SHELBY COUNTY, Ky. — A Kentucky mother says that she has done everything the state has asked, but due to the pandemic, authorities are refusing families the court-ordered supervision they've earned.
"To be told that I couldn't see any of my children, I can't kiss them, I can't smell them, I can't hug them, I can't spend time with them and see them grown," said the woman who asked not to publicly identify herself.
She said she hasn't seen her infant since he was three months old, in July when the state removed the children from her custody. A judge ruled that she could have supervised visitation, but a Nov. 20 memo changed that.
At the time, COVID-19 cases were spiking and Gov. Andy Beshear was calling on families to limit gatherings for Thanksgiving. The memo called for an end to the visitations until further notice and an urgency for reuniting families when possible.
But the mother said denying in-person visitation only further traumatizes families like her family.
Jennifer Decker is the State Representative-Elect for the mother's district. She works with battered women and knows how tough it is to prove to a judge a parent is worthy of visitation.
"Courts have felt them to have the right to visit," said Representative-Elect Decker. "They feel that it is safe, they feel it's in the best interest of the family and I want I hope and pray that those court orders are honored."
We have requested comment from Beshear’s communications team, but they have yet to respond.
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