Family deserves answer for why they were torn apart

What an absolutely horrible, destructive thing for Social Services to do! The DSS is charged with safety and security of these kids, but they are so caught up in following 'official policy' they can't see the forest for the trees! One would think, with all of the issues in America today with teen boys who have no stable home life, they would be begging for this woman to adopt these two young men. By removing them from her home and cutting the emotional ties they've formed, Social Services has become a conspirator in adding two more troubled teens to the population.

The Social Workers in this case need to be fired and have their certifications revoked. This is one of the dumbest things I have ever read.

Great article! How about the fact that the County Attorney advising the Mathews Social Services Board is married to the head of Social Services!!!!! Something stinks in Mathews and it's not the water!

I think the whole story needs to be told. It is about two people who are acting as friends and in the name of God. These people have a agenda of their own, and they have gone back on their promise to take care of the boys during a medical need. Be it for the money paid to foster parents or the glory, their actions are far from God like. One would think that knowing the boys have a good stable home with someone willing to adopt them, social services would be proud to have made another permanent placement. This is what is wrong with the adoption laws in our country and why so many kids are lost in the foster care system and so many parents seek children overseas. Shame on Mrs. Harfst and her group of social servants, they are not serving the county properly. Set those boys free to be with their foster Mother, in her stable home. And pray for the others that are trying to break this home up, for they do not know what they are doing to two young souls. Has anyone asked the boys where they want to go, at their age that should be a factor.

DSS probably did this for the sake of their funding streams. Such things have happened all over the country.

Something has been stinking with Mathews SS for quite some time, particularly with the Director of Social Services married to the County Attorney. Seems like they are back to the days when Mr. House worked for SS and did some absurb things that hurt young people. Unfortunately in this case, no local attorney will help the adoptive mother because they are afraid of the SS duo and claim that they have the absolute ear of Judge AtLee, who will never go against the recommendation of either Harfst. What kind of justice is that?

This stinks!!!!!!!!!

I am outraged! Something is funny about this story! It sounds like a personal agenda from Social Services to ruin this woman and these kids lives. Are they trying to kill her sending her a letter like that while she is in the hospital having a major operation? Did this woman do too good of a job as a foster parent? And SS role as ultimate controllers had to mess it up! Is someone at social services mad at her? Does her x-boyfriend work there or something? Are their egos too big to do the right thing? Does the Judge know the truth? Give Mrs. Houser back her children! We are all watching you Board and MDSS!

Remind me not to move to the scary County of Mathews. AND NEVER TO BE A FOSTER PARENT! The director and the social worker must be not on the up and up. It sounds like they were making stuff up about a decent person to cover their butts. Heads should roll! These people should not be working with children! Mrs. Detrick write more about this story! We want to know if any progress has been made? Also, I am confused about why they won't let her visit with the children? Even violent offenders can visit with their children, all she did was get sick and who can help that? Can you find this out about visitation?

This is a very one-sided article. I know the boys, and I know their circumstances. They are in a loving, two-parent home with two other children with whom they have been long-time friends. Mathews Social Services made their decision based on the facts they had and for privacy reasons cannot discuss with the media. Their decision has been reviewed by the State and determined to be sound and justified. This article is evidence of a blatant disregard for the feelings of the boys and their privacy; stating their first and last names, their ages, and putting their picture in the newspaper without the permission of them or their legal guardians. This article makes it sound like the children are drifting in the wind and in danger of ending up God-knows-where. That is not the case. Yes, they had a good home with Mrs. Hauser who became seriously ill and did not follow the correct procedure in requesting a respite. Now they are in another good home and are very satisfied there. What good does it do them to be in the middle of a tug of war where their loyalties are put to the test? Haven't they been through enough? By the way, their birth mother chose to be with an abusive boyfriend instead of her own flesh and blood. She gave them up. Does her opinion really matter?

I'm not from Carrollton!! I'm from Mathews, VA!! Where did the "Carrollton" come from?

Sometimes giving up a child is the best thing a mother can do ... that is certainly the case here.

PMH,
If that is truly the case, why are the boys telling my children, and others that they would like to be back with their foster mother and their personal belongings and their many pets.
And yes, the birth mother does have a say so. How easy do you think it was for her to sign over the boys in the first place, knowing that they would be better off with Ms. Hauser. Plus, she has been given visitation, why are you not letting her see the boys.
This article WAS biased. It leaves out countless facts about this case and other cases that MSS has badly mishandled. It leaves out much information about the renegade, unqualified worker in that office who engages in personal relationships with her clients and allows her personal immature opinions and behaviors to guide her decisions.

The system needs to be changed. The local board has too much power and the state has none. The Governor and his wife are watching this case with great interest.

How can we intrust Mrs. Hauser to work for the Mathews School system if she is unfit. It doesn't make scense to me. And one would think any Mother who knows her situration is not good for her children, puts them in the hands of Mrs. Hauser and the Social Services Board of Mathews only hopes the right thing will be done by them.
It seems the only thing Mrs. Hauser did wrong was get sick and trust her friends to help her and her boys out.
These so called friends took advantage of Mrs. Hauser and her situation to keep the boys with them. It has been noted these friends didn't even have room for the boys to live with them.

An attorney should be appointed for the boys seperate from Mr. Harfst. Mrs Hauser also should have a lawyer advising and representing her in a suit against the county of Mathews. The system is broken and needs to be fixed, starting one county at a time, lets start with Mathews.

Children in foster care need stability. If found they need to know they can count on the people who are taking care of and loving them.
Children come first.

So now at the age of the children, at age 18 they will not be in the system anymore. Who is going to be responsible for them then. Who is going to send them to college? Where will they live then? Mrs Hauser in her willingness to adopt them seems she herself was going to assume responsibility for them after 18 as any parent would.

What would you rather be a ward of the state or a son of a loving Mother who is well and ready to take care of her children.

We have all helped sick friends with their children but not taken them away.

Although I don't know the involved parties, I feel it's a shame that because someone is sick, they have their children taken away. If, in fact, Ms. Hauser did go about the respite care incorrectly, is that an actual reason to remove the children from her care if everything else (which according to this article) is correct? Are we all not human and not make an occassional mistake? Two years ago SS seemed to think she was "good enough" to take care of them, why not now? Are you judging her because she had health problems? That she is a single parent? That she's a female raising two young males? If there is another REAL reason for the removal, please tell us - I'm sure that everyone would like to hear both sides of the story.

IF there was indeed a real reason for removal from the home then SS would not have renewed her license AND asked her to provide emergency care for another child AFTER the boys were gone.

I am a teacher of one of these boys and I can assure you they want to go home to Amy! They have been lied to repeatedly about this case, brainwashed, and manipulated by their caseworker, counselor, and apparently their current foster parents. PHM--the boys have told over 20 people that I know of that they want to GO HOME, but that they are being told Amy is still sick. I heard at the public meeting she has had a clean bill of health and doctor's note from her doctor since May 22! All those tears we have seen from them are tears of joy??? HA!!! Someone is in denial!

I just reread the article and now I am just wondering. Are the boys still with the "close family friends?" If so, if they still have her children, with friends like those who needs enemies? What kind of people would want to keep someone elses children and not let them see them? And you were suppose to be friends?

Actually, Ms. Hauser did not request respite care. Per the respite care providers, Ms. Rebecca Morgan requested the care. So, if it was done improperly, then that would be Ms. Morgan's fault. FYI, per the Virginia Code, respite care is a right of foster parents and can be requested in an emergency (like illness) or it can be planned for.

PS. If respite care were the reason for termination, then they would have told her she did something wrong and terminated her when the boys went into respite care, instead they had a conversation with her about when the boys could come home and then waited for her to go into the hospital and sent her a letter. The truth will come out eventually, this is an example of corruptness in government and reckless case workers at their very worst and a plot to hurt someone who has only tried to help and be there for others.