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A Texas mother is speaking out after alleging that Child Protective Services (CPS) removed her two-year-old son from her care without a court order.
According to Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Joslyn Sanders took her son, Josiah, to the Children’s Medical Center Dallas due to a rash he developed. Sanders reportedly believed the rash was caused by her son’s skin reacting to a new laundry detergent.
“I realized his foot was swelling and took him to the hospital at the advice of a pediatrician,” she explained to the outlet.
However, Sanders disagreed with the medication doctors prescribed her son.
“I was not ok with clindamycin since that antibiotic is reserved for more severe infections,” she added.
Sanders left the hospital. Then, CPS officers visited her apartment the next day, accompanied by officers from the Corinth Police Department.
Corinth Police Chief Jerry Garner reportedly spoke with Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth about the visit.
“They did not observe anything that would indicate the child was in imminent danger,” Garner explained.
However, CPS officers reportedly explained that they visited Sander’s residence on reports from the hospital that Josiah was malnourished.
“They observed the child would eat, and drink. They saw a rash, but they did not see an emergency,” Garner continued. “They did not see anything obvious to indicate the child was malnourished.”
Upon their visit, Sanders reportedly informed CPS that she would take her child to another medical professional. However, the CPS officials then informed her that it would not be needed and that they would be removing her son from her care.
“The child had a skin infection and a nutritional deficiency. Mother Joslyn Sanders provided no explanation about the child being malnourished. The doctor said the child is at severe risk of becoming septic due to serious infection,” a court affidavit filed by CPS reportedly reads, per Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
A spokesperson for CPS has reportedly confirmed with the outlet that a judge ordered the child to be in the organization’s care.
According to the outlet, Sanders alleges that CPS’s affidavit failed to acknowledge that Josiah has been receiving treatment for “feeding difficulties.” The outlet reports that the child is being treated by his nutrition therapist and primary care provider.
Now, after spending at least sixty days away from her son, Sanders is speaking out.
“I’ve never been away from my son for more than a few hours; it’s now been 60 days,” she reportedly explained. “I think about him every moment.”
According to Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Josiah was placed into a foster home on Tuesday, February 19. Furthermore, a hearing for his mother to present her side of events has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 28.
