We were asked by the grandparent’s of two young children (both less than two years old) to determine their grandchildren’s care, health and safety. The Grandparents had heard some disturbing stories from former babysitters of their grandchildren. 

The grandchildren were living with their Mother.  The Father of the children, our client’s son, was estranged from the Mother and had not seen the children for several months.  We were asked to investigate the following matters:

1. Where does the mother of the children leave the children while she is at work?
2. What is the background of the children’s caregivers?
3. When does the mother pick up the children from the caregivers?
4. When does the Mother get home with the children?
5. Does the Mother drink, do drugs, drive recklessly when she has the children?
6. Does the mother have a boyfriend, if so who is the boyfriend and what are the children’s interactions with the boyfriend?
7. If the Mother has a boyfriend what is his background as it relates to children, any criminal history?
8. What is the Mothers past history concerning the care and welfare of her other children?
9. Where does the Mother go after work?

Our investigation revealed the mother was leaving the children with babysitters for extended periods of time (more than 12 hours a day and often longer times) while she worked and visited boyfriends.  We learned that one of the babysitters had a criminal history and had pleaded “innocent by reason of mental disease” to one of the crimes.  We further learned the babysitter had been sentenced to the Arkansas State Penitentiary on more than one occasion.

We found that an older child of the lady we were investigating, had been placed in foster care and custody had been taken from the Mother and given to that child’s Father.

We contacted the Father of the older child and he told some horrific stories about the way the Mother had treated their Daughter. 

All of our findings were documented and presented to our clients.

After hearing all the facts, a Judge gave the Grandparents custody of their Grandchildren.