ME ME - Ayla Reynolds, 20 mnths, Waterville, 17 December 2011 - # 2

[PlainJaneDoe]

Welcome, Ms TypeB! Very pleased to meet you and have your local's perspective.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Thank you for saying that! My husband is a social worker and I can tell you right now that sometimes these decisions are up to individuals who are not perfect judges of character or even logic.

:cow:
Even though the mother was in rehab (which is actually a good thing, not a negative, in terms of getting better), I'm not sure how it served the child to be taken to another home with an unemployed father who barely knew her. Why not leave her with the grandmother? :cow:

There's a lot about this case that we will likely never know due to confidentiality issues. But let's hope that this case keeps people asking questions. Regardless of whether the mother and her family are just blowing smoke or there is merit in some of the allegations, the whole matter needs to be investigated. Perhaps, if any good can come out of a situation such as this, positive changes will be made where needed, resulting in positive outcomes for many children.

A friend of mine once pointed out to me that out of everyone who graduates from dental school...someone graduates on the bottom of the class standings. The same holds true for social workers. That's not to say that CPS is peopled with the bottom-of-the-barrel'ers, but I think often that is the case. Because of diminishing budgets, case overloads, snarled red tape intertwined with more snarled red tape, many social workers avoid CPS/DHS like the plague. Many others with the best intentions burn out and move on, oftentimes leaving behind those who have to "settle" for these positions. And that leads to bitter, disgruntled case workers.

I wish I could say that everyone who becomes a social worker did so out of the desire to help people, but sadly I know for a fact that is not true. I have actually had someone tell me that they were becoming a social worker to make sure the "deadbeats" don't "abuse the system!" In my current graduate program (psychiatric rehabilitation), I am alarmed to know that there are several who do not care one whit about their future clients. They are merely going through the motions to get the extra initials behind their names to get the extra $$$ that come with the extra initials. A couple of others are in the program because they think it will lead to an "easy gig" as a government employee!!! (There were a few in the undergrad social work program with that attitude as well).

On the other side of the coin...dysfunction is breeding dysfunction in this country, and we are mired down in it with no clear path out. Some of the policies in place actually encourage this, and other policies and programs designed to help are stuck in red tape and limited budgets. I honestly think we need to scrap the whole shebang and start from scratch...but that's not going to happen (and kids would suffer in the interim). So all we can do is be careful who we elect to office, keep the dialog going, make sure our dismay (or approval) is heard, and pray...a lot...for the children.

That is my editorial for the year! And with that, I'll wish you all the happiest of holidays as I go get ready for the roast beast and figgy puddings. I think I'll share with all our fine WS posters the YT I shared with friends and family as my "seasons greetings" this year. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with the children:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU0DOgFSci4&list=PL8808CA84A5CFAE10&index=36&feature=plpp_video

 

[matou]

Listen again. The reporter is speaking about TR's father RR, not JD. That also matches what is written in the article below the clip.

OK thanks hambirg! Sorry for the mistake. My computer shut down while I was still listening to the clip in another tab and I got the blue screen of death. I backed up my computer (sorry for the OT) and the only things I had open were WS and the news link and the puter crashed while the video clip was still playing. Don't know what's going on. Merry Christmas everyone and I hope Ayla comes home safe too.

 

[askfornina]

thank you so much, MsTypeB! welcome!!! keep those posts coming. a local's perspective is one of the most valuable things to have here at WS in these cases, IMO.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

There's a lot about this case that we will likely never know due to confidentiality issues. But let's hope that this case keeps people asking questions. Regardless of whether the mother and her family are just blowing smoke or there is merit in some of the allegations, the whole matter needs to be investigated. Perhaps, if any good can come out of a situation such as this, positive changes will be made where needed, resulting in positive outcomes for many children.

A friend of mine once pointed out to me that out of everyone who graduates from dental school...someone graduates on the bottom of the class standings. The same holds true for social workers. That's not to say that CPS is peopled with the bottom-of-the-barrel'ers, but I think often that is the case. Because of diminishing budgets, case overloads, snarled red tape intertwined with more snarled red tape, many social workers avoid CPS/DHS like the plague. Many others with the best intentions burn out and move on, oftentimes leaving behind those who have to "settle" for these positions. And that leads to bitter, disgruntled case workers.

I wish I could say that everyone who becomes a social worker did so out of the desire to help people, but sadly I know for a fact that is not true. I have actually had someone tell me that they were becoming a social worker to make sure the "deadbeats" don't "abuse the system!" In my current graduate program (psychiatric rehabilitation), I am alarmed to know that there are several who do not care one whit about their future clients. They are merely going through the motions to get the extra initials behind their names to get the extra $$$ that come with the extra initials. A couple of others are in the program because they think it will lead to an "easy gig" as a government employee!!! (There were a few in the undergrad social work program with that attitude as well).

On the other side of the coin...dysfunction is breeding dysfunction in this country, and we are mired down in it with no clear path out. Some of the policies in place actually encourage this, and other policies and programs designed to help are stuck in red tape and limited budgets. I honestly think we need to scrap the whole shebang and start from scratch...but that's not going to happen (and kids would suffer in the interim). So all we can do is be careful who we elect to office, keep the dialog going, make sure our dismay (or approval) is heard, and pray...a lot...for the children.

That is my editorial for the year! And with that, I'll wish you all the happiest of holidays as I go get ready for the roast beast and figgy puddings. I think I'll share with all our fine WS posters the YT I shared with friends and family as my "seasons greetings" this year. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with the children:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU0DOgFSci4&list=PL8808CA84A5CFAE10&index=36&feature=plpp_video

Thanks for the wishes and enjoy your festivities!

 

[Dee10]

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays Everyone ~ Let's hope for Christmas Miracle! raying:

 

[TorisMom003]

Welcome to the new posters! Thanks for joining us!

Now, with the new information that Justin has no job, that puts a whole new spin on things IMO. If he found out that Trista filed the paperwork for custody and support that could put him in a panic or a tailspin. Difficult to continue doing things he wants to do with what little money he has if he now has to pay child support as well.

MOO

 

[askfornina]

Waterville Police Department
Ayla is our focus, and she will always be. However, we would like to take a moment to thank those businesses and individuals who provided both spiritual and physical support by donating food, time, prayers and well-wishes this week. During the long hours and difficult circumstances, your kindness has meant more to us than you can imagine. Please know that we will never stop until Ayla is located. As a law enforcement friend from another state put it when encouraging us to push on and keep up the fight, "it's what we do."

http://www.facebook.com/waterville.police

 

[not_my_kids]

When I was 14, CPS removed me from my mother for the fifth time. They asked my mother if there was a family member that could take me, she said no. They asked me, and I told them that my half brother would be a good person to take me in and had already offered in the past. There is no official paperwork anywhere that identifies this man as my half brother. In all actuality, he could have been my boyfriend, my pimp, my dealer, just about anything. But I said he was my brother, and he said he was my brother, and they placed me with him for over 8 months before I was allowed to go home again. In that time, there was no verification of the family relationship, and I had only met my brother 4 weeks prior to the placement. They had to get his number from Information because I didn't even know his phone number. Yes, I was older, and yes that was 12 years ago, but this is why the idea that they placed her with Justin with very little investigation and verification is not entirely outside the realm of the possible. MOE only.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Thanks xo Do we have any statements from Justin's mother?

I am a little behind y'all in this thread...but I have that same question!

If paternal grandma hasn't spoken yet, why not?

Where is Justin's father? Is he alive? Does he live in the area? Do Justin and his dad communicate? (I bet I can't ask this, I just figured out after rereading.)

When was the last time anyone outside of the family saw Ayla? Last Dr.'s visit, etc.?

I know some of these questions have been asked...I just hope I missed the answers somehow.

 

[askfornina]

I am a little behind y'all in this thread...but I have that same question!

If paternal grandma hasn't spoken yet, why not?

Where is Justin's father? Is he alive? Does he live in the area? Do Justin and his dad communicate? (I bet I can't ask this, I just figured out after rereading.)

When was the last time anyone outside of the family saw Ayla? Last Dr.'s visit, etc.?

I know some of these questions have been asked...I just hope I missed the answers somehow.

no word from paternal grandma

N/A to Justin's father

N/A to outside family last seeing Ayla. i assume, based on these statements, that the last time Ayla went to the doctor was when she broke her arm. but you know what happens when you assume :crazy:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ng.01.html

RONALD REYNOLDS, MISSING CHILD`S GRANDFATHER (via telephone): I said -- I`m sorry, ma`am. I don`t know. Honestly, I don`t know. All I know is what was told what happened with her arm, and that she went to the doctors, got it checked out, and apparently, it was broken from the fall.

TR: And in the 18 months that I had had my daughter, not once did she ever end up missing, did she ever end up with a broken bone, did she ever miss a doctor`s appointment. And since she`s been with Justin, she has missed four appointments for shots. And this past Friday, she missed her bone specialist appointment.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I have been reading the entire thread since early yesterday morning and have just now caught up :rollercoaster: I live ten minutes from where Ayla was taken and this has rocked our community (I'm the girl tying the green ribbon in the photobucket picture). A few things I hope I can clarify -

Justin's mother owns the house. I know her name but I'm not sure if I am allowed to say?

The orthopedist is in Portland, as is the courthouse where Trista filed on Thursday.

Ayla was reported missing Saturday morning.

In an original report (I'll try to find it but I can't make any promises) it was stated that a non-family member saw her in her bed around 10:30, then it was focused on Justin last seeing her at 8 and the other information never resurfaced.

The crime scene tape went up in response to a shrine that was growing on the front lawn. When people started leaving gifts, the LE officers felt it was important to prevent people from walking right up and leaving things on the front porch. They allowed the shrine to stay and taped off around it, so obviously preserving that 10' x 4' area of lawn was not crucial to them.

The "top homicide prosecutors" are state prosecutors and they take whatever case is given to them. Are they more successful with homicides? Maybe, but that doesn't mean anything. We are accustomed to bringing in as many pairs of eyes as possible, because there's no reason to keep out a trained professional who may be able to pick up on something new. Maybe they went for political reasons, because they wanted to be involved and visible in the media and then run for an office? (speculation, of course)

The area of the airport that they were searching was actually the back of the airfield, accessible by Webb Rd, Mitchell Rd and Chelsey Dr. There is a huge collection of hiking, biking and snowmobiling trails back there that span from KMD to Webb Rd and from the airport to West River Rd. About ten years ago there was an abduction case where someone dumped a car back there, so I think it was a theory based on the accessibility and familiarity that most residents have. IMHO.

I do not believe that Justin has gotten a job since he moved back home, and I know where he has been staying in Waterville since he was blocked from the house. Someone mentioned landscaping, but there's no digging or planting going on in Maine now. The ground is too frozen to break without mechanical assistance.

Sorry my first post is so long, I haven't slept since Ayla went missing and I want to help you all, because you are amazing <3

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Welcome, MsTypeB!

I think I can speak on behalf of my fellow sleuthers and, of course, myself, that we SO appreciate a "local" providing us with information.

Bless your heart for working so hard to help find Ayla! I can only imagine how your heart must be breaking!arty:artyguy::santahat::santahat::fireworks::fireworks2::welcome::welcome4:

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

no word from paternal grandma

N/A to Justin's father

N/A to outside family last seeing Ayla. i assume, based on these statements, that the last time Ayla went to the doctor was when she broke her arm. but you know what happens when you assume :crazy:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ng.01.html

RONALD REYNOLDS, MISSING CHILD`S GRANDFATHER (via telephone): I said -- I`m sorry, ma`am. I don`t know. Honestly, I don`t know. All I know is what was told what happened with her arm, and that she went to the doctors, got it checked out, and apparently, it was broken from the fall.

TR: And in the 18 months that I had had my daughter, not once did she ever end up missing, did she ever end up with a broken bone, did she ever miss a doctor`s appointment. And since she`s been with Justin, she has missed four appointments for shots. And this past Friday, she missed her bone specialist appointment.

Thanks, Akfornina!
You answered all my questions so well.
And the answers were what I expected. (sadly).

 

[cluciano63]

Waterville Police Department
Ayla is our focus, and she will always be. However, we would like to take a moment to thank those businesses and individuals who provided both spiritual and physical support by donating food, time, prayers and well-wishes this week. During the long hours and difficult circumstances, your kindness has meant more to us than you can imagine. Please know that we will never stop until Ayla is located. As a law enforcement friend from another state put it when encouraging us to push on and keep up the fight, "it's what we do."

http://www.facebook.com/waterville.police

I know that every LEA really means it when they say they won't stop until the find the missing child...I hope Ayla does not become one of the longterm missing, like Kyron and Haleigh and too many others; I am sure those LEA's fully expected to find their missing children as well, yet now I am not even sure they are still being searched for, except perhaps when a specific tip comes in...it is very sad to think that some of these children have not even had anyone actively searching for them in ages...JMO

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Merry Christmas, my fellow sleuthers!

DH and I will soon be off to spend Christmas Eve with family.

I will be sneaking back on to WS this evening or tomorrow.

I think for my New Year's Resolutions I should join a Websleuthers 12 Step Recovery Program! (Tee! Hee!)

:santahat::santahat::santahat::santahat::santahat::santahat::santahat:

 

[Caligram]

Wonder what Justin's social life and living arrangements were before he got Ayla. Did he really physically move back into his mother's house or was that only for "record purposes". Did he take care of Ayla 24/7 or did he leave it up to his mother and sister because they "knew about those things". Was there a big "fight" over Justin not pulling his weight? Was he given an ultimatum? (I am not trying to suggest another copycat CMA, but it sorta makes sense, in a horrific sort of way.)
There is something so wrong with Ayla disappearing. It seemed that he wasn't even there on Saturday morning and that he was informed by a family member. Story #1 was a family member saw Ayla in bed around 10pm the previous night. Then Justin changed his Story #1 to Story #2 and claimed that he put her to bed at 8pm Friday. Could it be that no family member was willing to swear that they had seen Ayla sleeping in her bed at 10pm Friday.
I hope that nobody is going to lie to help Justin cover up something. Perhaps that is why none of his family has spoken out since this all began to look and sound hinky.

JMO

 

[krimekat]

Welcome to the new posters! Thanks for joining us!

Now, with the new information that Justin has no job, that puts a whole new spin on things IMO. If he found out that Trista filed the paperwork for custody and support that could put him in a panic or a tailspin. Difficult to continue doing things he wants to do with what little money he has if he now has to pay child support as well.

MOO

um, if he has no income, there's no support to provide (unless he has a nest egg) because Nothing X Nothing = Nothing

From what I KNOW dealing with the State's decimating parent's incomes & determining who pays what--it matters NOT if someone has no income. It's all about the algorithm (at least in MO & IL). Parent income X parent income / algorithm = payment to whom.

I'm in the frame of mind that someone on the mother's side MOVED too soon


nothing new here IMHO . . .

 

[not_my_kids]

I don't know anything about ME, but not having an income does not stop the state from building up massive amounts of arrearages, at least in just about any other state in the union. Not having an income, but having child support to pay equals jail time, the loss of driving, hunting, and fishing privileges, and a lot of humiliation and time spent in court and jail.
However, at the point in time, Justin had Ayla. Justin would not have been the one ordered to pay. Trista would have been. She could have filed the papers for support against him, but since Ayla was in his custody, if a child support determination was made, without a change of custody, it would have been Trista that was paying, not Justin.

Maybe she only realized that after she filed the papers....MOO.

 

[Kiln Wood]

I don't know anything about ME, but not having an income does not stop the state from building up massive amounts of arrearages, at least in just about any other state in the union. Not having an income, but having child support to pay equals jail time, the loss of driving, hunting, and fishing privileges, and a lot of humiliation and time spent in court and jail.
However, at the point in time, Justin had Ayla. Justin would not have been the one ordered to pay. Trista would have been. She could have filed the papers for support against him, but since Ayla was in his custody, if a child support determination was made, without a change of custody, it would have been Trista that was paying, not Justin.

Maybe she only realized that after she filed the papers....MOO.

BBM

I DO know about the State of Maine, and between 2001 and 2005, it was exactly as you have outlined.

I have a friend whose former husband went to prison for over nine years--all the while accruing "back child support" charges for their five children. In order to insure she received the accumulated child support once he was released from prison, she had to make frequent court and hearing appearances herself (because she could not afford an attorney and because there didn't seem to be any pro bono legal services offered in the remote area of northern Maine where she lives); I had a flexible work schedule at the time, and so I drove her to the appearances, sat with her, and offered moral support over the four-year period.

As strange as life turns out to be oftentimes, in the end her former husband met and married a wealthy widow (who wanted him to go travel the world with her, but he couldn't get a passport because of the child support debt) whose attorney "negotiated a back child support settlement" with the State of Maine for a little more than one-third of what he owed her--and all the while the representatives for the State of Maine were saying, "we don't settle; you must pay in full." My friend considered herself fortunate to receive a lump sum payment that was large enough for her to buy herself a reliable vehicle (which she still has).

Thank you for an enlightening post.

 

[TorisMom003]

I don't know anything about ME, but not having an income does not stop the state from building up massive amounts of arrearages, at least in just about any other state in the union. Not having an income, but having child support to pay equals jail time, the loss of driving, hunting, and fishing privileges, and a lot of humiliation and time spent in court and jail.
However, at the point in time, Justin had Ayla. Justin would not have been the one ordered to pay. Trista would have been. She could have filed the papers for support against him, but since Ayla was in his custody, if a child support determination was made, without a change of custody, it would have been Trista that was paying, not Justin.

Maybe she only realized that after she filed the papers....MOO.

I agree with you that not having a job does not equal to not having to pay child support. Most states have a minimum amount that must be paid, job or no job. I know that in SC in 1999 when I went through my divorce the minimum amount was $50 a week. And as you said, there are work programs through the jail that allow the non-custodial parent to be placed in jail while still making their child support payments. I went through this with my ex when he "informed" me that I needed to drop the issue of going to court to force him to pay child support. His reasoning was, if he was in jail he could not pay. My response was, he could and would pay while in jail and in fact it was a better situation for me so that I no longer had to worry about him stalking me and I would also get the money he owed.