I am deeply disappointed with the Sanctuary of Hope's lack of openness to fathers being involved in their child's life. Fathers play a critical role in the upbringing of their children, but this organization does not seem to support that. My son, Kaleb, and his girlfriend are both 15 years old, and they were placed on probation and separated. The judge specifically mandated that Kaleb should be involved in his child's life, yet Sanctuary of Hope has refused to honor this.
I reached out to them for information regarding the mother of my son's child, who has been placed in their care for a year starting a few days ago. I originally asked for Alyssa, and later asked if there was a blanket rule for all fathers regarding visitation or if it was handled on a case-by-case basis. The staff became increasingly loud and refused to provide any information, even though I have been a crucial support figure in Alyssa’s life, caring for her when she had nowhere else to go.
To make matters worse, I was removed from their contact list the next day for being "rude," although I was simply seeking information in a high-stress situation. As a Christian-based organization for single women, I would expect more empathy and understanding, but instead, we have been shut out.
My son was also mandated by the court to be involved in baby appointments. However, when we arrived for a scheduled appointment, we were told that our presence was making things worse, and more restrictions were imposed. We were even told that when Alyssa gives birth, they would have to call probation first and then us on a three-way call, and if probation does not answer, they won't contact us at all.
This situation has made us feel completely excluded from the baby's life, despite our willingness and efforts to be supportive. We have even completed a non-invasive prenatal paternity test confirming that Kaleb is the biological father with 99.9% accuracy. He has rights as a father, but it feels like the Sanctuary of Hope is against us and unwilling to understand who we are or acknowledge our efforts to be involved.
I hope that in the future, this organization will recognize the importance of both parents in a child's life and offer more inclusive support.