Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Article updated on Thursday (May 2) at 11:30 a.m (CET time) with information about the child.
A woman was left perplexed and is awaiting answers after a letter she received in the mail suggested that her husband may have a child neither of them knew about.
On Thursday (April 30), Danielle took to her TikTok account to recount the confusing episode. “My mind is spinning right now. My husband got a letter in the mail, and it’s from the DCF [Department of Children and Families, also known as Child Protective Services],” she said.
Highlights
- A woman named Danielle received a letter from the DCF suggesting her husband may have an unknown child.
- The suspected child is 13 years old, implying the husband was 24 at birth.
- Danielle has confirmed that the child is a distant relative of her husband.
The document from the US government agency asked Danielle’s family if they could take care of a child who could no longer be at their home.
“I’m pretty confident they don’t send these letters to just anyone. I’m pretty sure you have to be on a list or be somehow related to the child,” the woman continued. “We don’t know who the child is.”
BP Daily - Your Source for Unbiased Reporting
A woman received a letter from the DCF (Department of Children and Families), suggesting that her husband may have another child
Image credits: bnenin/stock.adobe.com
The DCF provided the child’s name and date of birth, which indicated that they were 13 years old. Considering the hypothesis that Danielle’s husband is the father, he would’ve had them when he was 24, long before he met his wife.
Additionally, the letter was sent from a different state. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to send it to us unless he had some connection to the child,” the mom-of-five suggested.
Suspecting she and her husband may be falling victim to a scam, Danielle phoned the number on the document and confirmed that it was, indeed, connected to the official government agency.
The CPS/DCF is a department under a state’s health and human services organization. The agency is responsible for the assessment, investigation, and intervention of cases of child abuse and neglect.
Social workers in the agency must decide if or what interventions are needed to keep a child safe and implement these steps, which must follow state and federal laws.
“I‘m pretty confident they don’t send these letters to just anyone. I’m pretty sure you have to be on a list or be somehow related to the child,” Danielle speculated
Image credits: mrs.dewmt
In a subsequent video, Danielle shared that she has called the DCF three times and is still waiting for answers. “I don’t think it’s his kid; I think it must be some type of relative. But it’s not connecting, so we don’t know. We really have no idea.”
“I would also like an update just as much as you,” she added, addressing the flood of messages she’s been receiving from curious TikTok users.
Danielle and her husband have been together since 2018, forming a blended family that includes a child from the husband’s previous relationship, two from Danielle’s past relationship, and two children they share together.
Neither Danielle nor her husband knew about the existence of the child
Image credits: mrs.dewmt
The mother has called the DCF and is still waiting for answers
@mrs.dewmt 🕵🏻♂️ #secrets#dcf#parentsoftiktok#momtoks#largefamily#mystery#fyppp#storytime♬ original sound – Danielle✨WFHM of 5
In a separate video, the woman shared that, while she’s still in the dark about the case, a member of the DCF has sent an email to the social worker mentioned in the letter and their supervisor to provide Danielle with more information.
When asked whether she would consider taking care of the teenager if she received confirmation that they were her husband’s biological child, Danielle said, “There’s a lot of people in this house and exes that we have to deal with, so it’s not an easy decision to make. I don’t really have an answer to that.”
Now, the couple has confirmed that the thirteen-year-old girl is a distant relative of the husband
Image credits: mrs.dewmt
@mrs.dewmt Replying to @Erica💋 ♬ original sound – Danielle✨WFHM of 5
Additionally, the couple is planning to house an exchange student for the school year.
“This is really just a twist on everything,” the confused mother admitted, acknowledging that her seemingly lighthearted attitude about the situation is a “trauma response.”
Thousands of social media users weighed in on the situation, saying, “I enjoy that you are just going along for the ride, not getting mad at your husband. Stay you. No apologies needed!”
“The suspense is killing me. I can’t imagine what you’re going through,” another TikTok user wrote.
A DCF worker in the comments then reinforced Danielle’s suspicions that the thirteen-year-old might not be her husband’s child. “In my state when a child comes into foster care, we are obligated to reach out to relatives to find placement. Now, the system we use provides relatives to the 3rd and 4th degree,” she explained.
“We had a child who no immediate relatives would adopt. We had to do a DNA [test] and [analyze] over 400+ matches. We have to reach out and contact every single one,” a separate DCF worker added.
Danielle and her husband have been together since 2018
Image credits: mrs.dewmt
The family learned that the reason for the DCF intervention was that the child wasn’t being taken to school
@mrs.dewmt Replying to @MORE_POWDER I’m equally as invested as you all 🕵🏻♂️ #secrets#dcf#parentsoftiktok#momtoks#largefamily#mystery#fyppp#storytime♬ original sound – Danielle✨WFHM of 5
In an update shared on Thursday (May 2nd), Danielle confirmed that her husband isn’t the father of the child.
“Apparently, my uncle had an affair some years back,” her husband explained. The affair resulted in his cousin’s half-sister, who is the mother of the thirteen-year-old that the DCF is trying to protect.
“We do know that she has two siblings, so we’re not too sure why they weren’t included on the letter,” Danielle added. “That is a bit concerning.”
The family learned that the reason for the DCF intervention was that the child wasn’t being taken to school. “The mom just doesn’t care to take care of them. She sleeps all day, she had a gambling problem, lots of alcohol involved. And it’s a pretty sad situation for those kids.” It was the teenager’s school that contacted the agency.
The couple is still trying to hear back from the DCF to collaborate on finding a safe home for the child.
Danielle said: “I don’t know if they have already found placement for this child. If we don’t hear anything, all we can do is hope for the best. But we’re gonna do what we can on our end to keep calling and helping in any way that we can.”
“I hope the child is okay and will have someone who can take care of them,” a social media user wrote
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Mad Dragon 1 year ago
Can we please get an update? Is the teen related to either of them? Did they take them in?
FluffyDreg 1 year ago
Update now. Husbands uncle had an affair which resulted in a child. That child has had children, one of which is the one being removed from the family and they are looking for somewhere else for them to go
Load More Replies...
NotAPanda 1 year ago (edited)
It could have still been a scam. Don’t assume anything isn’t. Look up the phone number online, do not use the one on the letter. It could be “oh could you at least send some money to help the kid until they are placed?” Be cautious people. Scams try to cause an immediate emotional response.
August 1 year ago
That was my thought, too. Why would you call the number provided on the letter? I always look it up to find the actual number lol.
Load More Replies...
Sunny Day 1 year ago
A friend got married years ago. The announcement printed in the groom's hometown newspaper. The happy couple got home from the honeymoon to find a letter from DFS. "You may be the daddy....". Several years prior, while home on leave from the military, groom hooked up with a hometown girl for the night, and they parted ways after the alcohol wore off the next morning. The wedding announcement evidently reactivated some brain cells, and she put his name out as possible daddy. Quite the wedding present. Especially since he now had to pay back child support for the years he had no idea the kid existed.
talliloo 1 year ago
...finally locating the possible father who had by that time married & possibly had a family. inthose cases the guy did not have any knowledge of pregnancy or child. but, the one thing i will stress is this: if you or your husband, friend, brother, etc is EVER served papers regarding paternity - DO NOT IGNORE! contact whomever sent the document whether it is private attorney or gov't entity. if they don't think they are the dad then demand testing. they may have to pay for the testing which is usually arond $200 or so but it is worth it to know that either you will be paying support for your child or someone elses. also, don't let them say you have to pay for testing upfront as fee can be stipulated to be paid later. will get off my soapbox. just like to put info out their bc no one teaches this stuff & most are ignorant of law and rights.
talliloo 1 year ago
i worked in family support services and this sounds a bit sketchy. before a letter would be sent to inquire if a father wanted to take in a child supposedly his he would have to have been determined to be the father. this can happen if served with basically a summons re paternity in which he would have the opportunity to either 1)acknowledge paternity & sign stipulation re that & child support 2)deny paternity & ask for dna testing to confirm/deny; 3)ignore all contact which would result in his being declared father by default as the courts regard no contest as no denial. (the latter is the worst that can happen bc once paternity is determined via default/stipulation it is ridiculously difficult to go back & challenge this. so, if the guy is denying any knowledge of this & the child is now 13 he could have very well been served & did not make any response, therefore being named father via default. there were a couple of cases that i worked on that had this scenario of an older child..
TheElementalGod️️ (He/him) 1 year ago
The title on this is currently "“My Mind Is Spinning Right Now”: Letter Causes Woman To Think Husband Has A “Secret Child”" the lady SPECIFICALLY SAYS that she doesn't think it's her husband's kid.
Beachbum 1 year ago
Marina, stop with the they/them BS. There was one child. Refer to it as the child, the 13yr old or even “it”. The article was almost impossible to read trying to figure out if we were talking about a single child, multiple children or the “family”. Hopefully this 13yr old is not already lost and can benefit from a loving family that will give support and direction. I wonder about the child’s siblings….
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
This is a scam. DCF can't use a person's DNA to get an address in another state. If they are using ancestry.com or similar they won't get a mailing address, just an email for initial contact. But no government agency without a warrant and tests has access to your DNA and physical address. It's a clever scam, hard to confirm, a grand child of an affair won't wreck a marriage, but could get some money. Someone's on a trace your family site scamming people. Don't pay, don't believe follow up. A relative that distant can't get info on a minor, and wouldn't be contacted. The scammers maybe targeting the wider family, who will confirm the story of receiving a letter.
Mad Dragon 1 year ago
Can we please get an update? Is the teen related to either of them? Did they take them in?
FluffyDreg 1 year ago
Update now. Husbands uncle had an affair which resulted in a child. That child has had children, one of which is the one being removed from the family and they are looking for somewhere else for them to go
Load More Replies... NotAPanda 1 year ago (edited)
It could have still been a scam. Don’t assume anything isn’t. Look up the phone number online, do not use the one on the letter. It could be “oh could you at least send some money to help the kid until they are placed?” Be cautious people. Scams try to cause an immediate emotional response.
August 1 year ago
That was my thought, too. Why would you call the number provided on the letter? I always look it up to find the actual number lol.
Load More Replies... Sunny Day 1 year ago
A friend got married years ago. The announcement printed in the groom's hometown newspaper. The happy couple got home from the honeymoon to find a letter from DFS. "You may be the daddy....". Several years prior, while home on leave from the military, groom hooked up with a hometown girl for the night, and they parted ways after the alcohol wore off the next morning. The wedding announcement evidently reactivated some brain cells, and she put his name out as possible daddy. Quite the wedding present. Especially since he now had to pay back child support for the years he had no idea the kid existed.
talliloo 1 year ago
...finally locating the possible father who had by that time married & possibly had a family. inthose cases the guy did not have any knowledge of pregnancy or child. but, the one thing i will stress is this: if you or your husband, friend, brother, etc is EVER served papers regarding paternity - DO NOT IGNORE! contact whomever sent the document whether it is private attorney or gov't entity. if they don't think they are the dad then demand testing. they may have to pay for the testing which is usually arond $200 or so but it is worth it to know that either you will be paying support for your child or someone elses. also, don't let them say you have to pay for testing upfront as fee can be stipulated to be paid later. will get off my soapbox. just like to put info out their bc no one teaches this stuff & most are ignorant of law and rights.
talliloo 1 year ago
i worked in family support services and this sounds a bit sketchy. before a letter would be sent to inquire if a father wanted to take in a child supposedly his he would have to have been determined to be the father. this can happen if served with basically a summons re paternity in which he would have the opportunity to either 1)acknowledge paternity & sign stipulation re that & child support 2)deny paternity & ask for dna testing to confirm/deny; 3)ignore all contact which would result in his being declared father by default as the courts regard no contest as no denial. (the latter is the worst that can happen bc once paternity is determined via default/stipulation it is ridiculously difficult to go back & challenge this. so, if the guy is denying any knowledge of this & the child is now 13 he could have very well been served & did not make any response, therefore being named father via default. there were a couple of cases that i worked on that had this scenario of an older child..
TheElementalGod️️ (He/him) 1 year ago
The title on this is currently "“My Mind Is Spinning Right Now”: Letter Causes Woman To Think Husband Has A “Secret Child”" the lady SPECIFICALLY SAYS that she doesn't think it's her husband's kid.
Beachbum 1 year ago
Marina, stop with the they/them BS. There was one child. Refer to it as the child, the 13yr old or even “it”. The article was almost impossible to read trying to figure out if we were talking about a single child, multiple children or the “family”. Hopefully this 13yr old is not already lost and can benefit from a loving family that will give support and direction. I wonder about the child’s siblings….
FreeTheUnicorn 1 year ago
This is a scam. DCF can't use a person's DNA to get an address in another state. If they are using ancestry.com or similar they won't get a mailing address, just an email for initial contact. But no government agency without a warrant and tests has access to your DNA and physical address. It's a clever scam, hard to confirm, a grand child of an affair won't wreck a marriage, but could get some money. Someone's on a trace your family site scamming people. Don't pay, don't believe follow up. A relative that distant can't get info on a minor, and wouldn't be contacted. The scammers maybe targeting the wider family, who will confirm the story of receiving a letter.
You May Like
Related on Bored Panda
20
18