Will Florida Do Right Thing For Military Mom and Kids?

Mother-of-two army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq now fighting custody battle for her children after they were taken into care while she was deployed
DAILYMAIL.COM
By CHRIS PLEASANCE
19 August 2015

Mother-of-two Amanda Hurst, from Florida, was deployed to Iraq in 2009
Left her son and daughter, then seven and eight, in the care of their father
But she moved care to her stepmom after father got in trouble with the law
Stepmom illegally took children to New Jersey where they went into care
The pair, now 12 and 13, are still in care as Hurst fights to get them back
Hurst's lawyer told Mail Online that a hearing is due to take place today

Court battle: Amanda Hurst, from Florida, was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and left her children with their father, but transferred their care to her stepmom after her ex-husband was jailed

A military mother who served in Iraq and Afghanistan has been left fighting for custody of her children after they were taken into care while she was overseas.

Amanda Hurst, from Orange City, Florida, last saw her son and daughter at Fort Drum military base in New York in 2009 before her unit was shipped to Iraq.

But the youngsters are now locked away in foster care in New Jersey after one of Hurst's family members took them there illegally, and she is now facing a battle to get them back.

Hurst's case began more than six years ago when she decided to sign up for the military in order to be able to provide for her family.

At the time she was married to her second husband, and the father of her two children, who moved with her to Fort Drum in New York while she underwent her training.

Then, in 2009, Hurst was told she would be deployed to Iraq, and decided to leave her kids, then aged seven and eight, in the care of their father.

Hoping that her worries were now behind her, Hurst traveled back to Iraq and was then deployed to Afghanistan, where she continued serving her country.

However, back in Florida things were far from well. Estranged from her other family members, the stepmom took the extraordinary step of illegally moving to New Jersey with the children.

Once there, they developed severe emotional problems, and began lashing out.

Eventually the problems became so bad the children were taken into foster care, where they remain to this day, now aged 13 and 14.

According to News 13, judges in both Florida and New Jersey have agreed that the children should be with their mother, but only if Florida agrees to provide them with the same level of care they have been receiving in New Jersey.
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