Posted by melissa on 6/12/11

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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

Re: dyfs stole my child!, 1/15/13, by Keith Interdonato.

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