Sunday April 12, 2009, 1:35 am
How frightening to be terrorized like that. The DSS had no right to take the baby for the reason of not feeding her baby “the right way”. Good grief don't you think the woman knows how to feed her baby after having two other children.

Ross’ two boys, Kyle and Damien, were seized in December 1999, after Kyle wandered outside the house. Ross, a single mother, had previously clashed with DSS over similar incidents.

Kyle was born in September 1995 and Damien in September 1997.

DSS placed Damien with a gay couple and Kyle was placed with Linda McNeil and her boyfriend, Eddie Finklea Jr., who kept a Rottweiler in the backyard.

“Kyle told me he loved me and wanted to come home,” said Ross. “DSS told him he was never going home. I promised Kyle I would get him home.

“He told me he got hurt in the foster home. He had bruises on his bottom and legs and burns he said were from a flatiron. DSS told me the burns were from a heater. Kyle told me the people at the foster home locked him crying in the bedroom, while they partied with drugs and alcohol.”

In a shocking story that made headlines, Kyle was attacked and killed by the Rottweiler in June of this year after he wandered into the dog’s unlocked pen.

Ross’ mother, Sandra Daneault, told MassNews that she remembers after they got the news, Diana was distraught and tearfully apologized to a photo of Kyle that she could not get him home like she had promised him.

With the help of Attorney Alan Goodman, Ross, who was pregnant, filed suit against the dog’s owner and has taken preliminary steps to sue the Department of Social Services for wrongful death and emotional distress on behalf of her son.

In an apparent retaliation, Ross’ infant son Aaron was seized from her by DSS at the hospital the day after he was born and just two months after the tragic death of Kyle.

This poor woman needs our support!

Letters and cards of support may be sent to: Diana Ross, 34 Vigeant Street, Apt. # 2, Ware, MA 01082.

Donations of any size may be sent to: The Ross Legal Defense Fund, c/o Justice for Families, P.O. Box 1560, Cotuit, MA 02635.

Letters and calls of protest should be sent to: Governor Jane Swift, State House, Boston, MA 02133, as well as your local state representative, Congressman (DSS takes federal funding for snatching babies), as well as major media outlets.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 2:28 am
noted thanks geri for running this ,and keli for passing on and they had no right takeing a new born away from its mother.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 2:43 am
Geri, are you aware that this article is clearly dated on the site : August 23, 2001 ?

Certainly, it is scandalous, but don't you think it would be better to save our outrage and energy for injustices that have taken place a bit more recently ?!

Sunday April 12, 2009, 3:11 am
History repeats itself. News like this helps others that are faced with the same situation now. In doing the reasearch on these agencies, there is a 3yr block when these events happen. Because most of these agencies have to request more funding every 3yrs. 2009-2010 is the year that events like this will happen again. Parents need to be prepared. http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/CHANGE_REFORM

Sunday April 12, 2009, 3:17 am
I think this world has gone mad. As long as her baby was fed and not starved I can't understand them taking her baby away from her.Noted thanks Kelli.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 3:52 am
my second son had a traumatic birth in the hospital. He was kept in NICU for a week and tube fed. He lost 1.5lbs the first week. Then he was allowed to breastfeed and started to gain weight. Was the hospital abusing him since he lost so much weight after birth?

Sunday April 12, 2009, 4:02 am
Alba and everyone I am so sorry for not paying attention to the date of the article. I've tried to search for updates but the mother's name is Dianna Ross. I will keep trying. I'd like to know what happened.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 5:33 am
It is still happening to people everyday! In New York City if you want to sue someone be careful Cps might bang on your door. Cps is a tool ! People call on their family and friends to get even. Employers call on the worker that's about to sue him. The new wife calls on the ex-wife. Professionals call when your about to file complaint or sue. Cps acts in concert with schools, doctors, businesses, ex wife, ex husband, ex- lover, drug pushing doctors and the list goes on and on and on!!! There is no such thing as a FAIR DAY IN COURT when it comes to CPS! They act as GOD!

Sunday April 12, 2009, 5:39 am
DSS has been known to take children away from people who are good people and do nothing to those who abuse children which ends in death. Noted with anger. Thanks Geri. Thanks for sending Kelli and Charles.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 6:57 am
What a hellish mess. I feel for the mother and feel outrage re the DSS actions. It does not matter when this took place; it only matters that justice takes place, albeit that is unlikely. Poor mother and poor children. Thanks Geri and Kelli.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 8:42 am
I have never had to deal with CPS! Like wise the stores are unbelieveble!!! From Takeing ones Drives Licence, for being behind on Childsupport, So then they can't, get to work! to pay child support! Most trades menes" Have to have one to work !!So then if they have a new family to support ,They SUFFER. And most of the money pad in to this Bureauccracy goes to the WelFair of the STATE EMPLOYEES !!! Who could neaver Hold "or do A Job In the Privet sector !!!! CPS Brakes down familys and hardens Harts" "" Felicita L Sommed it up!!! THE TOOL IS "NEAVER LET THE GOV. IN TO YOUR PRIVET LIFES !!!!!

Sunday April 12, 2009, 12:00 pm
Richard I agree with you. When an agency that is meant to protect uses and abuses their power it is time for us to act. Why do these people get away with it? The culture in the USA of everyone sueing everyone else is partially to blame. If one pulled all the lawyers out of the USA today and put them down somewhere else where they had to really do a day's honest work they would be helpless. But they are aided and abetted by the public. I don't know the ins and outs of this story, and would not want to comment on the guilt of any party - except to say that the death of his boy is criminal. Anyone with a small child and a dangerous pet should take the utmost care to protect both of them. If the dog bites the child it wll most likely be put down (not its fault!) and the death of the child would rest solely on the shoulders of whomever should have taken care.

Many years ago I nursed for a while, and was faced with brain damaged children in the neuro ward to either: 1) parental neglect or 2) parental abuse. In the end there is no distinction between the two. I have personally testified at two court cases to have the children removed - they would be dead today if I had not stepped forward, and in another case I was made the legal guardian for a weekend (emergency ruling) to protect a child from his mother's boyfriend.

I can't stand any abuse, whether it be to humans or animals. There must be legal aid for peoplewho have proof of conspiracy to defame and abuse parents. If this mom truly was in the right - there must be help out there for her - somewhere. I once faced up to the apartheid government of South Africa on similar issues - and received help from the most extraordinary sources.

To the poster of this news article - was this posted to inflame people? Or was this posted to get help for this woman? I think this is a valid point I make. So much of what is posted at Care2 is truly meaningless drivel - with no actionable result. A bit of research goes a long way - we are all here to help in whatever way we can - but stories for the sake of posting a news story is a waste of valuable time. General knowledge is one thing - but posting something that happened almost ten years ago is quite another!

Recently the same thing happened on an animal story about PETA. The story was years old, and it only resulted in people verbally attacking one another.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 1:21 pm
This story is very upsetting even if it is an old story. I wish the media would have given more coverage of this story. I would like to know what happened since then.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 2:31 pm
Thank you Kelli for bringing this to my attention. Sadly I have noted it. This inhumane, barbaric, and disgusting treatment metered out by "caring, do gooding authorities" on the basis of the "potential to commit a crime of any kind" is just the tip of the iceberg and not unique to the U.S.A.

It would seem uncontitutional to punish any person for any crime based upon the perceived threat to society without any proof of action which confirms that threat.
One could liken it to executing a "potential murderer" simply because the authorities were "concerned that a certain behaviour may take place", based upon what "caring experts may make an assessement to be based upon their "knowledge of similar cases" until an action has occured." This is like saying that you are guilty before you commit the offence.

This mother is being penalised for "something she may do to her newborn" and not something "she has done to her newborn. It has been prejudged that she will behave in a prescribed manner. This assumption is based on previous situations and not a current one. By all means protect any child deemed to be at "risk", by monitoring the mother's actions by those "caring authorities" who only want what is "best" for the child. This mother has already had 2 children removed from her care by these "caring professionals" and placed them into such "caring" environments that it would appear that the children are being abused.

Naturally, the fact that this mother of 3 was single, and possibly belonged to the lower socio-economic end of the spectrum had absolutely nothing to do with the discriminative treatment metered out to her and her children After all aren't "all single parents irresponsible,morally corrupt and child abusers", and "of course all married people or committed couples are above mistreating their children, or having questionable morals,or being irresponsible!!"

Sunday April 12, 2009, 2:45 pm
Noted,terrible!Lord we pray for all children or the world!

Sunday April 12, 2009, 3:04 pm
DSS IN MY OPINION IS A WASTS OF TAXPAYERS MONEY. IN MANE DHS TAKE CHILDREN FROM PARENTS THAT TRY TO TAKE PROPER CARE.THEN THE ONE THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN AWAY DSS LEAVES THE CHILDREN. SOME PARENTS CAN PUT ON A GOOD SHOW,WORKER LEAVES THE KIDS LOCKED UP BACK IN THEIR ROOM PARENT DOES WHAT THEY WANT.ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS DOES FOSTER CARE THOSE CHILDREN ARE TAKEN FROM BAD PARENTS WAY TOO LATE.THE KIDS HAD BEEN BEATEN GONE THUR HELL.TAUGHT TO BE TOUGH AND SHUT UP.YES I VOICED MY OPINION TO GOVERNOR CONTROLER OF DSS.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 5:05 pm
Noted , !!!!

Sunday April 12, 2009, 5:42 pm
There is so much wrong with the foster care system- it's not just Ross and her children, but hundreds of families whose homes have been broken up. The problem is that most states (read pretty much all of them) don't have enough funds, especially with this failing economy, to allocate resources to overhauling the system and either reforming it or creating a new one. Taxpayers, whose $$ would pay for the bulk of the effort, are holding onto their money right now and decrying every expense. It's a mess, and it probably won't be cleaned up until we have a surplus.

One thing: while the foster care system is whacked up, there are lots of loving people who are willing not only to temporarily serve as parents but to adopt children and care for them. Quite a number of those individuals come from the LGBT community, which most states (and most of their residents) consider to be unfit to care for children. I hereby propose this: foster care and adoption services can no longer afford to reject people on the basis of sexual orientation, thus eliminating an opportunity for a child to have a better quality of life. Regardless of how a person may feel about "gays," personal beliefs should not interfere when there are so many children without a home and so few families willing to care for them. Cutting off your nose to spite your face may end up cutting off others' noses as well.

Sunday April 12, 2009, 9:10 pm
There is a reference to the mental health of the mother-the mention that she did not clean the child. There could be very real mental health issues here. Most of the time social workers will leave babies too long with bad natural mothers because of the shortage of foster homes. The fact that they took away the child from the hospital seems like a red flad to me. She may be an unfit mother. The article really doesn't provide enough facts to make any kind of judgment for or against the mother or the foster system. There is no father mentioned, either. Were the children all by different absent me?? Not enuf info.

Monday April 13, 2009, 3:38 am
DCF has to much power... Then their are the smart teenagers that dont get what they want so lie and call DCF and are taken away. Lies and accusations are made. Ruins a family.

Monday April 13, 2009, 7:11 am
I have found some more information on this for you:

Mother of Foster Child Killed By a Dog Gets $260,000 From State
http://www.care2.com/news/member/863847591/1115235

Worse Than Your *Worst* Nightmare...
http://www.care2.com/news/member/863847591/1115224

Baby Seized By State Police From Mother's Hospital Room
http://www.care2.com/news/member/863847591/1115220

God Bless All The Little Children
http://www.care2.com/news/member/863847591/1115216

Monday April 13, 2009, 2:47 pm
I don't understand why the children were taken into care but each child is supposed to be assessed individually.

Monday April 13, 2009, 4:24 pm
I feel that the attorney for the mother was correct and that DHS was mad at her for filing the wrongful death suit and winning. An external investigation was done and DHS had to close 8 foster homes. This case costed them a lot of money and their reputation.
This is what others in the system are fighting against.
These agencies try to use the past to predict the future. Parents have to spend thousands of dollars to defend the allegations and usually wil. But it still places a "bad mark" on them, costs them a LOT of money and they lose precious time with their children.
Also, these agencies have NEVER appologised unless court ordered (and all that is kept private - out of the media). These agencies have NEVER admitted that they were ever wrong.Its always someone elses fault or that they don't have enough money.

Wednesday April 15, 2009, 4:17 pm
My heart is grieving for I know the Lord's heart is grieving with what goes on in this world. And to treat defenseless children this way! How disgraceful! :-(