Well let's see...she was in Laurel Ridge Treatment Center for about 10 days until my insurance capped out and they declared she was miraculously cured even before she got stabilized on her meds, that cost me $26,000. She was committed to the San Antonio State Hospital several times, and she was placed by the State in several lock-down institutions for troubled teens. She assaulted counselors and broke out of the facilities on a regular basis. She poured Kool-Aid in a security keypad once that caused it to malfunction. She climbed into the attic and broke through the roof of one facility and escaped. Each time, they eventually returned her home. The incident I related was the last straw...the State had demanded that I take her back home several days after that, I told them no, so they charged me with child abandonment. Any other bright suggestions for parents of violent children?
For the record, she "aged out" of the "system" at 18 and they literally kicked her out on the streets. She has spent the last year and a half in prison for burglarizing my home and is now in a drug treatment facilty for methamphetamine addiction.
Yes, I heard about that call...except it was in TX, not CA. The girl had kicked a hole in the door and was assaulting her sister. The woman feared for her other daughter's life. And FYI, the dispatcher did not even bother to find out what happened before the snide remark was made:
CALLER: The 12-year-old is completely out of control, and I can't-- I physically... She's as big as I am, I can't control her.
DISPATCHER: Okay, did you want us to come over and shoot her?
Partial Transcript of the call
That could have easily been my situation. So much for your "BS" that this woman was wrong for calling 911. Assault is assault and should not be tolerated...neither should smart-mouth dispatchers. Being thrown in juvenile detention for a few days might have done that girl some good.
I am speechless about what you had to go through with your daughter. I cannot even imagine how heartbreaking it must be to love your child and try to do everything you possibly can to help her, but to no avail. The authorities couldn't even handle her, yet they expected you to.
Were they at least able to ascertain what caused her problem -- like some kind of brain damage from a fall or a severe chemical imbalance? Maybe enough scientific advances have been made since then that she could have the problem remedied. I truly hope the drug rehab center will help wake her up so she will want to change. It is my prayer that one day she will be a blessing to you.