Custody

i’m a 21f and i’ve been holding this in for months, but i need to explain how my daughter was taken from me because it feels like the full story is never heard. after giving birth, i was dealing with postpartum depression while also being isolated and unsupported, and i was scared to speak honestly to doctors because i was told my child would be taken if i did. during this time, my daughter’s father repeatedly created unstable situations, including taking my child without clear agreements, refusing to return her when he said he would, and cutting off communication, which led me to panic and involve police out of fear that my baby was not coming home. from that point on, everything i did while overwhelmed and terrified was labeled as instability instead of being seen as a reaction to losing my child. i was given supervised visits for six months, which i attended and took seriously, bringing food, toys, and caring for my daughter appropriately, but the visits were time limited and ended in august with no written court order, only a verbal instruction that i now had to arrange visits through her father, despite an active no contact order and the fact that i could not legally or safely do that. i was also told i would receive in home support, which never happened, and when a home inspection occurred, critical information about sleeping arrangements was not properly communicated to me ahead of time, resulting in me being deemed unfit for something i was never given a chance to correct. after the supervised visits ended, family services stopped returning my calls and emails entirely, even though my contact information never changed, and i have not seen my daughter since. what hurts the most is that i was willing to do anything, including split custody, therapy, support programs, and parenting plans, just to remain in my child’s life, yet instead of being supported, i was slowly removed from it, and i am left grieving the loss of daily moments with my own child and wondering how being scared, depressed, and trying my best turned into this outcome.

Location: Alberta