Justin Blake knew John Potts — the Child Protective Services caseworker who failed to remove the child from Vadney Blake’s care following a positive drug test showing methampetamine in the toddler’s system. He and Potts both graduated from Barr-Reeve in the late 1990s, but he doesn’t know if their association or growing up in the same vicinity, played into Potts decision not to remove his son from Vadney’s custody. Potts, one of the 800 new caseworkers hired as part of the reforms launched by Gov. Mitch Daniels, resigned from DCS on July 12.

Justin Blake, wrote in his letter to the Times-Herald, “My son had a great injustice done to him and I would like to clear my family’s names of the mud they have been drug through. First things first, if CPS would have done its job correctly, my son would be in the custody of my loving parents and in a wonderful home until I could be back with him again.

“The fact is that I knew nothing that was going on, and as Jalen’s father, I had every right to know because I only wanted what was best for my son and if that meant signing over temporary custody to someone, then consider it done. In all actuality my family and I have suffered a great tragedy and loved Jalen with all our hearts. Our hearts are broken with grief and distrust.”

Drugs are “the root of the problem. It changes people,” he said.

“Let it be known that I will do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family,” he wrote in his letter.

Blake said from jail that he’d like to be able to talk to young people and tell them “how not to do things.”

Earlier this month, Blake was sentenced to 2 1/2 years and was approved for work release this week. He was ordered by the judge to live at the Lighthouse Recovery Center situated on the old county farm for two years following his jail time.

“I brought this on myself. I did this to myself, but people need to learn from other people’s mistakes. If someone’s willing to listen, I’m willing to help,” he said.