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Cherokee County Children Illegally Removed From Homes, AP Reports

Brian Hogan, whose daughter was taken away from them by Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services at his home on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, in Murphy, N.C.
Kathy Kmonicek
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AP Photo
Brian Hogan, whose daughter was taken away from them by Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services at his home on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, in Murphy, N.C.
Brian Hogan, whose daughter was taken away from them by Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services at his home on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, in Murphy, N.C.
Credit Kathy Kmonicek / AP Photo
/
AP Photo
Brian Hogan, whose daughter was taken away from them by Cherokee County Dept. of Social Services at his home on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, in Murphy, N.C.

According to a report by The Associated Press, the Cherokee Department of Social Services has been systematically and illegally removing children from their homes for years. The actions may have started more than a decade ago and affect at least 100 families.Host Frank Stasio speaks with Associated Press investigative reporters Holbrook Mohr and Mitch Weiss about the impact of Cherokee Department of Social Services systematically and illegally removing children from their homes for years.

Parents in the poverty and drug-stricken county were pressured into signing custody and visitation agreements which effectively gave away care of their children. In some instances, parents did not fully understanding what they were agreeing to. Since the story broke, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has stepped in and temporarily assumed control of the local DSS.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Associated Press investigative reporters Holbrook Mohr and Mitch Weiss about why the illegal action started and how the families have been impacted. 

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.