Re: dyfs stole my child!

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On 6/12/11, melissa wrote:
> My name is Melissa Shannon. I am writing this letter to
> inform you of what I feel was wrong-doings at the hands the
> State of New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services
> (DYFS). In 1998 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl,
> Amanda Marie Cassidy. I was a heroin addict, not by choice,
> but suffered from the disease of addiction. I was in an
> abusive relationship at the time, and the father and his
> mother tried to kidnap my daughter and take her out of
> state. I basically captured her back and brought her,
> myself to the local division of youth and family services
> office. I explained my situation to them, and told them I
> needed help. At the time, I was not fit to raise her and
> until I was, she needed to be fostered. I went to the Perth
> Amboy office in Middlesex County, My mother, having custody
> of my son at the time, stepped up and attempted to receive
> my daughter. The worker I spoke with stated her apartment
> was too small. My mother asked for financial help to get a
> bigger place. Just a security deposit was needed. We
> actually had a judge state to the DYFS worker to pay the
> security deposit and keep the family together. Positions
> then changed and the next supervisor did not care about
> what the judge said and just flat out told us "No, we can't
> help you in that area”. Due to my lifestyle at the time, I
> was then incarcerated for seven months during her stay in
> foster care. My mother was refused visitation with her and
> I was denied visitation with her in county jail so I could
> keep contact with her. I was released from jail, and they
> then resumed visitation with me and brought her to my
> mother’s home for a visit. It was then that I was told they
> were adopting out my daughter and that the family she was
> with was the ex-mayor of Watching that they had money and
> were going to for her. I was advised to just sign over my
> rights at that point. I was told “Look she doesn't even
> know who you are, and you are not communicating with her.”
> All I could think was “Of course she doesn't! I was in jail
> for 7 months and visitation with her was refused!” I
> implored for the opportunity to go to a program WITH my
> daughter through them and that request was refused. I went
> to an outpatient program for 6 months, and jumped through
> hoops for these people to get my daughter back and in the
> end they told me “too bad, she is being adopted out”. I
> continued to use throughout the process because I think
> that's what they were going for. They put so many
> limitations and expectations on me with little to no help
> and encouragement. They had no intentions of reunifying me
> and my daughter. In 1999 I went to court. The judge tried
> to talk me out of the decision I felt I was being forced
> into. I say forced because I was 19, naive, and unaware of
> the unlawfulness that was happening. I recently found out
> that because my mother was NEVER given a written letter of
> exemption that she can technically have the adoption
> overturned because my parents were willing and able to take
> custody of her, they already had my 3 yr. old son at the
> time. They basically sold my daughter to the highest
> bidder. Throughout the years, DYFS has been harassing me
> and it’s been proven that they victimize the victims.
>
> In 2004 my son was molested. Instead of opening a case
> against the minor assailant they opened one Against ME! My
> son was the victim, and they persecuted us. When they asked
> my son questions about my parenting he decided to recant
> his plea of being molested for fear of being taken away.
> The sexual assaults continued to happen for 3 yrs. after
> that because of this. My son was scared to tell me the
> truth and thought he was doing something wrong! We found
> out it was an 11 yr. old boy violating him, and DYFS as
> well as the police dismissed it as mere child's play, since
> the children had less than a 4 yr. age difference, a law
> not amended since the early 1980s in the state of NJ. It
> wasn’t until September 2006 that the entire story came
> about and we sought the help of the police. Once again, the
> Division had to become involved, when they were UNWANTED, I
> had the situation being handled through the court of law,
> and I was my son’s parent. The case worker involved at that
> time read the prior case filings from 2004 and further
> checked into the culprit. I then find out the assailant was
> molested prior to him molesting my son and DYFS ordered him
> to receive counseling but never did. Instead his mother
> moves him away and DYFS loses him off the radar. I refused
> “services” at the time, and nobody disagreed with me giving
> the sensitive subjects between me and the Division. My son
> and I have been in counseling for years, my son, non-stop
>
> I’m hankering after someone to hear me and take this matter
> seriously. I now have almost 11 yrs. clean, and just became
> aware that this is happening left and right. An
> acquaintance of mine just heard the same words I did in
> 1999, "Well the family she is with wants to adopt her and
> they are willing to fight you, they have money", is this
> the tale they tell everyone!? It may be too late, but I
> hope not, considering I just became aware of the issue. For
> years I have blamed myself. I hated me, and it turns out,
> it wasn't all me. I tried; we tried, and were denied the
> opportunity to have my daughter. Please help me.
>
> They swindled me at the age of 19 by telling me "that it
> was a lost cause to fight to regain custody, she was with a
> rich well known family, and they were going to fight me for
> her and I would lose." Funny I just had a friend of mine go
> to court yesterday, who heard the SAME precise factor! I
> have been harassed repeatedly, false allegations either by
> ex's or vindictive anonymous calls, and DYFS ALWAYS brings
> up what happened with my daughter. The workers come at me
> unknowingly and ask me “who’s Amanda and where is she?”
> They act like they don't know what happened and make me
> relive it to the same entity who took her. I was under the
> impression they can only question me regarding the children
> in my home. None the less, I was told by a recent DYFS
> worker that if my mother wasn't given a certain written
> notification exempting her from becoming a guardian when
> she wanted to that it was a discrepancy in the matter and
> my rights were actually violated. Funny how after the
> worker informed me of this, they switched my worker. I have
> contacted lawyers, but none of them will take cases like
> this. I know I have a case. It is wrong what they did to me
> and my daughter. They refused to reunite us, and even help
> to do so. If u can refer me to the name of an attorney who
> does do these types of cases it would be abundant! Not one
> day goes by that I don't suffer. I wonder if my daughter is
> safe, I wonder if she knows she is loved immensely. I was
> lied to that she was going to be adopted. I found out the
> adoption wasn't even final until she was 6 and that she was
> in other foster homes after the "ex-mayor of watching". Why
> not put her home with me? And then there is my poor son who
> was a child victim, they opened a case against the victim
> and offered NO services at first, just a case with frequent
> harassing check-ins. Meanwhile the perpetrator went on to
> molest multiple children and make them perform acts on one
> another. My 15 yr. old is permanently damaged because of
> them NOT doing their job. I know its 2 separate incidents
> between my son, whom i have regained custody of because he
> was placed with my mom, and my daughter who for some reason
> my family wasn't good enough for. I found out about the
> "kickbacks" these workers get for each removal and I won’t
> be silenced until someone helps me! I am going to write my
> lawmakers and I am joining a national group regarding CPS
> corruption. It is not fair that good people like us who
> just need a little guidance lose our children and they are
> seemingly then lost in the system. For years I have sat
> back, emotionally suffering. I was hysterically crying in
> the courtroom where the judge almost wanted to give me
> another week to "think about it" when my rights were
> terminated. I am sure this conversation must be in court
> transcripts. I told the judge, "I was told she is with a
> good family and they are her mother and father", mind you
> that is NOT how i felt; it is what was said to me. My 4th
> and 14th amendment rights were violated. I feel the 4th
> Amendment was violated under illegal seizure of a child,
> and the 14th Amendment for preventing me to see the child
> while I was incarcerated. I also think you need to
> understand that my daughter was taken from me, not
> willingly surrendered. Even when asked, the judge raised
> question on my sincerity to “want” to do it. They basically
> got me with the "time-past" fact. They did not even
> consider that I was in JAIL for 7 months out of the 15
> allotted in foster care. During those 7 months, I wrote
> letter after letter, even the DYFS worker showed up under
> false hope of bringing Amanda for a visit, for it to only
> be her. I had a very well off friend try and take
> guardianship of her, and they said no, yet she passed all
> the requirements with flying colors! During those jailed
> months, my mother tried to obtain visits and they refused.
> They then used the fact that after the 7 months of no
> contact “look, she doesn’t even know who you are, and it’s
> sad to continue to make her do this"! Are they allowed to
> say that to me? Are they allowed to use the fact that I had
> "blankets in lieu of curtains” in my mom's home, and if we
> weren't "fit" for her, how come my son stayed in home? If
> someone could give me information pertaining to laws,
> attorneys and HELP me peruse this matter in the court of
> law it would be greatly appreciated. I feel we should have
> Amanda, regardless of the logistics of the adoption. It may
> be “closed” but I was NEVER offered another option. My
> parent’s “grandparent’s rights” were basically ignored, and
> they didn’t even try friends of the family. I feel from the
> beginning, they had no intention of returning her to me,
> knowing that now; better decisions would have been made.
> Sincerely, Ms. Melissa Shannon 64 MAIN STREET APT 1 South
> River, NJ 08882
>
> mshansrnj@gmail.com 732 917 5353