DHS Offers Justifications to Senator Ernst
August 9, 2022Last updated
November 10, 2025Several weeks ago, I received a letter in the mail from Senator Joni Ernst. I missed a couple of attempts by her office to reach me via email to follow up on the information I submitted on her website. I had made a few small changes to personalize it for her before sending essentially the same content I had included in My Message to Governor Reynolds.
The letter from Senator Ernst, accompanied by a release of information form, reassured me that once completed and received, “an inquiry will be initiated immediately on my behalf.”
I discovered last weekend that on July 19, 2022, I received an brief email from Senator Ernst’s office, encouraging me to review the attached letter they had received from the Legislative Liaison, Maddie Wilcox. Upon receiving the inquiry regarding my case, Ms. Wilcox asked the Cedar Rapids Services Area Administration to review and report back. This is the information they compiled.
DHS offers a weak case for justifying the termination of my parent rights- poor case history examples, repeated errors, obvious omissions, and a complete lack of accountability. This letter is an excellent example of the cultural mindset within the Department, namely, the tendency for staff to offer vague statements, negatively focus on placing blame, and clearly illustrates their inability to take any responsiblity for the damage they have done.Below, I will share the 6-page document I prepared in response. I expected stronger arguments from the department to counter the bold truths I had shared about them in my plea for help to Senator Ernst. Before I offer a brief synopsis regarding the cases listed in the letter, I would like to clarify the difference between unconfirmed, unfounded, confirmed, and founded reports:
“Unconfirmed” means that upon completion of a child protection assessment, the department has determined, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, that a child does not meet the definition of an abused or neglected child.
“Unfounded” refers to a report where the local children and youth agencies determine that allegations of child abuse are not substantiated
“Confirmed” reports are when child abuse/neglect occurred but it was minor, isolated, and not likely to reoccur, and the perpetrator was not placed on the child abuse registry.
“Founded” reports indicate that child abuse/neglect occurred, and the perpetrator is listed on the child abuse registry.
I will provide greater detail below, but here is a quick recap of the cases they listed:
- Case #1- September 2006 to May 2007 was UNCONFIRMED, UNFOUNDED
- Case #2- September 2007 to March 2008 was CONFIRMED, UNFOUNDED
- Noah was born December 2008
- Case #3- May 2011 to December 2011 was UNCONFIRMED, UNFOUNDED
- Case #4- March 2013 to February 2014 was FOUNDED
- Elijah was born December 2013
- Case #5- February and July 2018- this assertion was stated in such a way that it is misleading, and although the reports were FOUNDED against me, this determination was based on untrue statements and cognitive bias, rather than the facts.
- the multiple infractions in violation of my contract with the Iowa Board of Nursing came as the direct result of their failure to return contact with the INAP Director.
- The decision I made to self-suspend my nursing license was presented to me as the best option due to their negligence.
- Self-suspension of my Registered Nursing license does not automatically strip me of the knowledge, skill set, or critically thinking or decision making skills I developed as a professional skilled nurse
- Self-suspension of my nursing license does not diminish my capacity to make medical or mental health decisions for my child in cooperation with my children’s medical care team.
- The drug testing I completed for the Department of Human Services and my probation officer showed the last positive test result obtained 1/4/2019 by my PO indicated marijuana use.
- Two patch test results showed trace positive results in October and November for methamphethamine- my objections to the validity of those results were ignored.
- Despite providing significant documentation from my doctor as to the severe adhesive allergy symptoms I exhibited with the sweat patch adhesive, and the prescription antihistamines I had to take to keep those symptoms at bay while wearing the patch, my case worker continued to order them.
- I was unlawfully charged with the possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, despite the owner claiming full responsibility and pleading guilty to both counts. I refused to plead guilty to the same possession charges, so court was continued several times until I finally accepted the plea agreement in February 2020.
- I was sentenced to complete the program at the Waterloo Women’s Center for Change over 1.5 grams of marijuana and a pot pipe that was not mine.
- A hair test taken in July 2019 following the removal of my children after the bogus possession charges came back clean for all substances, strong evidence in my favor that I had not been using.
- A timeline of events in my case would provide a clear visual to outline the sluggish progression and questionable decision making process of the team under the leadership and direction of the DHS caseworker.
My Initial Response
Response to DHS Legislative Liaison and Senator Ernst page 1 of 5Response to DHS Legislative Liaison and Senator Ernst page 2 of 5Response to DHS Legislative Liaison and Senator Ernst page 3 of 5Response to DHS Legislative Liaison and Senator Ernst page 4 of 5Response to DHS Legislative Liaison and Senator Ernst page 5 of 5Tell Me What You Think
I look forward to hearing criticisms from the other side, and I am eager to challenge the thought processes behind them, because I am confident in my truth.I earnestly want to hear your opinion. I want to understand all sides. The only way we will be able to move forward as a society is if we take all sides into consideration as we work to figure out how to fix this.
Before I was able to finish this post, I began to write a second letter to Senator Ernst. I had some profound revelations that lead me to understand a better way of addressing all of the huge hurdles we face. Instead of pointing fingers and placing blame, we need to look to the future. In order to overcome all the challenging aspects, we need to have a complete understanding from all aspects.
No name calling or hurtful comments directed at a specific person please… Let’s have an honest discussion in the comments.
Sign My Petition
I am grateful that Senator Ernst is paying attention, but if we want our elected leaders to take this issue seriously, we need to stand together. I have put together a petition asking for a complete overhaul of the system in Iowa, and I need your help!
sign the petition! I created the “Protect Your Family” graphic for an upcoming power point presentation, and included it on the petition I wrote on change dot org.Update February 2025
BIG things have been happening since then. Just to recap since Fall 2023…
Some things were good, some were great…
Halloween 2023: Pumpkins for Family Preservation
I jumped into politics
Proud Member of the Libertarian Party!
Are You Sick of the Two Party System, too?
Ashley Meredith for Iowa House
read more on the official website for
Ashley Meredith for Iowa House
I started publishing my courses!
I wrote some great articles…
Key Points from the EMF Summit
Wastebook: The Infuriating Yearly Report on Wasteful Government Spending
The Twelve Universal Laws series
I published my 1st YouTube videos!
Remember, Remember the 5th of November: It’s Election Day!
New Video: My Testimony (They aren’t going to like this!)
And the 2024 Halloween tradition didn’t disappoint…
Happy Halloween 2024!Halloween 2024: Five Years of Pumpkins Part 1
Halloween 2024: Five Years of Pumpkins Part 2
Halloween 2024: Five Years of Pumpkins SYFBD
But some things were… pretty freaking horrifying actually. My nightmares coming true…
Five Years After the Hearing to Terminate my Parental Rights
Update to Senator Ernst
February 6, 2025
Today I typed up an update and submitted it to Senator Ernst on her website, pleading for her help.
Subject: Urgent Request for Assistance in Reinstating Parental Rights
Dear Senator Ernst,
I hope this message finds you well. I want to thank you again for your assistance asking Iowa DHS for more information in 2022. I am writing to provide an update on my situation and to seek your assistance in the reinstatement of my parental rights concerning my two sons.
I learned in July 2024 that Josh and Ashley Drew, the adoptive parents of my children, were facing serious charges related to child endangerment, and their phones and laptops were seized in February 2024. In December 2024, Josh pled to a lesser charge, while Ashley was convicted of felony child endangerment. A reporter recently contacted me about their upcoming sentencing hearing, and informed me that the child victim in their case “almost died, temporarily lost use of his legs, was way underweight… was locked in his room with nothing but urine and feces.” Notably, the other eight children in the home, including my two sons, appeared to have been well cared for. However, I am deeply concerned about the potential impact on their mental health due to possible exposure to such traumatic events and their prolonged separation from me over the past five years.
Given these developments, I am earnestly seeking guidance and support to initiate the process of reinstating my parental rights and reuniting with my children. I understand that Iowa law may not currently provide a direct mechanism for reinstatement after termination. However, considering the circumstances, I am hopeful that exceptions can be made or alternative legal avenues explored.
Your advocacy and assistance in this matter would be invaluable. I am committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for my sons and believe that reestablishing our family bond is in their best interests.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Ashley Meredith
Support my work by sharing this blog post! Thank you in advance for your help spreading the word about this important information!
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6 responses to “DHS Offers Justifications to Senator Ernst”
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[…] through. She submitted an inquiry to Iowa DHS on my behalf. You can read my initial response to Senator Ernst after DHS Offers Justification to Senator Ernst. And if you read that email, you should definitely read the second one- Forgiveness is the way to […]
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Reply - My Message to Governor Reynolds – Iridescent Alchemyst September 3, 2023 Edit
[…] more about how DHS justfied their actions and my initial response, how I was able to forgive, the wish I made for a Christmas miracle, and […]
Reply - Writ of Quo Warranto – Iridescent Alchemyst November 29, 2022 Edit
[…] the letter I wrote in response when DHS Offers Justifications to Senator Ernst. Then read about all the forgiving I have done in the 2nd response letter I sent off days later: […]
Reply - Forgiveness Is The Way To Freedom – Iridescent Alchemyst November 29, 2022 Edit
[…] will share the first email and attached letter in a related blog post titled “DHS Offers Justifications to Senator Ernst” Please also watch for another related post, “Thank You, Senator Ernst!” because I am eager […]
Reply - The Parental Rights Movement – Iridescent Alchemyst August 30, 2022 Edit
[…] to Senator Joni Ernst, the department cited TWO unconfirmed, unfounded cases as part of their justification for terminating my parental rights! This means that not only are state workers wasting precious […]
Reply
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