To the Editor:
A wise lady who I have looked up to ever since she was my English teacher at Wildwood Catholic High School once said this to me: “Write for yourself, and you’ll always be successful. Write for others, and you’ll never feel like you’re good enough.”
I now have the inspiration and courage to finally spell out the rest of my story that has been sadly unwritten for far too long.
Days before Covid commandeered an entire nation, my family and I had a subtle knock at the door that bellowed out so loudly that it ended up lasting for three years. Ultimately, that one, simple knock started an unforgiving domino effect of trauma for my family and myself.
Legend has it that once you invite a heartless “vampire” into your home, you’re doomed. For my family and I, DCPP (formerly known as DYFS and commonly known as “THE DIVISION” in Superior Court) are more heartless than most. In all honesty, there are times when I wish Louis or Lestat had knocked on my door instead.
Considering “THE DIVISION” is a government agency, they play by their own rules, and their only rule that is there’s is simply this: There are no rules.
“THE DIVISION” had taken claim to “finders keepers” law, taking possession of my whole family and myself.
I dauntingly watched a heart-wrenching documentary. In this case, a little boy named Gabriel Fernandez was murdered by his mother’s boyfriend. Regardless of their state’s child welfare organization having multiple case workers come out to their home, physically seeing the boy’s ligaments being riddled with bruises so many times that they ironically lost count, the system still failed poor little Gabriel. In my opinion, they’re as guilty as his mother’s boyfriend and his mother.
Sadly, the State of New Jersey is now doing the same, but in adverse roles. This is my life, and I can most certainly say from experience that “THE DIVISION” has delusions of grandeur, making them feel entitled and invincible, when in all actuality, “THE DIVISION” are the ones who cause the abuse.
Why is “THE DIVISION” so tightly latched onto my family and I like leaches, depleting our livelihood so much so that it’s draining our souls? Why isn’t “THE DIVISION” saving all the innocent babies who actually need to be rescued?
On Jan. 18, 2020, I went to the hospital for a panic attack. When I went back home, “THE DIVISION” was there, thinking that I was lying and, inconsiderately (on their behalf), assuming that I was an addict. I had to have my own husband “supervise” me with my own children for a year.
As if that wasn’t enough, I had clean drug screens; however, we all know their rule by now, right? Well … I was forced into a women’s trauma group, one-on-one therapy, and IOP. Do you remember why still? Yes, a panic attack.
Conveniently for “THE DIVISION,” my case worker obtained a new supervisor, so when I completed everything that was demanded of me, guess what that meant. You guessed it, I had to start all over again. Sure, my “supervision” was lifted, but I’m still in the same boat, only they’re the captains of my ship now.
On Jan. 31, 2023, “THE DIVISION” stole my babies and put them in foster care. Never, ever in my life had I felt this degraded, demeaned, ridiculed, desensitized, defeated, and controlled.
To me, “THE DIVISION” divided my family and inflicted PTSD and Stockholm syndrome upon us. Hasn’t Gabriel Fernandez taught anybody anything?
