Michigan CPS and Otsego County Sheriff deputies removed 6 children from the custody of Christopher and Antonia Hernandez for temporally living in tents. What makes this story so bizarre is that the family was on the 9th day of a camping trip! All six children were taken from their parents from May 19th – June 10th and were only returned to the parents as a result of the mother and the children having ties to the Tlingit Native American Tribe. Native American families are protected against actions taken by state officials under the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act that makes it more challenging for state officials to break up Native American families. If this family had not been Native American, these children would still be stuck in the system.
The entire incident stems from a summer long camping trip that Christopher and Antonia hoped would introduce the children to nature. The family had purchased a shower pass to bathe at the local state park that was not far from the campsite that was equipped with a generator, propane cooking stove, solar lights, plenty of food and 30 gallons of water. The children were sharing three, 9-men tents that provided plenty of room to accommodate the children and any of their possessions.
CPS officials stated that the living conditions lacked a power and a water source and therefore created and unfit environment. Christopher and Antonia said in a joint statement. “This was not a case of neglect, but a case of the government telling us how we have to raise our children – that we must have running water, we must have electricity and we can’t stay in the tent for the summer. To the government it makes no difference if the children are happy and healthy. We need to conform to their idea of normal or they can take your children away.”
Learn more about this story http://www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/breaking-police-seize-6-children-simply-because-family-was-camping/
