This is actually the first time I am going public with my story and experience with this agency but it might not be the last time you hear from me. My husband was incarcerated 4 years ago and will be imprisoned for the next 3 years and I have been raising two daughters (ages 7 & 10) with the help of a mighty strong village. As a professional in the social service field, here in the New York Metro area and with my experience as an ALL-IN, hands-on parent, I know the importance of a strong foundation when it comes to raising children. I wanted to offer them as many services and positive experiences as possible, especially dealing with the separation between them and their dad. So, I looked into and reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City to give us some support through possibly pairing my daughters with mentors. BIG MISTAKE!
We went on 3/16/16 to what we were initially told would be an interview for each of us. Arrived and first I was interviewed and then my two daughters were interrogated, probed and fed information from a women by the name of Kristina who is supposed to be an Associate Program Manager but who is a pawn in the agency's agenda to divide and conquer for their own monetary gain. My children were asked questions with the intention of getting information that could be exaggerated and then used against us, which is exactly what happened. These children were not questioned with the intention of pairing them with a mentor who would be the best fit, that was never the intention.
I work with organizations that have government funded contracts and after everything I have gone through over the past few weeks, I realize that this is all about money and it is disgusting! When you receive these contracts, you have to fulfill the quota. There are usually more spaces and more money available to 'assist' families who are involved some way with the criminal justice or family court systems.
This sorry excuse for a woman and her supervisor exaggerated the already exaggerated (as children tend to do), but still minor, stories of my 7 & 10 year old's in an attempt to bring a case of 'suspected abuse' against me. Oh really chick?! I dealt with the situation in a very professional and adult-like manner, although the old, back-in the-day me wanted to knock her square into her next life and burn the whole place down...but I refrained :-) After telling me that she needed to 'report me', she, at least three times, continued to offer "services" for me and my family...are you nuts?!? Of course I refused and told her NOT to contact me all three times.
I emailed the agency and wrote a letter expressing my frustration and copied the entire executive staff and place all seven letters in the mailbox. In the next week or so, I received a phone call from the CEO of the organization, Hector, who called at a time when I couldn't speak very long. However, he listened to my story and called me back the next morning to continue the conversation. Our conversation the next morning consisted of him attempting to pacify me, and tell me how much he 'respected me as a "single mother"'. That might have went over well on someone who was looking for sympathy but it did nothing for me. He proceeded to defend the practice of this employee and even defended her use of the term "interrogate" which she used in reference to the "interview" when talking to my 10 year old.
When I spoke to children's services, because, yes, they came to my home and had to speak with me and my children, I explained the entire story and how I felt my family was been victimized, they pretty much agreed. No, one I told this story to understands how you can go into a place as reputable as Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City looking for help and come out the way I did, a victim of cruel and corrupt system!
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