We've all heard the stories in the months since Hurricane Katrina -- children affected by the tragedy, whose parents couldn't be found, rescued by the "knights in shining armour" of Child Protective Services.

As the dust has settled on the hurricane, I'm inclined to think that most of the stories we have heard have been little more than finely grouns bovine excrement. We should be very suspicious here.

While I was always suspicious, I chalk that up to my being a cynic, as well as being a little more informed than most on CPS abuses. I blogged some time ago about the fictionalized boy in the Houston area that CPS had created to drum up more donations for its annual Christmas toy drive. And I heard several anecdotal stories about children being snatched from emergency shelters when their parents were not within eyesight. I didn't report the latter stories because I didn't have enough solid information to follow the lead.

Now I may be sitting on just such a story that needs to be told. While I am waiting for the facts to be verified (VERY important, especially with stories of this particular nature), the story is consistent enough with the facts I already know to lead me to believe it...and I have received pictures substantiating some of the allegations, so I'm inclined to believe this may be a worthwhile lead. This story is about a mother who was forced to relocate due to Hurricane Katrina, and whose children were removed by CPS and placed in foster care because the mother was living out of a hotel room at the time.

Here's what I know to be true from personal experience that tends to lead me to believe the possible credibility of this story: Hotels do not like to give a single room to a family with more than four members. They would prefer you occupy two rooms, in order to double their income. If this mom was occupying a single room, the management would almost certainly have called, as the mother alleges. I also know that CPS will pursue money wherever it pops up, and Hurricane Katrina certainly presented them with a golden opportunity to tap into the federal kitty even further. In addition, I know that children are SUBSTANTIALLY more likely to suffer abuse and neglect in FOSTER care (NOTE: these are the parents the state deems to be MORE worthy than the biological parents), and that, in fact, death from abuse or neglect is about SIX TIMES higher in foster homes than with the biological parents (and these are only those proven to have been a result of abuse/neglect).

I have advised the mother that this is a pretty major news story. She has provided me with pictures of the marks on her son's body to verify some of her story. If you are a member of the media, please feel free to contact me at: gideon.macleish@gmail.com , and I will provide you with this lady's contact information so that you can proceed with the story as you wish. Please be prepared to verify your media credentials, however, as this is the internet, and we know there's a few phonies out there.