River Lee Barton is my four year old son!

Since before he was born, his mother struggled with alcohol. After he was born she began to drink again.

She got so comfortable with drinking again, that she drove her car drunk and wrecked it.. River was in the back seat and was only 2 months old at the time!

I didn’t find out anything until I was contacted by CPS after emergency temporary custody was already given to his grandmother because it was said that I wasn’t apart of my son’s life!

After that incident River was kept from me for just over a year until I was contacted by his grandparents and offered my old job back because they needed the help in 2023. I accepted the offer only because I was told “and if you accept this offer, you can see your son just about everyday”.

I have been apart of his life just about everyday since!

His mother started to drink even more and was drunk on a daily basis and started to use multiple different hard drugs. Because of that, I made the decision for River to come live with me! He lived with me all of 2025 up until March of 2026 when she had a visit and took him and refused to bring him back. She soon became skin and bone and would openly admit to being on drugs to social media!

CPS is currently involved with my her and River.. She was recently arrested again after relapsing and was passed out in a parking lot, slouched over the center console of her vehicle, while our son wasn’t in a car seat, but in the front seat for God knows how long before cops were called!

CPS is trying to give her every chance and opportunity to be a mother and get clean, which is great, but River has been through and seen enough when it comes to the things his mother does, has done, and has involved him in!

I haven’t seen or heard from my boy in going on 4 months now..

I worked with him to get him potty trained, got him into daycare(two different ones) and being social with other kids his age, he started talking a lot more, he began to really learn himself, learned to express his emotions and thoughts.

I’ve done nothing but be the best daddy that I can be and she’s chosen drinks and drugs over being a mother..

I am asking for help to get the best legal support so that I can bring my boy home where he is safe and has the best chance at a great life! He deserves to see how a parent is supposed to be, not what he’s witnessed with her the last couple of years!

Please help me bring my son back home!!