas

alhthough kindof

Visitor — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:14:59 -0400

alhthough kindof insensitive, it good question. where was the Ford family. seems like they came out of the woodwork after the death. could be cause of a lawsuit.

if you new what you were

Visitor — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:33:33 -0400

if you new what you were talking about you would be dangerous

She (Mandy) got half the

Visitor — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:23:58 -0400

She (Mandy) got half the facts at best, not any that didn't fit her position of support for the Ford family. She portrays them, which appearing from your post you are related, in a victimized and innocent light. That is simply not true. It is not like the aunt and uncle couldn't have received help, but they refused to go through the steps to receive it (they could of been licensed as foster parents to receive support). The alternative is that the government start cutting checks to any family that says they can't afford their children. Many families need help, but there has to be accountability. That is why DSS requires licensing as foster parents so that there is accountability. The aunt and uncle could have received help but they CHOSE not to go through the process to get it. All of these posts of the "system" not helping the Ford family, all of that is just bull. It makes a good headline, but it isn't the whole truth.

No wonder you think Mandy did a "wonderful job". You are apparently part of the family she has painted innocent and victimized, that the government just "refused to help". Everyone involved knows the real truth.

These arguments about it being about the money is baloney. It would be a lot cheaper for DSS just not to be involved at all. DSS is not in it for the money, and doubt the adoption agency either. Mandy Locke throws out figures about who was or could have been paid what. But she does not check into or write about what the costs are. What does it cost to provide for kids. Do the subsidies even cover the cost. What does it cost DSS to provide foster care. What does it cost an adoption agency to do an adoption. I bet everyone involved with these children lost money. No, she doesn't go into that at all.

One party that is in it for the money is the Ford family. They only came forward after Sean died and there was an opportunity for a lawsuit.

Mandy Locke

kay sloan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:29:14 -0400

The N&O did a wonderful job from start to finish on this story. What do you think she pulled all this out of a hat, dont think so. Mandy did alot of research to get the facts, know guess work.I thank MANDY and the N&O for all that they did. AS FOR ALL OF THIS, ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY. The childerns home got paid to placing these chilren as a group to an outside family(no one blood related to them), the Paddocks got money to adopted the childern (got a check every month from the goverment for assistance). But to keep them with thier aunt and uncle no one would help not even alittle. Now when I adopted my daughter 24 years ago i had to pay for an attorny, court cost, and every thing. I didn't recieve a check from the goverment for adopting her to help me out. I and my husband had to be able to take care of her fully with out goverment help to get her. Now the paddocks keep recieving childern to recieve more benifits. But that was ok to the goverment. But it wasn't ok to place the childern with the ford family and maybe help them alittle with assistance. Everyone at least once in there life needs a little help.

Now as for Dewyne and Georgia (the biological parents) had plenty of chances to clean up the act with CPS. I know for fact because I am family to those people. I am not even going to go there.

As for David and Hannah we love you, we will always love you be safe and happy. Now you are in a better place then you were and sorry there wasn't more we could do to keep you safe from harm. THANK YOU MANDY

No such thing

Visitor — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:51:05 -0400

There is no such bonus. Social workers never receive such a bonus. Wherever you go this informaiton is wrong, flat out wrong.

Children's Home Society

Visitor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:02:07 -0400

My husband and I have known and supported Children's Home Society for 35 years. They are one of the best nonprofits we have been involved with. I just can't believe that anyone who really knows CHS or worked with them could think any different. They have been around FOREVER and have always been well thought of and respected.

Typical

Visitor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:56:03 -0400

Typical for Mandy Locke and for the N&O. Read some of her archived stories and all they are is sensationalism. Zero credibility.

Disagree

Visitor — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:46:54 -0400

I strongly disagree with this writer. N&O should not be ashamed of themselves for bringing out the reality of DSSCPS of Wake County. The system is so flawed its disgraceful. They will snatch a child and tell grandparents "you have no rights". They are very dishonest also. I learned from experience.

David and Hannah

Visitor — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:48:38 -0400

I had David and Hannah when they were in daycare along with Sean as an infant. I know that their parents David and Georgia struggled to make ends meet but they did love those kids. I know it was hard for Georgia to give them up but she also thought she was doing the right thing. I had Hannah in my classroom when she was 2-3 and she was a delight. I hope that she and David will come out of all this ok. I pray god is with them everyday. I am happy for a breif moment in Sean's life I knew him and held him as an infant. He is in a better place where no harm can come to him ever again. I hope David and Hannah will be with a loving family.

N&O and Mandy Locke should be ashamed

Visitor — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:29:29 -0400

I have followed the N&O's coverage of this from the beginning, but today's story is over the top. Ths reporter should work for the national enquirer or some other tabloid. It smacks of a personal agenda against anything having to do with foster care or adoption. Bottom line, Sean's death was tragic. His life was tragic, from the very beginning with his birth family. Everyone involved with him failed him. Birth family. The "system". Adoptive family. Everyone. Mandy Locke conveniently fails to tell the whole story to support her obvious bias.

Some examples...
1-Does anyone really believe the biological family did not have an opportunity to take these kids in. Come on. That is ridiculous. DSS does not take pleasure in, as Mandy puts it, "snatching" kids away from birth families. The goal is always to keep a child in in the family if at all possible.

2- She claims the Ford family was unable to provide for Sean and his siblings without government support, but was unable to complete the "exhaustive process" of becoming licensed foster parents to receive that support. You would think if they were that motivated they could have completed the same training that thousands of other families complete every year. It is thorough but not exhaustive. Interesting the this same process was "overly exhaustive" for the Ford family, so much so that they voluntarily relinquished custody of the children, but not "exhaustive enough" for the Paddocks.

3- Mandy Locke says that the "state funnels foster children into adoptive homes, sparing them years in limbo while there parents straghten up." If she would do just a little bit of research, she would realize what a travesty growing up in foster care is for children, especially for children at risk of aging out of foster care. It is a national crisis. Her reporting is completely insensitive to that fact. It was about time the state got busy in the 90's to put emphasis on moving kids to permanent home quicker. Foster care is no place to grow up long term.

4-She also states that the "state attaches a dowry of sorts to children like Sean." That point is absurd and it is a slap to many thousands of loving adoptive families out there. Mandy Locke has obviously not parented children in recent years to know what it costs to provide for the. Does she really think subidies she mentions cover the cost of caring for and providing for children who are adopted from foster care. You would think she would do some research on this point and have some balance in the reporting.

5-Mandy Locke states "nearly 12,400 children are being reared by adoptive parents in NC, but we're not sure how many have been adopted into dangerous homes." That is so slanted. With just a bit of research, the reporter would know that there are 22,000 instances of reported abuse each year in BIRTH families in NC, as opposed to 200 or so in adoptive families and less than 100 in foster families. She conveniently leaves that out to paint a biased picture of adoptive families. Abuse is tragic wherever is occurs. It occurs by far most often in birth families.

I could go on. The N&O should be ashamed. Wonder what personal experience Mandy Locke has that has created such a hatred of adoption.

What should happen in the Lynn Paddock case?

ericf123058 — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:46:46 -0400

Lynn Paddock is charged with murder in the 2006 death of Sean Paddock, a 4-year-old she and her husband adopted from foster care. She also faces child abuse charges for disciplinary tactics she administered with her other adopted children. A Johnston County jury will be asked to decide her fate at a trial. What do you think should happen in this case?

Read the story here

Lynn Paddock is charged with murder in the 2006 death of Sean Paddock, a 4-year-old she and her husband adopted from foster care. She…