FROM SURVIVOR TO STATE REP: Melissa’s Fight Against Systemic Child Trafficking

What happens when a survivor refuses to stay silent—and runs for office?
 FROM SURVIVOR TO STATE REP: Melissa’s Fight Against Systemic Child Trafficking

On this episode of The Stand With Meg Show, we rip the mask off a system that hides behind “protection” while families are torn apart. Melissa Steele—mother, survivor, and candidate for Illinois House, District 109 (2026)—shares how a lifetime of institutional failures pushed her from pain to purpose. From DCFS at the hospital within hours of birth, to years of alienation, turnover, and gag-order culture, Melissa names what so many of us have lived: systemic trafficking under color of law.

This isn’t politics-as-parade. Melissa’s campaign is boots-on-the-ground: recovery work, community care, and real oversight. She’s partnering with Tiger Lily Resources to combat human trafficking and organizing through We the People for Melissa Steele—because true change takes courage and policy.

We talk:

• Surviving childhood exploitation (without naming details while an investigation is active) and reclaiming the narrative
• DCFS/family court churn: 3 judges, 7 caseworkers, 5 supervisors—35 strangers making life-altering decisions
• Parental alienation, supervised visits, and kids being placed in unsafe conditions (yes, even a closet)
• “Color of law,” gag orders, and why accountability—not silence—is the cure
• Why Melissa’s running: term limits, community oversight boards in every county, and policy that protects bonds—not breaks them

If you’re a parent who’s been called crazy, unfit, or “too loud”—you’re not. You’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. The system feeds on silence. We’re getting louder, smarter, and organized.

Support & Connect

• Follow Melissa (FB/TikTok): Let Me See You Peacock (TikTok) and Facebook (search: Melissa Steele)
• Learn about Tiger Lily Resources and partner/sponsor their rescue & aftercare work
• District 109 (IL): Help Melissa collect 560 signatures to get on the 2026 ballot
• Share this episode with one parent, one grandparent, and one lawmaker

Call to Action
Share. Comment. Tag a parent who needs hope. If you’ve got a story, tell it. If you’ve got a platform, use it. If you’ve got a seat—make room.

Defending Parents’ Rights. Protecting Children. Giving a Voice to the Voiceless.
 — Meg | #StandWithMeg