My mother always had terrible taste in men too. Thankfully none of them were abusive (directly to us, at least) and we never had to go through foster care or CPS.

But reading all these stories of abuse and neglect just idiotic decision making on the part of the government agencies meant to look out for the most vulnerable - it's eye-opening, to say the least. I had no idea how widespread these abuses were, and it really makes me re-evaluate what a lot of the kids I grew up with might have been going through.

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad you could find strength in it and turn things around - in just one generation!