jason
07-30-2009, 09:20 AM
Pregnant again, the mother whose 13 other babies were taken into care
By Emily Andrews, Julie Moult, David Wilkes and Beth Hale
Last updated at 12:09 PM on 30th July 2009
'Baby factory': Theresa Winters pictured with partner Tony Housden is pregnant with her 13th child
A pregnant woman who has already had 13 children taken into care last night vowed to keep on giving birth until she is allowed to keep one.
Theresa Winters has spent almost half of her life having babies, but has not been allowed to keep any of them beyond the age of two.
Even her own sister believes that she should be sterilised.
But Miss Winters, 36, a heavy smoker who was herself taken into care as a teenager, insisted it was time for a 'second chance'.
She accused social workers of failing to help her achieve her deepest wish of having a family with her second partner, Tony Housden.
She admitted that social services had probably made the right decision in removing her first 13 children because of neglect, but said she had 'calmed down' now.
Miss Winters, who is 25 weeks into her 14th pregnancy, said: 'We feel like social services are treating us like murderers when we haven't done anything.
'All we want to do is to be a family and to look after our children. It's very upsetting. We want help from social services but they won't help us.'
Miss Winters had her first child with ex-husband Wayne Redding at 19. Their daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken away in 1994 aged two after the couple were accused of neglect.
Two years later their next child was also taken away. Miss Winters then began an affair with Mr Housden, who had been a lodger at their Luton home.
She divorced Mr Redding, a New Zealander who has since died, and went on to have another 11 children with Mr Housden, all of whom have been taken into care.
Four of them were found to have a rare and degenerative condition, which has a genetic link, after birth. One of those has since died.
The couple, who are on benefits, have been told that they cannot keep the children due to 'concerns about severe neglect, lack of parenting ability and the consequent risk to any child in their care'.
Reliving the moment of losing her children, she said: 'I will be sitting in the hospital and a nurse will come and take the baby away - it's devastating.'
They were able to see some of the children when they turned two in supervised visits at contact centres.
But Miss Winters said: 'Now we are not allowed to see them at all.
'Sometimes we are sent photographs of them, but nothing after they are aged about six.
'The birth certificates are the only proof I've got that they're my kids.'
Miss Winters, who left school with no qualifications and worked as a factory packer until giving birth to her first child, receives £271 a month disability allowance. An accident left it difficult for her to walk.
Mr Housden, 36, is her registered carer and they receive £511.33 a month in income support, plus £300 a month for housing benefit and council tax on their one-bedroom flat. Mr Housden used to work as a pizza delivery man but gave up 17 years ago.
Speaking openly of her past Miss Winters said she had not been a 'perfect person'. 'Back in 1992 I was a bit aggressive, but never towards the kids,' she said.
'I told them off as any normal person would. I shouted at them. But I never hit them.
'In one sense they were right to take them away. I was young. It could have turned violent with social services. They looked at it thinking that if I was aggressive towards social services, I'd be aggressive towards my kids.
She added that she had 'calmed down' now.
Miss Winters, whose mother has died and who is estranged from her father does not, however, have the support of her sister.
Mother of three Louise Walls, 37, said her younger sibling's actions made her feel 'physically ill' and begged for the authorities to put an end to her 'baby factory' ways.
Latest arrival, a boy born last year
Latest arrival, a boy born last year. Ms Winters has not been allowed to keep any of her children beyond the age of two.
Speaking at her home in Northampton, Mrs Walls said: 'Whenever I have asked her why she keeps getting pregnant when she knows the baby will be taken off her she says, I don't give a s*** - I just want the Government to pay for them.
'It's pure spite. As long as she is not allowed to keep a child her attitude seems to be that she will get her own back by making the authorities pay to look after them and bring them up.
'She has told me she will only stop getting pregnant the day they stop taking a baby off her.
'What she's doing is totally sick and makes me feel like breaking down in tears. She should have been sterilised long ago.'
A spokesman for Luton Council said: 'It is a court process that results in babies being separated from their parents and throughout the process, parents can be legally represented and fully involved.'
LINK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203124/Pregnant-mother-13-babies-taken-care.html)
By Emily Andrews, Julie Moult, David Wilkes and Beth Hale
Last updated at 12:09 PM on 30th July 2009
'Baby factory': Theresa Winters pictured with partner Tony Housden is pregnant with her 13th child
A pregnant woman who has already had 13 children taken into care last night vowed to keep on giving birth until she is allowed to keep one.
Theresa Winters has spent almost half of her life having babies, but has not been allowed to keep any of them beyond the age of two.
Even her own sister believes that she should be sterilised.
But Miss Winters, 36, a heavy smoker who was herself taken into care as a teenager, insisted it was time for a 'second chance'.
She accused social workers of failing to help her achieve her deepest wish of having a family with her second partner, Tony Housden.
She admitted that social services had probably made the right decision in removing her first 13 children because of neglect, but said she had 'calmed down' now.
Miss Winters, who is 25 weeks into her 14th pregnancy, said: 'We feel like social services are treating us like murderers when we haven't done anything.
'All we want to do is to be a family and to look after our children. It's very upsetting. We want help from social services but they won't help us.'
Miss Winters had her first child with ex-husband Wayne Redding at 19. Their daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken away in 1994 aged two after the couple were accused of neglect.
Two years later their next child was also taken away. Miss Winters then began an affair with Mr Housden, who had been a lodger at their Luton home.
She divorced Mr Redding, a New Zealander who has since died, and went on to have another 11 children with Mr Housden, all of whom have been taken into care.
Four of them were found to have a rare and degenerative condition, which has a genetic link, after birth. One of those has since died.
The couple, who are on benefits, have been told that they cannot keep the children due to 'concerns about severe neglect, lack of parenting ability and the consequent risk to any child in their care'.
Reliving the moment of losing her children, she said: 'I will be sitting in the hospital and a nurse will come and take the baby away - it's devastating.'
They were able to see some of the children when they turned two in supervised visits at contact centres.
But Miss Winters said: 'Now we are not allowed to see them at all.
'Sometimes we are sent photographs of them, but nothing after they are aged about six.
'The birth certificates are the only proof I've got that they're my kids.'
Miss Winters, who left school with no qualifications and worked as a factory packer until giving birth to her first child, receives £271 a month disability allowance. An accident left it difficult for her to walk.
Mr Housden, 36, is her registered carer and they receive £511.33 a month in income support, plus £300 a month for housing benefit and council tax on their one-bedroom flat. Mr Housden used to work as a pizza delivery man but gave up 17 years ago.
Speaking openly of her past Miss Winters said she had not been a 'perfect person'. 'Back in 1992 I was a bit aggressive, but never towards the kids,' she said.
'I told them off as any normal person would. I shouted at them. But I never hit them.
'In one sense they were right to take them away. I was young. It could have turned violent with social services. They looked at it thinking that if I was aggressive towards social services, I'd be aggressive towards my kids.
She added that she had 'calmed down' now.
Miss Winters, whose mother has died and who is estranged from her father does not, however, have the support of her sister.
Mother of three Louise Walls, 37, said her younger sibling's actions made her feel 'physically ill' and begged for the authorities to put an end to her 'baby factory' ways.
Latest arrival, a boy born last year
Latest arrival, a boy born last year. Ms Winters has not been allowed to keep any of her children beyond the age of two.
Speaking at her home in Northampton, Mrs Walls said: 'Whenever I have asked her why she keeps getting pregnant when she knows the baby will be taken off her she says, I don't give a s*** - I just want the Government to pay for them.
'It's pure spite. As long as she is not allowed to keep a child her attitude seems to be that she will get her own back by making the authorities pay to look after them and bring them up.
'She has told me she will only stop getting pregnant the day they stop taking a baby off her.
'What she's doing is totally sick and makes me feel like breaking down in tears. She should have been sterilised long ago.'
A spokesman for Luton Council said: 'It is a court process that results in babies being separated from their parents and throughout the process, parents can be legally represented and fully involved.'
LINK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203124/Pregnant-mother-13-babies-taken-care.html)