CYS/Court Corruption - Support Group

We have four families victimized by CYS and the so-called judges in Washington County who could care less about children. Looking for others who want to form a support group and demonstrate - CYS must be stopped before more kids die.

The problem with Washington County CYS is the lack of oversight into the goings on in regards to the agency adhering (or not adhering) to state regulations regarding the safety of children and the rights of the families. Worker burnout and lack of support is also a gigantic problem. Too often, workers are hired to fill a need, not becuase they exemplify the job they are supposed to be doing. The workers that they are bringing in have no desire to go above and beyond the call of duty to do the right thing- they want to get paid and wait out their time until they find something better.

It's unfortunate- I know alot of great people who work up there who do an incredible job under intense pressure. The administration should be ashamed for what they have allowed to happen.

You are correct. Washington County CYF is a total complete mess. Even the so called ad litems don't even interview the children's families, they are told what to do by CYF and lie, lie, lie, lie. All laws are ignored. If anyone knows how to file criminal complaints for pergury, filing false child abuse charges, please let us know. They actually lie to the district attornies and the judges.

my 2 little girls (ages 2 and 5) JUST got taken away from me today from washington county CYS today... a ms. charlotte thomas. this woman lied and made claims that were 100% UNTRUE. my house has been clean, food, healthy happy kids but she claims physical abuse.. my girls had small random bruises on them. but, they ARE children and play outside all the time. my 5yr old even told her that mommy and daddy had NOT hurt her.
now my girls are gone and i have no clue where they were taken. they didn't even ask me about allergies or any other information on my girls. i called legal aid and am going to try to get legal help to represent me BUT what am i supposed to do when this woman is lying???? its her word against mine, and i am fearing i will lose. if anyone can help with advice please email me:
oneword23@yahoo.com

thanks, jessica

You are exactly what they prey on; legal aid. Legal Aid is completely clueless and you do not have a chance in hell with them. Forget the guardian ad litems; if you call their office they will tell you that they are employed by CYF; even their websites say so. But, that is ILLEGAL in Pennsylvania. These GALs are being outlawed in other states.

These horrible excuses for life forms will not even contact you for at least 10 days. They took my kids and have NEVER given them medication, and gee, they use COLLEGE students to evaluate children for medical problems.

Man, I was sitting in a room with these people who have absolutely NO MEDICAL degree, discussing how they were going to take a poor little 2 year old from their mother. The child was doing the "cruising thing" walking with her hands on furniture. The poor kid put her hand over a scented candle.

It was amazing to watch these assholes sit in a circle to determine that this constituted "extended abuse" because the kid did not pull her hand off fast enough and got not even a second degree burn.

These people are rotten horrible human beings that thrive on hurting parents as bad as they can and alienating your children from you. They will instantly tell your children that you are horrible parents.

The workers get paid bonuses to put children in foster care and big money to sell them for adoption. You are not going to believe you live in America. They LIE LIE LIE LIE LIE. It is completely unimaginable.

She is lying. No doubt. And guess what, the judge will sit and listen to evidence, and actually be told by professionals that CYF is lying. That part won't even show up in the transcript.

I was told by two deputies at the courthouse that the entire first and subfloor of that horrible building should be put in jail. He is right. Of course, maybe you could befriend the DA's girlfriend and get her some drugs. What a mess this county is.

What we need to do is start a MASSIVE protest. Wait until they file official child abuse charges against you with Harrisburg and you can not get a job. I am seathing.

There is another woman there whose two children were taken for eleven months into plain old emergency shelter care. Daaah. Like who cares the law says 20 days?

Be careful with legal aid, they will throw away your rights by agreeing to not having another hearing in TEN DAYS. You show up there in TEN DAYS and you do NOT LEAVE that courthouse until they let you into the hearing. CYF will physically block you from going into the courtroom, the legal aid people don't care, and then you lose all your rights completely.

Aughghghghgh

While I agree that the system is flawed, allow me to refute a few things.

1. Legal Aid is comprised of attorneys in the county who are able to take on a certain amount of lower paying or pro bono cases. Many have or are a part of a private practice.

2. In all the years that I have spent both as a CYS caseworker (not in Washington Co.), and working with clients referred by Washington County CYS, the one falsehood that has always irritated and angered me is the one that bonuses are paid for placing kids in foster care or adopting them out. If this was the case, there wouldn't be a child in the state still with their biological family. That's a fallacy and serves only to further damage an already fragile relationship between CYS and families.

It is true, however, that private agencies that contract with County CYS agencies to provide foster care services sometimes do pay their workers extra when they place a child in one of their foster homes. This is done mainly to entice the workers at that specific agency to pick up on call weekends and overnights. CYS has nothing to do with that. CYS does pay money to agencies to pay stipends to foster parents with children in the home to compensate them for their efforts and to provide for the foster child(ren) that they have.

3. NEVER has a child been medically examined by anyone with no medical experience. Yes, some hospitals, clinics, and doctor offices that the children are taken to do have residents who are completing the final portion of medical school, but that is a common and accepted practice in medicine nowadays.

It is unfortunate that sometimes children are taken from families when abuse is alleged to have occurred, when in fact ti did not. This is because it is always safer to err on the side of caution. Face it- when a child dies due to abuse or neglect, negative light gets shined on the CYS system; on top of that, when a child is wrongly taken due to alleged abuse, negative light gets shined on the CYS system. Theirs is a thankless job, but one that is entirely necessary.

For those of you that have major complaints, contact the Department of Public Welfare in Harrisburg. The state website (www.state.pa.us) contains info on filing a complaint which WILL be investigated by the state.

If your child was wrongly taken from you, you have my deepest and most sincere sympathies and support in your struggle to regain custody and clear your name.

For everyone griping about the system, maybe you should turn those eyes inward and look at yourself. Shockingly, part of the problem may be there.

InnocentFamilies wrote:

We have four families victimized by CYS and the so-called judges in Washington County who could care less about children. Looking for others who want to form a support group and demonstrate - CYS must be stopped before more kids die.

I am from washington county and my family is being victimized by cys

christy molinaro wrote:

<quoted text>I am from washington county and my family is being victimized by cys

Read todays observer reporter, they are being sued by a family

We are being victimized by CYS in Wayne Co. We are gathering information from families that have had the same problem.

Would anyone have a copy of the article from the observer reporter where CYS is being sued by a family?

Concerned for our Child wrote:

We are being victimized by CYS in Wayne Co. We are gathering information from families that have had the same problem.
Would anyone have a copy of the article from the observer reporter where CYS is being sued by a family?

You may want to contact observer reporter and ask them for a copy

I have never had any dealings with CYS so please don't take offence with my question. How does CYS determine that your kids should be removed. Do they just take the word of a neighbor or a teacher. Do they check on a family without letting them be aware that they are watching them. Do they randomly roam the streets looking for children. What is their rule for taking kids away from their family. Again please don't take offence. I am only asking.

my children ages(13,8&9mths which is handicapped)have been taken recently from our home on hearsay of abuse my 13yr old which is an honor roll student in school and has won 2 international peotry awards is being held in a place for behavorial problem children along with my niece about to be 15 the younger children have been seperated from each other we are crying out for any legal advice we can get. No questions of medical historys were ever ask about any of them and my baby is handicapped with recent surgey. If anyone has any information that would help this situation pls respond to cpandabare_1@yahoo.com and my heart TRULY goes out to all those in the same torture.....GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!

Yes, Washington County Cys needs a complete overhaul.
Getting rid of the last director hasn't changed any of the problems there. Yes, there are too many people making false child abuse charges for what ever sick motives they may have. These people should be charged but of course they are kept confidental. Cys is using their personal opinions in alot of cases and not factual evidence and alot of the judges accept this. the children being interviewed should have someone unconnected with Cys each time they are interviewed.
They twist language children use to support their opinions. Do we need CYS , most definately. The #1 cause of childrens death in this country is abuse.Do they randomly just yank children out of their homes to get bonuses from foster care or to adopt them out. No they would rather send them back to their abusive homes time and time again. Why? so they stay in the system and their jobs stay secure. Have you ever tried to get in touch with CYS after 4:00.For now this is the only system we have. WE NEED to do alot better. Children aren't taxpayers or voters so they will go unheard.For those of you that are it's always an election year for someone, stand-up and be heard. Speak for those who can't.

saraminks wrote:

Yes, Washington County Cys needs a complete overhaul.
Getting rid of the last director hasn't changed any of the problems there. Yes, there are too many people making false child abuse charges for what ever sick motives they may have. These people should be charged but of course they are kept confidental. Cys is using their personal opinions in alot of cases and not factual evidence and alot of the judges accept this. the children being interviewed should have someone unconnected with Cys each time they are interviewed.
They twist language children use to support their opinions. Do we need CYS , most definately. The #1 cause of childrens death in this country is abuse.Do they randomly just yank children out of their homes to get bonuses from foster care or to adopt them out. No they would rather send them back to their abusive homes time and time again. Why? so they stay in the system and their jobs stay secure. Have you ever tried to get in touch with CYS after 4:00.For now this is the only system we have. WE NEED to do alot better. Children aren't taxpayers or voters so they will go unheard.For those of you that are it's always an election year for someone, stand-up and be heard. Speak for those who can't.

The judgement made at the "placement" hearing was made completely on hearsay and not based on facts the children were not even interviewed by the "attorney" that was representing them her words at the hearing was that she was there to speak of behalf of the children of whome she had NOT spoken with yet.how do you represent someone especially children who are old enough and capable enough to speak up for themselves if you've not yet even met or spoke to them??????this whole situation is bogus and CYS knows it, they have been trying to cover their tracks for sometime now. i have contacted the proper authorities and government offices about this situation-civil rights-religious beliefs-childrens rights to be heard-RIGHTS not priviliges!!!!!

Here is why we need CYS. Deadbeat dads. Moms who keep having children with deadbeat dads over and over.Parents who believe these children are property. Tax deductions, child care credits and the collection of welfare so they don't have to get off their childish selfish butts and earn a living. Kitchens with more booze than food. Kids left alone because you NEED to party. Filthy homes because your too hung over to clean. Hungry, dirty kids,who wonder off and get hurt because your too high to notice.Exposing your children to your flavor of the week sexual partners.Sexual abuse of children because their parents are picking up strangers on the internet, because you must find your next babys momma or daddy.The beating of children because they cry, mess or need your attention. Domestic violence because you choose the wrong person to have children with.The doping of children with nyQuil or what ever so they will sleep so you won't be bothered.Then there's the torture because you are just plain sick. YOU put your children in the flawed CYS system not the men in black.

Are you a part of CYS?

saraminks wrote:

Here is why we need CYS. Deadbeat dads. Moms who keep having children with deadbeat dads over and over.Parents who believe these children are property. Tax deductions, child care credits and the collection of welfare so they don't have to get off their childish selfish butts and earn a living. Kitchens with more booze than food. Kids left alone because you NEED to party. Filthy homes because your too hung over to clean. Hungry, dirty kids,who wonder off and get hurt because your too high to notice.Exposing your children to your flavor of the week sexual partners.Sexual abuse of children because their parents are picking up strangers on the internet, because you must find your next babys momma or daddy.The beating of children because they cry, mess or need your attention. Domestic violence because you choose the wrong person to have children with.The doping of children with nyQuil or what ever so they will sleep so you won't be bothered.Then there's the torture because you are just plain sick. YOU put your children in the flawed CYS system not the men in black.

are you CYS

No I am not CYS. I am a relative of children who were put in the CYS system and as that relative I have had no right to speak for these children or even see them. Do I think CYS is looking out for these children. NOT AT ALL. Does CYS lie? YES. Do the judges listen and get all the info? NO. Do these children get due process under the law? NO.Does CYS have too many cases than they can handle? YES. But the ONLY VICTIMS are the children.I've heard parents say. CYS is asking me to do things that are impossible.If they asked me for my right arm I would cut it off my self and hand it to them. When CYS came knocking on your doors it should have been awake up call that your family is in need of help. Take that help with your whole heart and soul.It takes more to be a parent than saying I love you. It takes putting that child who you chose to have and raise above all your own selfishness.Get off your butts and the internet and do something for your kids. Clean your house, get in a 12 step program for your addictions, kick out that abuser. If you can't do these things then do the most loving thing you can. Give them to someone who wants to be a parent. Let them have a childhood . Quit your complaing and grow up.

saraminks wrote:

No I am not CYS. I am a relative of children who were put in the CYS system and as that relative I have had no right to speak for these children or even see them. Do I think CYS is looking out for these children. NOT AT ALL. Does CYS lie? YES. Do the judges listen and get all the info? NO. Do these children get due process under the law? NO.Does CYS have too many cases than they can handle? YES. But the ONLY VICTIMS are the children.I've heard parents say. CYS is asking me to do things that are impossible.If they asked me for my right arm I would cut it off my self and hand it to them. When CYS came knocking on your doors it should have been awake up call that your family is in need of help. Take that help with your whole heart and soul.It takes more to be a parent than saying I love you. It takes putting that child who you chose to have and raise above all your own selfishness.Get off your butts and the internet and do something for your kids. Clean your house, get in a 12 step program for your addictions, kick out that abuser. If you can't do these things then do the most loving thing you can. Give them to someone who wants to be a parent. Let them have a childhood . Quit your complaing and grow up.

But what about the people who do as CYS asks and they still don't get there kids. My kids were never taken or in the system but I know someone who is going through the bull with CYS and CYS thinks they are god, playing with peoples minds and emotions. I believe the whole system needs overhauled and some fair judges need to come into play. If CYS was more concerned for the children they would try to place the children with a family member of friend while the process is going on, not moving them from place to place. If there is a friend who is a foster parent why can't the kids be placed there? CYS response is, You talk to the mom and you may give her the kids back. So do they care about the kids, NO.

my cousins have been put in foster care by court order and no one knows why,myself and another family member were checked out by cys and the house as well everything came back fine and they still went to a foster home.i thought cys would push to allow family to have the kids but i was wrong.Cys don't have the best intentions in mind for the kids if they did they would fight to keep kids with someone in the family. i need help on who we can get a hold of to try and get these kids home where they belong. With family that knows and loves them.please anyone that can give help please do.dont know where to go next.need help