A Mother Fights South Carolina DSS for the Baby They Ripped from Her Home

South Carolina Department of Social Services, specifically the adoption and foster division has come under scrutiny. A recent expose on Charleston Count On Two News titled, "Torn Apart" detailed Gail Nix's case. The video shows a baby being taken from her home by a SC DSS worker while the mother asks why the child is being taken.

Ms. Nix, an adoptive mother and foster parent had been fostering a baby girl since the baby was eight days old. Born with an addiction to crack, the little girl could not sleep nights. Gail had to sit up at night holding the child in her arms while she helped the baby break her addiction. A bond was formed between mother and child, and although Gail did not think she would adopt again, she knew the bond between her and her daughter was just too strong.

Gail Nix applied to adopt her baby girl. SC DSS completed another background check on Gail and her current circumstances. Their final determination was that Gail was a good mother who provided a more than adequate home for the baby and her other adoptive children. These facts were verified by paperwork from SC DSS shown in the video.

South Carolina DSS approved Gail to adopt the baby girl. That was then, this is now.

Three weeks ago a South Carolina DSS social worker showed up at Gail's house unannounced. When Gail answered the door they said they were taking her daughter from her. No explanation, no reason, no time to call for help. They took the baby from her and cleaned out the child's clothes and toys from the only home she had ever known. Gail and her baby had been a mother and daughter for seventeen months.

Gail had to beg to say goodbye to her daughter on that horrible day. A home video shows a crying, distraught mother who was only allowed to help her daughter into a car seat, hug her goodbye and never see her again. When asked for an explanation, the head of SC DSS Adoption, Judy Caldwell, responds by phone call in the video ,stating that Gail Nix just did not understand.

What is understood is that the child was ripped from the only home she had ever known, against the Guardian Ad Litem's recommendation, which was confirmed in the video, only to be given to another family who had never seen her before. Gail's other children now sit asking their mother if they too will be taken away. Gail Nix is fighting this battle. It's a battle to get her child back, but it is also a battle to reign in an uncontrolled state agency.