Chapter 11 - Child welfare draws the line
Dana Morrison’s final child-welfare finding was specific.
Against Isolde:
Substantiated inappropriate physical discipline for the slap.
Substantiated emotionally harmful caregiving practices based on deliberate provocation and recording of distress.
No finding of severe nutritional neglect.
No finding of chronic starvation.
No finding of serious physical injury.
Against me:
No substantiated abuse.
But concern noted for:
Retaliatory violence in front of Tamsin.
Overreliance on Isolde for care despite increasing conflict.
Work schedule requiring a clearer childcare plan.
That stung.
Still accurate.
Then recommendations:
No unsupervised Isolde contact pending family-court/therapeutic review.
No food-based punishment.
No recording Tamsin for litigation except genuine safety needs and lawful professional direction.
No using Tamsin to carry messages.
Direct parent access to school and medical providers.
Then Tamsin’s therapist.
Dr. Lillian Price.
She did not interrogate Tamsin about every meal.
She focused on:
Safety.
Grief.
Fear of asking for food.
Fear that crying would be recorded.
Fear that telling me would make Grandma angrier.
Tamsin said:
“Grandma says Dad works because he likes work more.”
That broke me.
Did Isolde say it exactly?
Maybe.
There were similar texts and videos.
Enough.
Then Dr. Price asked me:
“Do you like work more?”
“No.”
“Does Tamsin know that from your schedule?”
That question was harder.
Love is invisible to calendars.
May you like
Children cannot eat intention.
I needed to show up.
