We’ve spent decades blaming the system. Parents say it. Judges say it. Even the workers inside it say it. The system did this. The system made a mistake. The system took the child. But the...

There is a moment in every story when silence breaks. It does not happen in a courtroom or a press release. It happens in the quiet decision of one person who finally says, “I...

As we move into the holiday season, a time when families gather and traditions take center stage, there are countless families across Alabama who will not get that chance. Their tables will have empty...

Alabama DHR is under fire across the state. And as we close in on Houston County DHR, we uncover yet another layer of failure, where families are left shattered, silenced, and traumatized beyond repair. There...

There is a quiet kind of breaking that happens when a child is taken from home. It does not make headlines or courtroom transcripts, but it leaves echoes in every room that family once...

It has been months since Alabama DHR came under fire following the death of three-year-old KJ Starks, who died in a hot van while under the state’s care. Since then, there have been statements,...

By Families vs DHR Staff Published September 2025 For nearly three decades, Leslie Kelly has been embedded in the child welfare system. According to an article in the Dothan Eagle, she has held multiple positions within...

By Families vs DHR StaffPublished September 2025 Dear Families vs. Houston County DHR, I never thought disciplining my child would mean losing her to a system more dangerous than the streets. My soul is broken. The Houston...