Monday, Jul. 13, 2009

Collinsville dad shut out after DCFS takes daughter from mother

Carl Evans isn't accused of abusing his 4-year-old daughter.

But he's been fighting for more than a month to get her back from foster care after her mother and her mother's boyfriend were found by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to have abused her.

"I am just torn up about this," Evans said. "She's my baby. I love her. We have a relationship. I want her with me."

Evans, 49, of Collinsville, is the girl's biological father. He has court-ordered visitation with his daughter, which he exercised every other weekend until June 5, when DCFS took her into protective custody and placed her with a foster family.

DCFS determined that the girl's mother, Amber Wolf, and Wolf's boyfriend, James Lewis, had physically abused her March 2 and again June 5, spokesman Kendall Marlowe said.

After the first incident, DCFS offered the family services, but left the child with her mother.

Neither Wolf nor Lewis were charged criminally. Wolf and Lewis could not be reached for comment.

"I didn't know anything about that," Evans said. "Nobody let me know."

There was more Evans didn't know.

Dustin Wolf, Amber Wolf's 19-year-old brother, a juvenile sex offender, was staying in the Belleville home with Evans' daughter. On Dec. 2, DCFS found Wolf had sexually abused Evans' daughter. Belleville police charged Dustin Wolf with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was found fit to stand trial, but St. Clair County Circuit Judge John Baricevic found he was "insane at the time of the offense." He is set to be in court Tuesday for a hearing.

DCFS alleged that Amber Wolf allowed her brother to stay at the home with her daughter, according to court records.

"I just couldn't believe it," Evans said.

Evans' daughter was staying with him June 5 when caseworkers took her half-sister to the foster home. The caseworker allowed Evans to keep his daughter, but another caseworker came the next day and took her to a foster home.

"I was staying with a friend of mine. She had a bedroom there," Evans said. "The caseworker came and said that the lady I was staying with could just decide to put us out so she took her."

Evans' eyes filled with tears as he recalled returning his daughter to the DCFS office. "She was just crying and crying," he said. "She asked me not to let them take her away, but there wasn't anything I could do."

So Evans, a dishwasher at a Collinsville restaurant, got an apartment with a lease and a separate bedroom for his daughter.

But at a court date last week, caseworkers didn't even ask to see his paperwork.

"I brought everything with me for them to look at," Evans said. "I didn't do anything to hurt my daughter. I have done everything they have asked, but the minute I do one thing, they ask for something else."

Evans must now complete a drug and alcohol evaluation.

"I'll do whatever it is they want me to do, but give me my daughter," Evans said.

Evans will be in court Aug. 25 for the next hearing.