Prayers for Foster Care

Christina Knapp
Joined by Hearts

---

Joined by Hearts

My name is Christina Knapp, and I started a non-profit called Joined by Hearts in honor of my three children who I lost during a battle with the West Virginia Child Protective Services. I want to share my experiences in order to shed light on the troubling situations many families have faced.

In court, neighbors described me as a good mother, a Sunday school teacher who took her children to church and did not engage in partying, drinking, or drug use. The judge dismissed this testimony, stating, “They don’t know you very well, Miss Knapp.” Even after the Child Protective Services worker interviewed my children, he reported no concerns. The court ignored the fact that I held a high-stress job while taking care of my family, had just purchased a new car in December 2021, and was meeting all my financial obligations. Instead, they portrayed me as unstable, incapable of supporting my children, and the cause of my son’s difficulties.

My son had behavioral issues and his doctor admitted him to Highland Hospital, Charleston. In the doctor’s opinion, he needed a long-term stay there for treatment. My family did not support my decision as they disagreed with my choice of doctors to treat him. While waiting for insurance approval to cover that stay, Highland Hospital called and told me to come and pick him up. I told them that the insurance approval had come through so I would not need to pick him up. They contacted Child Services and told them that I had abandoned my son.

My reality was disregarded in court, as the focus shifted to painting me as an unfit mother. I could not afford a lawyer, and the state-appointed attorney failed to advocate for my family effectively. During my initial hearing, he was on his phone while I testified, and ultimately, he withdrew from my case. By the time I received a new lawyer, it was too late. They denied her motion to reopen adjudication and proceeded to revoke my parental rights. This case went through the West Virginia Appeals Court, yet the original ruling stood due to a lack of evidence. A decision was made in March 2023, but no one informed me that I had lost my case. I had to reach out to my lawyer on May 5, 2023, to learn that my children would be adopted. They were taken from me at the end of August 2021; and since then, I have had no contact with my sons. Despite my then 14-year-old daughter stating that none of this was true and expressing her desire to see me, her wishes were ignored. The lawyers never listened when I mentioned the conflict of interest with the judge being a friend of my parents and my sister-in-law being a Kanawha County prosecutor. I later discovered that my lawyer had a close connection with my sister-in-law, raising concerns about bias.

While working for the state, I learned that the family who adopted my youngest son is an employee of DHHR. This connection raises too many questions about the fairness of my case.

When I knew that it was too late and that my Children were not coming home, I thought that my heart was going to break. I told God–please do not let my pain be in vain. So I stumbled across a message that was being preached by the man who adopted my youngest son. He spoke the truth to me about what God wanted me to do, and I stepped out in faith even though I didn’t know what lay ahead. I kept walking, knowing God would make a way; and it appears that He is doing just that.

I then went to the Capitol speaking to any lawmakers who would listen, and that led me to sweet Betty Jarvis who took me under her wing and introduced me to all of her friends. While speaking to Carol Miley, I was telling her I wanted to start a Nonprofit to honor my kids; and using the letters of their first names JBH she came back with Joined By Hearts. It was just the name God wanted. 

I knew that I was not able to get them back, but I wanted them to know that I never forgot them. So now I am fighting to get Children into a safe place, to restore families, and to bring awareness to the inconsistencies in the system. While lobbying and advocating for human rights, we are working toward creating a drop-in counter and then a shelter. 

Prayers for Foster Care came about when I knew that my son needed prayers because he was in the system. I knew that if he needed prayers, there were plenty of other kids who needed prayers. We have joined forces with other organizations like Watchdogs Family Protection, WV Concerned Citizens, and Dennie Westover of MOVCAC.com. By joining in the efforts of these organizations and hopefully many more, there is hope for change.

---

The Tom Roten Show
Prayers For Foster Care Rally At WV Capitol

Christina Knapp is the organizer of the Prayers for Foster Care Rally

---

CALL TO ACTION
Purpose and need

1. We need to compile a group of one-page thumbnail sketches, with contact info, of individuals who have had grief from WV CPS/Foster Care. These will be copied and shared with Churches, Senators, and Delegates to try to enlist their aid. They will also form a database that will be the means of developing extensive evidence of the horrors of West Virginia CPS/Foster care that need to be addressed by Legislation.

These thumbnail sketches need to go to
Christina Knapp: [email protected] / 304-533-0254

2. We also need to compile a group of 2 or 3 page pictorial ‘sample packs’ from the pages of books containing obscenity/porn currently in West Virginia libraries and schools across the state. We will need the name and town of the school that the samples came from plus the sender’s contact info. This info will also go to Churches and Legislators to develop a supportive base for Legislation.

We need those obscenity ‘sample packs’ sent to.
Dennis Westover: [email protected] / 304-549-4902.