Cry for help
from Deborah
|
Urgent message from the NCHR: Dear Deborah, We apologise that we are publishing your cry for help without your permission, however an e-mail reply that was sent to you was returned as undeliverable. Please contact the NCHR as soon as possible. Important information will be provided for you. Sincerely, Ruby Harrold-Claesson |
Subject: Help!!!!
To: <board@nkmr.org>
Date: Thu,
My name is Deborah
and I am the mother of three children, ages 15, 12, 7, and 11 1/2 months. I was
20 years at the time of my oldest birth. In the years I have been raising my
children, not one of them has had a broken bone until now. Unfortunately, it's
my youngest. On March 26th, when I arrived to pick him up at the babysitter's
house, she said she thought something was wrong with him and he should see the
doctor. I immediately contacted my pediatrician's office and was informed that
they were booked solidly and if I thought it was serious, I should take him to
the emergency room, which I did. Following his examination, the doctor told me
he had a broken leg, the femur to be exact. Upon questioning I told him the
only injury he had recently was more than four days before when he fell off a
5-inch step to the ground in his walker. I was then informed that this was the
hardest bone in the body to break and that he was/had contacted the Department
of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). Since that time, my life has become a
nightmare.
DYFS, without any
investigation, immediately requested that the baby's father be removed from the
house as they claimed we were talking abuse. Their doctor claimed the leg was
broken during a time window of
My sister has
informed me that she has spoken with Lynn Crew, a supervisor of DYFS, who
informed her that it could take 3 days to 3 weeks before an appearance before a
judge. Statute 9:6-8.19(c) states: "The entire period of protective
custody shall not exceed three court days."
It states: "on the filing of a complaint involving abuse or neglect
pursuant to section 19 hereof, the court shall cause a copy of the complaint
and a summons to be issued forthwith, requiring the parent or guardian with
whom the child is residing to appear at the court within 3 days regarding the
complaint" Why would DYFS say it could take as long as 3 weeks unless they
intend to remove the children without the warrant, and then place them into
foster care, unless they are trying to buy some time to continue their
investigation prior to going before a judge. I am asking your intervention on
behalf of my children. We have done nothing to deserve this. We have cooperated
with everything DYFS has requested.
Dad and myself have
been through an evaluation. We have submitted to interviews with both DYFS and
the District Attorney. The baby's orthopedic surgeon has produced a letter
saying he has seen no evidence of abuse to the baby nor has he reason to
believe there has been any form of abuse to my other children. I have been
informed by the nurse at the school my 15-year-old attends that my daughter had
been requested to strip down to her underwear for these people in the nurse's
office. If nothing else, that's an invasion of my daughter's privacy. She is
certainly old enough to say whether or not she's been abused. She is also old
enough to say she doesn't want to remove her clothes, especially, in the
absence of a court order.
The practices of
DYFS to subvert the law must be stopped. And now they have informed me that they
are mandating in house counseling 3 hours a day for 6 weeks. We don't have a
problem with that except for the fact that due to work schedules dad does not
get home to approximately 9pm. They said that coursing can be from 9pm to 12am.
I have to get up at 4am for work, due to the fact that I work 5:30am to 2pm.
And after the 6 weeks they will again evaluate and decide whether or not Dad
stays or gets removed permanently.
I am hoping for
writing this that a lawyer will be interested in representing us, due to the fact
that lawyers in my area in NJ will not take the case and also due to limited
finances since I have been out on family medical leave without pay.