Chapter 10 - THE CHILD-WELFARE FINDING
Child welfare did not remove Lily from Natalie.
The opposite.
They found Natalie protective once she understood the pattern.
But the report criticized her too.
She had left Lily with Evelyn despite prior concerns.
She had minimized warning signs.
She had delayed reporting.
Natalie cried reading that.
Because it was true.
The finding against Evelyn documented:
coercive intimidation,
inappropriate physical handling,
use of police as a behavioral threat,
instruction to conceal or minimize incidents.
No severe injury.
No long-term placement order.
Temporary restrictions:
no unsupervised contact,
no discipline authority,
no discussing police or trust matters with Lily.
Melissa also lost unsupervised contact for a period.
May you like
Not because she struck Lily.
Because she knowingly supported the intimidation.
