So I talked to the case worker assigned today. She got AH's contact info from me and called him and then called me back and told me she wanted to meet all of us (the girls and he and I) together this afternoon. She came to the house this afternoon and met with all of us together (which to me seemed VERY odd but maybe she wanted to see how we interacted?).
I was a nervous wreck, stumbling over words, afraid quite frankly to speak openly and honestly with AH sitting there.
She met with the girls in a separate room but obviously still within earshot and asked things like "do you see hitting?", "are you afraid?" (which to me seems quite leading, no?). I think that they'd have told her anyway that yes, they have seen hitting and do get afraid (it struck me as odd that she didn't ask D6 about the specific incident that I reported and instead was really focussed on talking about violence between AH and I (maybe that makes a stronger case for them against AH?).
So, AH sat listening to all that she asked the girls and the girls answers and was IRATE. I was and am appalled at the way it was handled. Why, if they think he is abusive toward the girls and/or I, would they have us all meet together?!?!?!
I plan to call the worker in the morning and find out what the story is and add information to what I told her. There was no way I was going to sit and lay it all out with AH sitting there like I would without him there. Maybe I'm crazy but that just didn't seem safe to me.
Once again, it seems to me that there are some VERY screwy things about the way my state and its agencies function.
Maybe there is rhyme or reason to her approach but god knows I don't see what it could be right now.
I'm exhausted and headed to bed...