I am a 26 yr old mother of an 8 yr old daughter living in Ontario, Canada looking for others in the area for support and advice. I am upset frustrated & just plain mad as hell over a constant custody & access battle, ongoing for 7 yrs now between myself & my daughters biological father. The mental abuse from him towards my daughter is getting to be too much. Sure there is "help" around here but it either costs an arm and a leg (which I dont have) or the waiting lists are sooo long, I have been on a waiting list to get my daughter help for a yr now. Everytime we go to court the judge seems to side with him saying "well atleast he is trying to be apart of her life". If anyone has advice or can point me in the right direction I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks for letting me vent. Here's to hoping things get easier with time.
ontariomom

Hi Ontariomom. I understand all the stress and worry you are under right now. Although I am in Ottawa, I do not have to deal with the father of my children so often, as he is South African. The divorce and custody proceedings took place over there.

You on the other hand have more immediate problems and ongoing difficulties. The mental abuse that she is experiencing can be extremely damaging for your daughter, as you well know. It is unfortunate that the judge does not realise this. I don't know anything about the legal system here. I do work as a teacher in Ontario, so know that we have access to psychologists and social workers. Have you approached anybody at your school for help? The school SERT (special education resource teacher) or principal could put you into contact with someone. I know that I have obtained help for some of my students. If you have someone in the education system that is aware of your daughter's needs,they can advocate for you. They can help point you in the right direction, if they cannot actually get the service for you. I am not sure which school board your daughter's school falls under. It may be different from one to the next, but I would not hestitate to approach them. If your daughter is under this sort of stress and abuse, it is best that the people working with her are aware of this too. I am sure that you have already spoken with them. I wish that I could give you more concrete advice. Good luck and please contact me if you would like to. Things will get easier with time. My situation sounds similar in some respects to yours. Go well.

Hi my name is Angela and I am also from Ontario, Canada. Where about's are you? I am not sure if you are still on theboard or not let me know.