A letter to parentadvocates.org from Dyandria Darel:

My name is Dyandria Darel and I live in New York City. My child had been attending public school here in the city in both Kindergarten and the First Grade. I was very distressed to find that the teachers were so incompetent that my child learned absolutely nothing from them. It was I who taught my child how to add, subtract, divide, count money and tell time.

After completion of the First Grade, the teacher commented in her report card that my child "reads on a pre-school level" and that she couldn't even distinguish between the words "and" and "an". Knowing that the city public school and teachers were not teaching my child, or any children, as published on several occasions in the New York Daily News, I decided to home school my daughter. Home schooling our children is the best form of education we can give to our children. aside from it being our constitutional right. Did you know that 4 years in a row it was home schooled children who won the National Spelling Bee Contest?

I contacted the Board of Education and filed all of the necessary papers. In only 6 months, my child excelled and was reading on a second grade level. She was doing a remarkable job. Her self esteem accelerated as did her new found love to read. She was now dragging me in and out of book stores every single day to purchase new books. She was on her way to achieving two grades above level when I decided to place her on the waiting list in October 1996 of an accelerated private school for the following semester September 1997. Such an advanced school could be more challenging for my daughter.

At the same time, I was divorcing my husband. He was, and is, well connected with politically important people in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, judges, and police, due to his job as a NYC Police Transit Detective for 20 years. He told Assistant District Attorney Stephanie L. Hubelbank to contact Ms. Zeniab Chahine, the Assistant Commissioner of the Administration for Childrens' Services, to petition the family court to have my child removed from my custody using home schooling as an excuse.

On March 7, 1997, the police broke my apartment door down and incarcerated my child into the foster care system for 5 years. My husband used his influence to have this done in order to avoid paying child support. The family court judges actually charged me with educational neglect in the Decision and Order, despite the fact that their own witness testified in court that my child was reading on grade level and that her math skills were one year above grade level. I purchased the trial transcripts, appealed the case, and still the appellate court judges ignored the indesputable evidence. The Board of Education refused to testify against me in court. Not only was my child do so well, additionally, she spoke and could read and write in French. She was only 7 years old at that time.

I set up a web site at the time this happened in 1997 and connected with many parents across the U.S. home schooling their children who had the same thing happen to them. The reason for the taking of the children and fraudulently charging the parents with educational neglect is: for each child not attending a public school, the school looses thousands of dollars in funding. Additionally, the Child Protective Services earns hundreds of thousands of dollars by harboring these children. My particular case has been billed to the tax payers in excess of two million dollars.

The following people working in New York City were involved in my case:

Judges
Gloria Sosa-Lintner
Susan R. Larabee
Helen C. Sturm
Angela M. Mazzarelli
Richard T. Andrias
David Friedman
George D. Marlow
Luis A. Gonzalez
Eugene Nardelli

Lawyers
Lauren Meller
Daniel Greenberg
Ronald Eli Richter
Nina Sarah Gross
Monica Drinane
Donald Rizzuto

Assistant Distict Attorneys
DA Robert Morganthau
ADA Stephanie L. Hubelbank
ADA Deborah Gelb
ADA Herculano A. Izquierdo

Children's Services and their affilliants
Zeinab Chahine
Lisa Oarrish
Nicholas Scoppetta
Diane Gilroy
Roselyn Scott
Eric Sanford
Denise Dorsey
Selene Bearman

Others...
Dr. Richard Oberfield
Dr. William L. Scholler
Nellis Kim

If you are home schooling your child and would like to contact me for further information, you can e-mail me at dyandriatherealnews@yahoo.com or call me at (212) 592-1926. I wrote a book entitled "Kidnapped" by Dyandria Darel, which you can purchase on the internet.

My name is Bill Joslin. I am 32 years old and a single father of 2 adopted, special needs children. Both adopted through the state (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services). My oldest son, Preston, is 12 years old and medically fragile. He has numerous medical needs. He is legally blind, has a tracheotomy and Cerebral Palsy. My youngest son, Willie, is 7 years old and is severely autistic. I am also a pediatric nurse and have worked with abused and neglected children for over 10 years. I was a volunteer in a battered women/children's shelter for 2 years and was employed there for 2 years prior to becoming a nurse. TDPRS has described me as having "a great love for children" and as an "Advocate" for children. I currently am a member of the Parent Advisory Council to the Special Education Department for our school district. My function in that capacity is to work together with the school district to improve the quality of educational services provided to special needs children and to advocate for their rights. Considering our school district never had children like mine before and didn't want to accept either of my children when I first got them, this is quite an accomplishment! (sometimes, advocacy DOES pay off!)

I am also an ordained minister. I became a minister so I could minister to special needs children and maybe give back to God a small part of what HE has given me. I have an associates degree in Christian Ministry (working on my Bachelors) as well as a Masters degree in Theology. I have written several articles on adoption and special needs children. I did a televised adoption special for the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services in December of 1997 that aired on KVUE. I have received recognition from the Chief of Police in my community for my contribution to parents of special needs children and have been described as a "very good man" by law enforcement for my dedication to my children. My main mission in life is to advocate for children, especially, special needs children. This special group of people are truly helpless in their ability to defend themselves in having the same rights and opportunities that most of us would take for granted.

In fact, the very idea that these children even have rights is a right that is often overlooked. I work every single day to make sure that no child I know is without a voice. Even if it means sticking my own neck out and putting my own rights in jeopardy of being violated. I will never give up advocating for children as long as there is a chance that even one child is without a voice.

In addition, I will be enrolling in college next year to become a licensed social worker. It is my hope that by doing this, I will be able to help make much needed changes to the system from the inside.

Over the next few months you will have an opportunity few people ever get to have. You will be taken deep inside a CPS "investigation" gone bad. You will see the devastating effects of that investigation on 2 children who were badly hurt by a system that took no consideration into what was in their best interest. You will see for yourself how this "investigation" was conducted through the numerous documents that will be posted. You will have no choice, but, to ask yourself if this is the type of system you want to "protect" our children. You will learn that sometimes "protection" means just the opposite. You will see to what extent the state will use/abuse it's power in order to destroy a family. You will see how hard core facts are discarded and hearsay is accepted as fact. You will have to ask yourself how you would feel in the same situation. Society as a whole must accept responsibility for the system we have created. We must also work together to change the system when the system fails. That is the main purpose of this website and why I have chosen to share our ordeal with you.

The purpose of this website is not to put anyone down. I make no mention of names. The names are not important. What happened to my children is. In rare cases when I do post a name, I will not post a last name. I only use names for clarity purposes. I do list the names of the agencies involved as I think they must accept the responsibility ultimately as a group. The purpose of this website is to raise public awareness into the problems with our Child Protective Services and it's effects on children. My hope is that someday, we may all work together for a safer and happier future for all children.

I have asked the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services whether they consider our adoption a "successful" adoption in order that I may share our story with them and they have not responded. I have sent offers to help share my expertise and educate them on the unique circumstances of Autistic children. To date, my offers have gone ignored. I was asked by the Autism Society of America to write an article about CPS involvement with Autistic children. I am in the process of writing that article. I have offered to share it with the department. My offers have been ignored. I will continue to extend this offer to them if they ever care to learn more in order to better serve our special needs population. My door remains open.

In my opinion, If TDPRS truly had children's best interest at heart, they would let go of their pride and accept this offer. Certainly, I am qualified to make it. Working with my children's school, and them working with me has benefited every single child in that school.

CPS says parenting a special needs child is stressful. I say it is challenging. They've never done it. I do it everyday.

I once had a CPS worker tell me that she heard I "didn't like CPS very much". I want to make something perfectly clear. As a medical professional, I have no problems with Child Protective Services when they do their job and act professionally, ethically and responsibly. I do, however, have a "problem" with INDIVIDUAL workers who lie and show a blatant disregard for what is in the best interest of children as well as the law. Those "people" have no business even being around children, muchless working with them. Those are the one's I am concerned with and they are the main reason for this website being in existence. If all CPS workers did the RIGHT thing, there would be no need for this website. Unfortunately, as you will soon see, this is not the case.

Most people believe that CPS will never lie and they never take children from good homes for no reason. That, unfortunately, isn't true. Be sure to check the evidence page to see how badly they really do act.

Currently I am in the process of writing a book about our lives. I will keep everyone updated on the status of that book. I would like to thank my adoption worker who said I "could write about anything" and the therapist who urged me to "go public" and "write a book". You both, in very different ways, have given me the inspiration to finally share my story. Thank-you.

"But, I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.".
Matthew 12:36-37

If you would like to see the heart and driving passion behind this website, please click HERE.

Special Appreciation to the Lifetime Television Network for airing a special program called "Just ask my children". This movie should be viewed by the entire family. I highly recommend it and commend Lifetime for sharing it with the public. It is my sincerest hope that the rest of the media will take a greater interest into the issues presented in this film.

3/8/2002 Special Parents of Special Kids! and Eyes on CPS would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Dateline NBC for doing a story entitled "A Touch of Evil" which details the witchhunt perpetrated by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services and other state officials in Gilmer, Texas. This special really detailed the abuse against innocent children and families at the hands of the state. Thank-you for airing that and we hope you continue to bring this serious matter to the public arena.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this website, or anything you have seen here, please do not hesitate to email me. Kind words about my children are always appreciated. I have especially enjoyed the tremendous support from my fellow parents of special needs children as well as my fellow Christians. Thank-you for taking the time to stop by.

If you need help, or would like more information about the reform movement please join our growing support group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eyes_on_CPS/

Texas Family Code

Your Healthy Family Home

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WHEN FALSELY ACCUSED

LINK

You have to begin by realizing the level of trouble you are in

Understand the consequences if you underestimate the legal ramifications for your life if you make the wrong decisions. Unfortunately most people go into some level of denial and minimize the trouble they are in. As a consequence they fail to do things they must and find themselves in much deeper legal troubles than they started out with. For an example, say child sexual abuse allegations rise during a divorce case, and you feel they mean little. Or your attorney says "they have no case." So you do nothing or bumble along, and then you find criminal charges filed, or a juvenile court action filed against you, or worse find yourself in the three ring circus of all three at the same time. Had you reacted properly the eventual cost would be a fraction of what it will cost if things get out of hand.

Select the right attorney and staff to represent you

There are many fine attorneys in America. Attorneys good at drug cases or speeding tickets, or good at representing women in custody cases, but who you may learn the hard way will send you down the toilet because they aren't good on the kind of case YOU have. You should begin by checking out the lawyer and team you are considering hiring. It is wise to ask for the lawyer's CV (resume) and perhaps determine how many cases like yours he has handled. It is often best to find the best lawyer on this kind of case, often he'll be from out of state.

Build a war chest

Most people don't want to hear that this kind of case will be expensive. When you are falsely accused of child abuse, rape, or domestic violence you are facing a high probability of criminal charges, and if you are facing criminal charges in one of these areas you are facing a very high probability of conviction unless you take strong steps to prevent the issues from getting out of hand. This will require taking some steps such as getting specialized psychological testing and a properly designed polygraph or similar testing. As well as lining up other necessary evidence and experts. All of this will cost. You need to adjust your thinking to tens of thousands of dollars instead of hundreds of dollars. There are those who promise cheap, quick and easy solutions. However you'll likely find that they will not wind up really being cheap, quick nor easy. They can send you away for a long time.

Educate yourself

In selecting ANYONE to represent you, it is always a matter of Caveat Emptor, (let the buyer beware). You should never rely solely on anyone, not even ME! You can't help defend yourself from a place of ignorance. You'll need to educate yourself on the subject area of the allegations you are facing. When your team tells you that you need to do "A" it is important that you understand why you need to do that. Lots of time can be wasted trying to explain every step to you, and often the effort spent "selling" you on the need to do "A" or "X" becomes so tiresome that anyone will decide to stop trying. You need to understand why the things are necessary and not just be a cash cow and a passenger along for the ride. The best results come from a fully involved and informed client. Many lawyers don't like that, but the better ones demand it. Beware and don't snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

Do a time line

You will need to put a time-line in writing. Start from day 1 and go through to today in as much detail as you can recall. This will be a great aid to your defense team.

Begin working on a witness list

You will need to start compiling a witness list. The best form I have found is 3 by 5 cards, or in some cases 5 by 7 cards. Include the people's name, addresses, phone information, as well as their employment and a brief biography. And also a brief bit on what they can testify to. Outline form is best. Don't limit yourself on who you have down, use bad witnesses as well as ones on your side. Let us decide who is important and who isn't. Often people you think are unimportant turn out to be the key to the case.

Check Yourself

Often people in your shoes become their own worst enemies. You will have to watch what you say and do. An ill-considered comment can send your case into the toilet. One very key thing is getting you prepared to handle yourself as early as possible. A good team has someone who can do that, and assigns them from day one.

Scientific testing

If this is a sex case, you will want testing that tends to disprove the allegations against you. Tests that relate specifically to what you are being accused of. So specialized testing is necessary. The same tact must be taken for domestic violence or any other allegation of misconduct. Show that YOU don't have what it takes to be guilty.

Witness Preparation and interviews

You'll need a team with a staff member that has a track record for doing interviews on potential witnesses, making recommendations to the lawyers, and preparing your witnesses to testify. Usually using a video process.

Jury selection

Your team should include someone who has the capability of scientifically selecting a jury. One with a good track record in doing that. It's one of the things you should look for.

Get a Lawyer Immediately

When law enforcement or social workers request that you be interviewed by them either at your home or at their offices, decline to speak with them without your attorney being present. Insist that they cease efforts to question you unless you have a lawyer present.

Do Not Answer Questions

If you are arrested, DO NOT answer ANY questions other than your name, address and date of birth.

If You are Not Arrested  Leave

If they don't arrest you - you have the right to leave an interview

Keep Your Mouth Shut

Anything you say WILL be used against you, what you do not consider a "confession" police or social workers are likely to. NEVER EXPLAIN anything you have ever done. It WILL be used against you.

NOTE: In our careers we have seen many thousands of cases that would never have seen a courtroom had it not been for the things the accused said that were twisted into being a confession. REMAIN SILENT! You HAVE that right, USE IT!

If you demand an attorney, and you cannot afford one, police CANNOT continue to question you if you want one appointed free for you. On June 26, 2000 the United States Supreme Court reaffirmed ALL the provisions of the Miranda decision. Police CANNOT continue to question you when you have asked for a lawyer to be present. If they persist they risk contaminating a case. REMAIN SILENT!