Support the Constitution - Obituary Saying Good-Bye to Common Sense

Support the Constitution of the United States Bulletin

Posted by Meg Vogl

An Obituary printed in the London Times - not a joke and makes you think!


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has
been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his
birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place: Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer sunscreen or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform
parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault..

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her
lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death
- by his parents, Truth and Trust;
- by his wife, Discretion;
- by his daughter, Responsibility and
- by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers:
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I am a Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

The DSS Mystery: Where Did the Money Go?

E-mails show officials suspected misspending, but they have never saidwho was at fault for disappearance of $162,000 in donations for needy kids

By Fred Clasen-Kelly
frkelly@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

 

Internal e-mails reveal new allegations of misspending at the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, raising more unanswered questions about what happened to money intended to help needy children.
Some of the more than 1,000 e-mails the Observer obtained through a public records request provide the most detailed account to date about the agency's accounting fiasco.

E-mails show:

Officials suspected an employee wrote $80,000 in checks to herself from donations.
An administrator questioned why other donations were used to buy $340 diamond earrings, leather coats and a $300 DVD player.

A top executive complained that a senior fiscal administrator frustrated co-workers with her "inability to explain the simplest concepts of revenue and expenses."

After nearly a year, officials have never said who was at fault for $162,000 that disappeared or whether anyone was disciplined.

No one has been charged in an ongoing police investigation and a county report says officials cannot be certain where the money went.

Meanwhile, donors are left to wonder whether their generosity ever helped buy Christmas gifts for those in need.

In one e-mail, a woman describes calling the county in 2007 to give $900 for single mothers at Christmas.

The person who answered the phone told her to make a check payable to the worker's sister.

The donor said she grew suspicious and made the check out to the county, but the idea that it may still have been misused is "like a kick in the stomach."

In another e-mail, a founder of Second String Santa said he was concerned whether kids received the more than 50,000 toys his group had donated since 1989.

Will Miller said he believes some of the toys reached children, but he's not sure about the rest.
"Will we ever know? Probably not," he said.

Two commissioners said they have asked county administrators for a full accounting of what went wrong at DSS but have yet to receive answers. County officials have never explained who was responsible, they said.
"To fix it, you have to admit all the stuff that is messed up," Commissioner Bill James said. "They don't want to do too much digging."

County administrators declined interview requests. Instead, a county spokesman released a prepared statement saying appropriate fiscal controls have been installed in response to an outside audit and an internal investigation.

"Our review of the e-mails we provided and your follow up questions did not reveal any new information that would suggest any change in the audit findings or in management's response to those findings," the statement said.

Some commissioners said they have been told that the employees involved have either left county government or been placed in new positions.

Unusual spending patterns

DSS spends $176 million annually and employs 1,200 workers to assist Mecklenburg's poor and neglected.

The agency administers everything from food stamps to foster care and child protection services.

Last spring, DSS Director Mary Wilson ordered financial audits following reports of suspicious spending.
Auditors looked at multiple spending programs and financial practices in the agency. They found a $10,000 check made out to an employee, missing and altered receipts and money for kids spent on office supplies.
County leaders responded by suspending the programs, putting DSS finance under direct county control, training workers on accounting procedures and ordering a review of financial procedures in each county agency.

The Observer reviewed e-mails dating from December 2008 to July 2009 for seven current and former county administrators, including Wilson, County Manager Harry Jones, County Finance Director Dena Diorio and Internal Auditor Cornita Spears.

E-mails show county officials noticed unusual spending patterns as early as last December but did not disclose problems to the public until March.

On New Year's Eve, Wilson told staff she had suspended a voucher program the agency used to purchase clothes and other items for clients at local stores. She wrote that officials were worried about a lack of oversight and a spike in spending.

One monthly retail bill leapt from between $5,000 and $6,000 to more than $20,000 in October 2008, the e-mail says. Employees turned in receipts only 30 to 35 percent of the time, she wrote.

At one time or another, workers possessed or had access to numerous credit cards and gift cards, including some to Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Macy's, the Cheesecake Factory and Outback Steakhouse.
Outside auditors verified for county administrators that DSS workers possessed county-issued credit cards, including 10 credit cards for Sam's Club, three for Harris Teeter and an online charge account with amazon.com.

In February, county officials asked internal auditors to look into questionable spending, including purchases of diamond earrings, leather coats and a DVD player.

An e-mail to one of the auditors from a human resources consultant said the purchases raise "many questions and concerns."

According to the county's statement, most gifts were typical children's items such as toys, clothes and books. More expensive items such as diamond earrings and leather coats were approved purchases for foster children who reached special milestones like high school graduation, the statement says.

"Receiving a gift of some significant value was viewed as an incentive for other children who were in foster care to set goals and accomplish them," the statement said.

Commissioner Harold Cogdell said he spent part of his early childhood in foster care and believes the gifts are a good idea.

"It makes sense to me to show the kids some love," Cogdell said.

A new accountant

DSS has endured multiple management shakeups in recent years. The latest came when Wilson reorganized the agency after she was hired in July 2008.

She laid out the reasons to hire a new finance director in a February e-mail.

Wilson wrote that the senior fiscal administrator who managed DSS finances failed to provide reports about oversight, alienated staff and lacked the ability to conduct productive discussions with senior county executives. The e-mail does not name the senior fiscal administrator.

DSS later hired accountant Angela Hurlburt to oversee its finances.

James, the commissioner, said he has asked for the names and background information on Hurlburt's predecessors. He wants them to answer questions from the Board of Commissioners' Audit Review Committee, which investigated accounting lapses at DSS.

He said administrators have failed to respond to his requests and complained that officials "keep us in the dark."

Other commissioners disagreed.

Chairman Jennifer Roberts and Commissioner Dumont Clarke said county leaders have already put in place reforms that will protect taxpayer and donor money.

"The highest priority" is implementing new financial controls, Clarke said.
Shifting the finances

Auditors from Cherry, Bekaert & Holland reviewed DSS and found that Mecklenburg officials responded appropriately. The county's Audit Review Committee came to the same conclusion.

But DSS Director Wilson bristled at one of the major reforms.

Leaders put DSS finance under the direct control of the county's main finance department after allegations of misspending surfaced.

In April, Wilson sent an e-mail to County General Manager Michelle Lancaster to complain. Calling the decision "premature" and "shortsighted," Wilson said there are emergencies when DSS workers must write checks immediately, including occasions when the agency takes children in custody who need clothes, toiletries and school supplies.

"I understand the urgency at the time, but there was a reason DSS had check writing capability and I think we threw the baby out with the bathwater instead of fixing the underlying issue, which is documentation and accountability," Wilson wrote.

Donors left with questions

Past supporters of the DSS Christmas charity include Young Lawyers, employees of Wachovia and Bank of America, and Project Joy, the holiday fund drive initiated by Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson. The Christmas charity, known as the Giving Tree, is now run by the Salvation Army.

The donor who gave $900 e-mailed the county in July after learning about accounting failures from news accounts. She attached a picture of the check copy she made around Christmas in 2007.
She wrote that she did not remember the name of the woman she spoke with on the phone.
The donor said she and her family all pitched in to raise the money so she could assist women like her who had struggled as single mothers.

When she heard there were allegations of misspending in a DSS charity program, "It's like your stomach just drops." Staff reporter April Bethea contributed.

Fred Clasen-Kelly: 704 358-5027

 

Who Buries Our Former Foster Children?

About two weeks ago a regular at Bill Wilson Center’s Drop-In Center, Carl Weisman, 24 years old, died from complications from Swine Flu. Carl had a rough life.  After suffering abuse, he was placed with Future Families at age 9 and then went to a Unity Care Group home at age 13 where he lived for 5 years.  After turning age 18, Carl left foster care and never quite made it to successful independent living.   Abusing drugs and alcohol, Carl was always at our Drop-In Center where counselors and case managers helped him with basic needs and worked tirelessly to get him off the streets.   Carl was successful for short times, but the lure of drugs and the street always short circuited his plans.

Several weeks ago, Carl was hospitalized for pneumonia and heart problems; complications from years of street life and abusing drugs.   He apparently was released but then contracted the H1N1 virus and ended up back in the hospital and soon after on life support.  Carl’s sister, who also spent her life in foster care, was the only relative willing to see him and make decisions about the end of his life.  Unity Care and Bill Wilson Center staff were there to support her.  A few days later, Carl passed away.

Carl’s sister wanted a church funeral for her brother, but she had no money.  I assumed that because Carl had been in foster care and was in Santa Clara County’s Connected by 25 program that there would be some funds available to help pay for his funeral costs.  I called and staff from Unity Care called social services to check.  Carl was not eligible for funds because he was over 21.  Also, he was originally from Alameda County so not really from here.  I was told to try the Children’s Shelter Foundation.  The Foundation told me to check with the county and then get back to them.  To the Social Services Agency credit, social workers organized a bake sale and collected donations for Carl’s funeral.

The clock was ticking, the hospital was putting pressure on Carl’s sister to take her brothers’ body somewhere.  The Neptune Society would not take the body until they had a guarantee of funds.  Unity Care raised funds from their staff, Bill Wilson Center passed the hat around at an event, and finally the county Mental Health Contractors Association wrote a check for the final amount.  Carl could now have the funeral his sister wanted.

Trying to arrange for Carl’s funeral was a stressful time for me, Andre Chapman from Unity Care, and his sister.  There must be an easier way to take care of our former foster youth who die homeless and penniless.  I tried calling the county public guardian and coroner for help.  Homeless agencies had suggestions of funeral homes who had helped in the past, but maybe due to the economy, they weren’t a help this time.
I believe there is a better way.  I plan on asking our state representatives to sponsor a bill in the state legislature to pay for burying our former foster children if they die without family and without money.  At the very least, we should help with costs if they die before age 30.  After all, when children are placed with the state they are now the children of the state.  Let’s at least remember them with a funeral we would want for our own children.

The New Way (CPS Propaganda for Nebraska)

* Child Protective Services, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, will have the first contact with families.

* A CPS worker will do a safety assessment and decide if there is a need for legal or state involvement. If the answer is yes, the family will be referred to one of the private agencies. The child can still become a state ward.

* In the Southeast service area, each of the three agencies will get every third referral. Each agency will be responsible for achieving agreed upon results in regard to children's safety, either with their own families or a new permanent family. But the idea is to minimize out-of-home care.

* Most agencies will make the shift to the new world of services gradually, taking in 37 percent of families in November, 37 percent in December and the remainder in January.

* Agencies will employ service coordinators, somewhat like quarterbacks, who will help develop the game plan for families.

* Aftercare for 12 months, in which the agency is still available to families, after the case is closed.

We All Have An Important Role in Helping Prevent Child Abuse

Editor's Note: More CPS propaganda for National Adoption Month. See my comment at the end.

We all have an important role in helping prevent child abuse
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sunday, November 08, 2009
Story last updated at 11/8/2009 - 12:27 am

You suspect a child is being battered or otherwise mistreated. What do you do?

Some argue we remove children from the home too quickly while others contend we don't act quickly enough.

Whether you agree authorities step in too soon or not soon enough, the fact remains child abuse is a growing problem not just nationally and statewide, but here on the South Plains as well. This is especially the case when the economy is struggling and jobs are limited. Unfortunately, some lash out at those most unable to defend themselves - the children.

Last year there were 70,589 confirmed cases of child abuse in Texas and, considering its population, a disproportionate percentage of those reports were from the South Plains, reported Enrique Rangel, A-J Austin Bureau chief.

The South Plains region holds the second-highest per capita rate of child abuse in the state. Lubbock led all Texas counties with 1,540 of the 70,589 child abuse cases statewide last year, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

There are many complicated factors that lead to child abuse, according to the non-profit resource center, Helpguide.org. Risk factors for child abuse include:

n History of child abuse. Unfortunately, the patterns we learn in childhood are often what we use as parents. Without treatment and insight, sadly, the cycle of child abuse often continues.

n Stress and lack of support. Parenting can be a very time intensive, difficult job. Parents caring for children without support from family, friends or the community can be under a lot of stress. Teen parents often struggle with the maturity and patience needed to be a parent. Caring for a child with a disability, special needs or difficult behaviors is also a challenge. Caregivers who are under financial or relationship stress are at risk as well.

n Alcohol or drug abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to serious lapses in judgment. They can interfere with impulse control making emotional and physical abuse more likely. Due to impairment caused by being intoxicated, alcohol and drug abuse frequently lead to child neglect

n Domestic violence. Witnessing domestic violence in the home, as well as the chaos and instability that is the result, is emotional abuse to a child. Frequently domestic violence will escalate to physical violence against the child as well.

The number of child abuse cases could be worse here without CPS and organizations like the one she leads, said Lynnette Wilson, executive director of the Family Guidance and Outreach Center. Her non-profit organization works with CPS to educate parents.

Holiday season is quickly approaching and is always an economic stressor. Even more so now in these challenging financial times. Those child abuse report numbers will climb and the smiling face of a child you see today may be one of horror tomorrow.

We must be vigilant and proactive for all children at all times. If you suspect a child is being mistreated, don't ignore it. Report it. Child abuse isn't just the abuser's problem. It's everyone's problem.


Reader Comments
+ 1 Rating (This comment was rated +1.)
Posted by: divotdawg at Nov. 8, 2009 at 1:49:16 pm

You say child abuse is a growing problem and I agree. However, it's in foster care where most of the abuse and neglect occur and I want to know what CPS is doing about that. No one is hearing me and no one is doing a thing about it either. Once a child is bringing in money for the states (i.e., by being in foster care), no one but the biological parents give a rat's hinney about it. It is proven that children are 11 times more likely to be abused, 7 times more likely to die, and 28 times more likely to be sexually abused in foster care than in their real homes. This is a conservative estimate. In another, 78% of all females in the system will be sexually abused while in the state's care. What is Texas going to do about this? Why are you only targeting biological homes? Please, give me a good reason so I can finally understand why it's okay for foster care providers to abuse but not biological parents. NO child should be abused...ever...no matter where they are and it is YOUR job to protect them. The thing is, CPS is protecting foster children to death!!!!!!

Oklahoma City Police Officer Arrested, Accused of Punching 16-Year-Old Daughter in the Nose

Editor's Note:  If you notice, they don't say whether or not CPS has been notified of the incident but I'm willing to bet that they weren't contacted.  Remember, law enforcement officers and CPS agents are basically in bed together.  Police are always willing to remove children and they're one of the first people who will call CPS over the least little thing.  It's almost like they get paid for every complaint they make.  Hmmmm, that's food for thought!

An Oklahoma City police sergeant was arrested early Sunday morning on a domestic abuse complaint involving his 16-year-old daughter.

Sgt. Darren Martin, a 12-year veteran with the Hefner Division, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending criminal and administrative investigations, Capt. Steve McCool said.

Police were called to the 38-year-old officer's house in the 8200 block of Canna Lane shortly after midnight where they talked with Martin, his daughter and other witnesses.

"They learned that Martin got into a verbal argument with his 16-year-old daughter and that argument escalated into a physical altercation," McCool said.

Martin told police that during the argument the girl told him to "(expletive) off," according to the police incident report.

The teenager, who had two black eyes, told police one of the black eyes was from playing basketball and the other was from another incident with her father on Thursday, the report said. The incident Thursday night started after she told her father and stepmother she was failing a class. She said her father hit her in the nose, causing a bloody nose, and then put her in what police referred to as a "submissive hold."

The girl also showed officers bruises on her arm and scratches on her wrist, which she said came from the incident Saturday night.

A 33-year-old woman who was apparently at the home at the time of the argument but whose name was redacted from the report told police Martin had been drinking and "wouldn't let things go."

The witness told police that she had tried to intervene in the father-daughter confrontation, but Martin forced the woman against the wall and "head butted" her in the chest, the report said.

If charged and convicted of domestic violence, McCool confirmed, Martin will no longer be allowed to carry a firearm.

A phone call to Martin's home was not immediately returned this morning.

Foster Care Baby Adoption

Editor's Note: More CPS and foster care propaganda for the month! This is funny because CPS doesn't give a rat's hairy hinney whether the foster "parents" can love and care for the child. So long as CPS is getting the money for them, they can beat the shit out of them on a daily basis for all they care. God help you if you call in an abuse allegation against a foster care provider. You will be told NOT to make false allegations. You get one warning...

Many a time we come across a child whose parents do not act with his or her best interests in mind. This could be for any number of reasons and the child could be subjected to physical or sexual abuse, or, in certain circumstances, abandoned. This is where foster care steps in. The foster care system takes care of such children who might later enter the waiting lists of adoption. Alternatively, there are also some foster families.

Foster families are those that choose to provide the child a temporary home and family, a safe haven in a time of crisis. While these families volunteer to do such work, it is essential for them to fulfill certain requirements prior to committing themselves. A foster parent has to be at least 21 years of age. The parent must not have an alcoholic or drug problem. The prospective foster parents are run through a criminal background check, which they must clear. Under no circumstances can they have a history of child abuse!

State laws do provide for financial assistance for the foster families. However, it is essential for them to prove that the current needs of the family are provided for, without any external financial assistance. Spatially too, the house should allow for the easy accommodation of another member in the family.

One must remember that the foster family does not form a passive appendage for the child, responsible solely for his basic needs. Instead they have to be the child’s alternate support system, helping him to deal with the situation emotionally as well. The family also participates and interacts with the child’s social worker, doctor and teachers.

Before you take responsibility for another human being via a foster care program, it’s important to ask yourself some questions. Can you accept a child and provide it with the same love as you do to your own kids? Would your family be able to create an environment of permanence, when the very context of the stay is temporary? Would you be willing to accept the child completely, overlooking his background? It is natural for a child to be hesitant initially and not reciprocate your affection. Such drawbacks should be overlooked as one can overcome these with time. You must also adopt an accepting attitude towards the parent though the parent might be the chief reason for the child’s problems. Finally, you must always be prepared to let go.

Sometimes, the birth family is judged to be unsuitable for the child, after legal proceedings take place. A foster family can then foster the child until the biological parents legally terminate their parental rights. After that, the foster family can adopt the child providing him not only the basic amenities but also the care and emotional support he longs for, on a long-term basis.

Baby Adoption provides detailed information on Baby Adoption, Available Baby Adoptions, Baby Adoption Showers, Baby Adoption Shower Invitations and more. Baby Adoption is affiliated with International Adoption Services.

We All Have An Important Role in Helping Prevent Child Abuse

Editor's Note: More CPS propaganda for National Adoption Month. See my comment at the end. To post your own, please visit...

lubbockonline.com/stories/110809/edi_513984749.shtml#mdw-comments

We all have an important role in helping prevent child abuse
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sunday, November 08, 2009
Story last updated at 11/8/2009 - 12:27 am

You suspect a child is being battered or otherwise mistreated. What do you do?

Some argue we remove children from the home too quickly while others contend we don't act quickly enough.

Whether you agree authorities step in too soon or not soon enough, the fact remains child abuse is a growing problem not just nationally and statewide, but here on the South Plains as well. This is especially the case when the economy is struggling and jobs are limited. Unfortunately, some lash out at those most unable to defend themselves - the children.

Last year there were 70,589 confirmed cases of child abuse in Texas and, considering its population, a disproportionate percentage of those reports were from the South Plains, reported Enrique Rangel, A-J Austin Bureau chief.

The South Plains region holds the second-highest per capita rate of child abuse in the state. Lubbock led all Texas counties with 1,540 of the 70,589 child abuse cases statewide last year, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

There are many complicated factors that lead to child abuse, according to the non-profit resource center, Helpguide.org. Risk factors for child abuse include:

n History of child abuse. Unfortunately, the patterns we learn in childhood are often what we use as parents. Without treatment and insight, sadly, the cycle of child abuse often continues.

n Stress and lack of support. Parenting can be a very time intensive, difficult job. Parents caring for children without support from family, friends or the community can be under a lot of stress. Teen parents often struggle with the maturity and patience needed to be a parent. Caring for a child with a disability, special needs or difficult behaviors is also a challenge. Caregivers who are under financial or relationship stress are at risk as well.

n Alcohol or drug abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to serious lapses in judgment. They can interfere with impulse control making emotional and physical abuse more likely. Due to impairment caused by being intoxicated, alcohol and drug abuse frequently lead to child neglect

n Domestic violence. Witnessing domestic violence in the home, as well as the chaos and instability that is the result, is emotional abuse to a child. Frequently domestic violence will escalate to physical violence against the child as well.

The number of child abuse cases could be worse here without CPS and organizations like the one she leads, said Lynnette Wilson, executive director of the Family Guidance and Outreach Center. Her non-profit organization works with CPS to educate parents.

Holiday season is quickly approaching and is always an economic stressor. Even more so now in these challenging financial times. Those child abuse report numbers will climb and the smiling face of a child you see today may be one of horror tomorrow.

We must be vigilant and proactive for all children at all times. If you suspect a child is being mistreated, don't ignore it. Report it. Child abuse isn't just the abuser's problem. It's everyone's problem.


Reader Comments
+ 1 Rating (This comment was rated +1.)
Posted by: divotdawg at Nov. 8, 2009 at 1:49:16 pm

You say child abuse is a growing problem and I agree. However, it's in foster care where most of the abuse and neglect occur and I want to know what CPS is doing about that. No one is hearing me and no one is doing a thing about it either. Once a child is bringing in money for the states (i.e., by being in foster care), no one but the biological parents give a rat's hinney about it. It is proven that children are 11 times more likely to be abused, 7 times more likely to die, and 28 times more likely to be sexually abused in foster care than in their real homes. This is a conservative estimate. In another, 78% of all females in the system will be sexually abused while in the state's care. What is Texas going to do about this? Why are you only targeting biological homes? Please, give me a good reason so I can finally understand why it's okay for foster care providers to abuse but not biological parents. NO child should be abused...ever...no matter where they are and it is YOUR job to protect them. The thing is, CPS is protecting foster children to death!!!!!!

Posted On: My Life in a Foster Care Space Warp:

Friday, November 6, 2009
Oh, I almost forgot. . .
Back in September Brenda commented:

You guys must feel pretty good about yourselves, adopting out of the foster care system and all of that. Just a quick question here. Did any of their biological parents sign over their rights to you or were they terminated by the court? See, I have a big, big problem with people who foster/adopt because the vast majority of them do it only for the money. As soon as these children turn 18, they will be turned out on the streets. I read articles like that every single day. What favors are you really doing them? They're not sent to college. They're not given any money. It's bye, c-ya later, maybe! If I see you, I might acknowledge your presence but then again, I might not. At least with their REAL parents, they won't get thrown out into the streets.

I've wanted to respond to it for a while, but, you know, life gets crazy around here. So obviously Brenda, you don't read the blog, but please let me clarify things for you.

I know a lot of foster and adoptive parents and I don't know any who do it for the money. The reimbursement we get from the county does not cover the cost of caring for the children we have. Foster parenting is the only volunteer work I have ever done that costs me money out of pocket. I'm not complaining or obviously I wouldn't do it, I'm just stating fact. Adoptive parents don't get any reimbursement unless the children have special or medical needs. Not in our county anyway.

In our county many foster parents continue to house and support the foster youth that have grown up with them. They are part of the family. Every youth in care in our county is offered life skills class beginning when they are 13 years old. This covers everything from balancing a checkbook to what to wear to a job interview. There are summer intern programs so youth in care can get job experience. If they are unable or chose not to stay with their foster family, there are transitional living homes that they can chose to go into. I've visited a couple of them and they are really nice homes. Shared housing with an adviser. Very similar to dorms, but on a smaller scale. In our state if a youth in care gets into college (and in my region there are two foster family association centers that offer tutoring, college counseling and other support at least three days per week all school year) they are given a full scholarship along with a stipend for housing and living expenses. The scholarship is for ANY school they get into. You get into Stanford? Paid. Yale? Paid. If you don't get into college you can take advantage of occupational training because youth who have been in care are given priority and moved to the top of the wait list of the program they are interested in.

Unfortunately many youth are unable to take advantage of the assistance offered them because of organic brain damage from their mother's use of drugs and/or alcohol. Or because of early trauma suffered at the hands of their families. And that is a tragedy, but not one brought on by the foster parents who are trying to help.
Posted by Susan at 9:30 PM

My Response to her...

What country (or planet) are you living on because this doesn't sound like America. Life skill lessons? What does that even mean??? Oh, they're not going to college and won't amount to much, they just need to learn how to take care of their most basic needs. Well, learning to balance a checkbook would be a good thing but only if they have money to put in the account in the first place. Working at McDonald's even full time won't cover their basic needs so where is this money to balance going to come from? You??? I seriously doubt that.

The comments make me laugh. The VAST majority of foster parents do it for the paycheck so don't even pretend that's not the case. They're trying to pass a new law that gives foster/adopt "parents" money each month until the child turns 21 IF they're allowed to stay in the home. Now, if these kids are so loved, how come they're being kicked out when the paycheck stops? If that was the minority, the government would care. They're not going to pass a law giving away money to the minority, only if it's the majority!

CPS, family court and the foster care system is so broken and so corrupt that reform isn't even a possibility any longer. It needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Foster care is NOT the answer. Too many people see it as a cheap, easy way to build their family and never even stop to think that these children already have parents that love them, want them and are fighting an unjust and out of control system in order to regain custody of their children. Foster parents do nothing but tear down the natural bonds children have of their parents. It's called PARENTAL ALIENATION. Foster care is supposed to be interim care at best, not a forever home. Only in a small percentage of the cases should parental rights be terminated. The problem is, the children in foster care are not those children. They're the ones that are allowed to remain in abusive and dangerous homes because CPS deemed them too damaged to be worth anything in the foster/adopt market.

I can always tell when a foster parent's halo needs polishing. They'll post something about how hard they have it, not enough money to go around (stop buying houses and cars with the money and there might be some left over), blah blah blah. Well, when you get $600 to $800 per child/per month, and you have 5 or more kids in your care, well, that's a lot of money. Don't tell me you spend $600 each month on each child personally. No, you pay your rent, your bills, your car payments, etc. out of that money. You use the food stamps and WIC for food. You don't have any medical bills or prescription costs because that's taken care of with Medicaid. If you adopt, the money doesn't stop. You will keep getting that until they're 18 or 21, depending on how long you want to collect the paycheck and when you want to kick them out of your home. Oh, and after you do, do you even acknowledge them if you happen to see them in a store or somewhere out in public?

Transitional housing? Give me a break. If your HOME is so wonderful and they're allowed to remain there, why the hell would they choose to go live in a dorm which is nothing more than a prison-type atmosphere. They wouldn't choose that. They aren't given much of a choice. It's that or be homeless and most of them choose the lesser of the two evils but honestly, I don't know which IS the lesser here.

I beg to differ on the organic brain damage issue. I've seen and met a lot of children in foster/adopt homes and there is nothing wrong with them at all. There are no real "special needs" only those made up by some social worker, foster care provider and court-paid psychiatrist in order to get more money from CAPTA, ASFA, Title IV-E funding and from forcing the bio parents to pay child support.

I did read something that's giving me hope. All of this money that CPS is bringing in for the states, it's not actually being given back to CPS. The states are actually cutting their budget. See, when you go to bed with the devil, don't be surprised when he turns against you the next day. So now the state governments are getting tons and tons of money from CPS's legal kidnappings and sale of our children but they're not the ones getting the actual money. Now THAT'S justice!!! They can't complain about it either. Think of it like this, if someone breaks in your house and steals a kilo of heroin, what's your recourse? You can't call the police so you have to suck it up. You can't befriend a rattlesnake.

So don't tell me you can't make it on $3,000 month. That's a hell of a lot more than most biological parents make who are being targeted by CPS. I don't feel sorry for you at all. I'd love to make that kind of money but I'm not going to do it by stealing someone else's child from them. If you want to make a difference, then you will do that by supporting the families in their quest to regain custody of their children who should never have been removed from their homes in the first place. After all, that's who they belong to!

Hand Deliver Your Letter to Congress

Rally Congress will shortly print and deliver your letters to Capitol Hill.

An individual copy of your letter will go to each official:

November 8, 2009

Dear Sen. Patrick Leahy (D VT),
Sen. Bernard Sanders (I VT),
Rep. Peter Welch (D VT-0),


Nationwide, there are State run agencies who are supposed to be protecting abused children in dangerous situations. Each State has many different titles for them. All of them are main stapled as CPS (Child Protective Services). For example, in Texas they're known as DFPS. (Department of Family and Protective Services)

While there is an important need to find abused children and to protect them, the current system is only finding a small percentage of those truly abused children. The rest of their statistics that guarantee a high departmental income are from families who never abused their children. Where they get this income and the sources of information will be posted after the next paragraph.

I am not calling for an abolishment of CPS. What I am petitioning for is an overhaul and restructure to bring them in line with lawful investigation practices, to maintain Constitutional Rights and proper training for Agents who never had children, and psychological evaluations to find and replace the Agents who were themselves abused as Children and see abuse in every home regardless of the situation. This is not, I repeat, not a rare occurrence. I will supply statistics to support this and how this has escalated. I will also supply the sources.

Departmental income has become more important to CPS and their offices than actually finding abused children and protecting them. Each and every time they remove a child from the home, they get paid from the Federal Government. Here they are:

1. Public Law 93-247 known as the Mondale Act of 1974.

2. Public Law 96-272 known as the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980

3. Social Security Title IV-E funds.

The ASFA- Public Law 105-89 known as American Safe Families Act of 1997 is one of the most horrific laws on the books today. While it sounds nice in the title, when you get through the legal jargon, what this means is so wrong. If you ever had a child removed from your house by CPS, even UNFOUNDED and you are innocent, they will take that child in minutes after the child is born! Babies are highly adoptable and the Federal Government pays out $6,000 to the CPS office who conducts the legal kidnapping and gets them adopted quickly without regards to the biological Mother and her family. Since she was investigated once, they do this in the "best interests of the child" as she is a "potential" abuser.

The largest targeted type of families are folks with low incomes, children on SSI and are minorities. If you even have one of those three issues, you are a target for CPS to illegally investigate you. While these things are a surefire magnet, they have been known to do illegal investigations against families if they were reported falsely with malicious intent. Example is an ex-wife wants to get even with her ex-husband and his new family, she could report them and put them through Hell.

Why are the reasons CPS Agents actually find so little true abuse?

1. Agents who never had children and don't understand that a few toys in the corner of the room is not a hazardous mess.

2. Agents are not trained in real evidence recognition. In fact, no Agent in CPS has any training in evidence, the Constitution or criminal justice. They are given anywhere from 3 to 6 months of training, being taught that it is ok to break into a Home without probable cause or exigent circumstances.

3. Agents are trained to use subjective speculation and not objective factual reporting.

4. The Agents do not get psychological evaluations. A number of Agents who were abused as a child themselves see abuse in every home they go into, even if it's not there.

5. Most States do not require Agents to have a degree in Social Sciences. Any degree will do, doesn't even have to be related to the field.

6. The Agency has no checks and balances. A field Agent can lie to a judge or police officer with absolutely no proof and have it entered as factual evidence in a court of law!

7. Agents are trained to believe they are immune from the authority of the First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment. They violate this in every investigation done nationwide.

Here are the statistics and sources to support these facts:

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the United States. These numbers come from The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) in Washington.

CPS- Physical Abuse (160) Sexual Abuse (112) Neglect (410) Medical Neglect (14) Fatalities (6.4)

Parents- Physical Abuse (59) Sexual Abuse (13) Neglect (241) Medical Neglect (12) Fatalities (1.5)

As you can see, children are abused far more in care than at home. The calculated average is for every 1 abused child removed from an abusive home, there are 17 unabused children removed from loving non-offending homes nationwide.

Constitutional Violations and Court Rulings that CPS Ignores to this very day!

1. It's unconstitutional for CPS to conduct an investigation and interview a child on private property without exigent circumstances or probable cause. - Doe et al, v. Heck et al (No. 01-3648, 2003 US App. Lexis 7144)

2. All CPS workers in the United States are subject to the 4th and 14th Amendment - Walsh v. Erie County Dept. of Job and Family Services, 3:01-cv-7588

3. Police officers and social workers are not immune for coercing or forcing entry into a person's home without a search warrant. Calabretta v. Floyd (9th Cir. 1999)

4. The mere possibility of danger does not constitute an emergency or exigent circumstance that would justify a forced warrantless entry and a warrantless seizure of a child. Hurlman v. Rice (2nd Cir. 1991)

5. Police officer and social worker may not conduct a warrantless search or seizure in a suspected child abuse case absent exigent circumstances. Defendants must have reason to believe that life or limb is in immediate jeopardy and that the intrusion is reasonable necessary to alleviate the threat. Searches and seizures in investigation of a child neglect or child abuse case at a home are governed by the same principles as other searches and seizures at a home. Goodv. Dauphin County Social Services (3rd Cir. 1989)

6. The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures extends beyond criminal investigations and includes conduct by social workers in the context of a child neglect/abuse investigation. Lenz v. Winburn (11th Cir. 1995)

7. Making false statements made to obtain a warrant, when the false statements were necessary to the finding of probable cause on which the warrant was based, violates the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement. Aponte Matos v. Toledo Davilla (1st Cir. 1998)

What can be done to change this for a better, more healthy Child Protection System?

I. Child Abuse is a Crime, not a touchy feely civil complaint and should be investigated as a crime.

II. Have the abuse allegations investigated by a Detective or Police Officer, who are trained for this as a career, whereas CPS workers are not. All investigations are joint ones with said Officers of the Law and with warrants properly issues under probable cause.

III. Re-train Agents to respect and obey the laws of the Constitution of the United States. If a family is guilty of abuse, a legal investigation will find it.

IV. Repeal the Mondale Act, Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, Title IV-E rewards to CPS from Social Security and the American Safe Families Act. Remember, they are not what the title sounds like and has been the root core of many loving homes losing their children to a system that will abuse them.

V. Make CPS legally investigate those who sign up to be foster parents. They do not do this today, and many foster parent who want the money for fostering them are actually child abusers who never get caught!

VI. All interviews to be audio and video recorded just like it happens with the police!

VII. Hold CPS Agents and foster parents and the records keeper responsible for every child who vanishes or dies in their care for their location.

VIII. Also investigate the person or persons reporting the abuse, and if done maliciously with intent to disrupt a family, prosecute the reporter to the fullest extent of the Law regarding making false claims to Government Agencies to affect an unnecessary and costly investigation.

IX. Abuse is a Crime, guarantee the accused retain their right to face their accusers in a court of law. As the system currently is, this is not done.

X. The Children are to be tracked on a weekly basis, so no more children vanish in the system.

XI. If a disabled, mentally retarded or sick Child is put into Foster Care, the Child's current Physician will need to provide a copy of the diagnosis and treatment, and medications, if any, will be provided as prescribed by the Physician. All appointments must be kept while in Foster Care. Any violations without a very good reason will result in the Foster Parents losing their certification for Foster Care.

XII. If a Foster Child dies while in Foster Care, there will be an Investigation by the FBI and all parties responsible for the Death of a Child will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

XIII. There will be a National Database where all known abusers are recorded and can be accessed by Law Enforcement. Everyone who is found not guilty won't have their Convictions and Abuse Reports listed. It will be illegal to keep records of any sort on innocent individuals or families. If they are convicted in a court of law by a jury of their peers, then the report of abuse they are guilty of will be the only report listed.

Currently, none of this is done, and innocent families who are not guilty of anything are losing their Children based on the word of others where there is no burden of proof for Prosecution, for the sake of getting Federal Funds for tens of thousands of dollars. The few truly abused children are ending up in a system where they are worse off than where they came from, even to the extent of being killed. Also, the innocent children who are never abused are also killed.

Injustice against one American is injustice against all Americans. Help us put the Justice back into Child Protective Services and get them focused on finding and saving abused children. It's time we removed them from the profitable business of tearing loving non-offending families apart.

CPS should be held accountable for their crimes against children and families. They should not be allowed immunity for proven lies and the abuse they have done to so many children and their families. Lying under oath is against the law and they should be prosecuted for it.

My daughter was dating a father who was divorced. His oldest child was angry that her father was dating and called in a false report against my daughter. She didn't even live in the same state and was acting on her mothers anger that her father had left the family. Eventually we got the children back home but they were so traumatized and medically ill by what they had been put through they have never been the same since.

My 3 year old granddaughter was denied her preschool that she had been attending and missed out on so much. Instead the children were placed in like 6 different foster homes in about 3-4 weeks time and were badly neglected. Both children were sick from the treatment they received from the police the night they were taken from their beds at 3 in the morning and held out in below zero temperatures for a long period of time with no coats or blankets on them as they testified to in family court. The baby had to be rushed to the emergency room the day we got him back. They were given no medical care while in the states custody.

What they did to these children was abuse and a crime but no one seems to care but us their family and others who have experienced this type of abuse and crime. Child abuse is a crime and they should have been prosecuted for their abuse on these children. The judge in this case knew the allegation against my daughter was a lie when she signed the search warrant to enter our home to take the children. That was a proven fact. I was arrested because I made them get a search warrant to enter my home. I was told I would be arrested for impeding a police officer if I made them get the warrant but I would not give up my rights so I and my husband were arested. He was found not guilty of the crimes they said he committed.

I was eventually given a bogus trial and was not allowed to even question the arresting officer who never went to court that day. That was just the tip of the ice burg that went on in that court room. They tried to get my attorney disbarred by setting up a sting operation against her and when that didn't work they grabbed her grandchild. She was so afraid to fight them knowing she may never see her grandchild again she allowed them to get away with with everything they did in the court and did nothing to defend me. The same judge who signed the bogus search warrant was the same judge who signed the papers for them to go after my attorney. They were just trying to save their jobs from the crimes they committed against my family. Go to this link to read all about it. http://www.timesarg us.com/apps/ pbcs.DLL/ article?AID= /20070223/ NEWS02/702230367 /1003/NEWS02 This was all done to get her out of their way in my trial that was coming up shortly after this.

Our constitution means nothing if we are to live in fear every day. Our homes are no longer safe and our children and grandchildren are in danger of losing everything including their family and even their lives if this continues to go on. When will it end? Who will stand up for the American family? Who will protect our children from the child protectors? Will YOU?

Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. Earl & Cecile Allcock
526 Route 121
Bellows Falls, VT 05101

Thanks again for taking action. Be sure to visit http://www.rallycon gress.com/ fight-cps/ for more important action items.

If you want to be heard then you can do this same thing.

Just sign this petition from fight CPS you don't have to pay to sign the petition. You can have your letter sent and hand delivered for a small cost. I chose to do this so I know they recieved it not only in an email account but on paper for a stronger mesage and so they know how serious I am about this issue.

http://www.rallycon gress.com/ fight-CPS/ 1448/

Be sure to visit http://www.rallycon gress.com/ fight-CPS/ for important action items.

CPS Wrongful Removal of Baby

This is an outrage!!!

Legal Child Kidnapping YouTube Video

Madison County DFCS Wants More Pictures of Foster Care Kids

Editor's Note: I bet the real reason they want these pictures is so that they can show them to future foster/adopt care providers in hopes of getting that adoption bonus money. They want them to look "normal" and undamaged by the abuse caused by CPS themselves. If they're truly concerned about the families, then why don't they stop unnecessarily removing them from their homes. I wonder why they don't think about that!

Posted by

Ben Munro

Friday, November 6. 2009

The Madison County Department of Family and Children’s services wants to make sure those made-for-camera moments of a foster child’s life don’t go undocumented for the biological parents.

The local DFCS office, which was granted permission recently to buy a new digital camera, is making a push to take more pictures — whether of a first day of school, the beginning of tae kwon do lessons or the start of football or soccer practice — of children while in DFCS custody.

“Sometimes parents aren’t able to have those pictures,” Madison County DFCS director Lisa Plank said to the DFCS board last Friday.
It’s all part of a state DFCS effort to better know the family.

Under an old policy, the state previously required just one visit a quarter from the local DFCS office if a child was placed in a foster facility.
Now, there’s more face-to-face time involved.

“I think the state has come to the realization — and I agree with it — (that) we can’t make good decisions for these kids if we don’t know them,” Plank said. “If you only see them four times a year, you don’t know.”

Madison County workers actually spend many hours traveling to various events of foster care children, In fact, some Madison County foster care kids are in group homes as far away as west and south Georgia.

Plank acknowledged the added strain on staff but said better outcomes and faster results are already evident. In fact, a sibling group of three recently returned to their parents in less than 12 months, she noted.

“Previously, that’d be unheard of — unheard of,” Plank said.

Though a year is a long time in a child’s life, the previous average had been two to three years for Madison County foster children to return to their parents, Plank said.

“We’re getting to know our families more, we’re going to the parents’ house … It is a lot more work on the worker, but I think it’s better for the kids and the families in the long run,” she said.

What Rights Does a CPS Worker Have?

By: Leonard Henderson

The Examiner

When people find themselves under a CPS "investigation", we are SHOCKED. We grew up watching crime and court dramas on TV and we have the idea that in America, the justice system is fair and impartial. Some of us even know about Constitutional Due Process. We see the television coverage of major criminals' journey through the justice system, and it looks like they ARE receiving fair justice.

On the other hand, the end of the "justice system" most people are likely to actually experience is Traffic Court. Certainly no "impartiality" there, is there? The cop says you did it (it doesn't matter if he is lying through his teeth), and that's it. The "judge" finds you "guilty" and fines you.

The traffic courts I have been in were more like the checkout counter in a grocery store than what you would think a court is.

To read the rest of this article, please visit...

www.examiner.com/examiner/x-26520-Family-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d7-What-rights-does-a-cps-worker-have

Mother Found Not Guilty of Child Abuse

Editor's Note: Now that she's been found not guilty by a criminal court, I wonder if she'll get her child back out of the clutches of CPS. Somehow I seriously doubt it. They don't care what's right or wrong here, they only want the money. If you'd like to make a comment on this story, there's a link at the bottom of this post.

Friday, November 06, 2009

A Richmond County Superior Court jury acquitted a mother of child abuse charges Thursday after several hours of deliberations.

Sara E. Harrill, 27, was found not guilty of three counts of cruelty to children at the conclusion of her four-day trial.

"There just wasn't any evidence against her," said defense attorney Pete Theodocion.

On March 19, 2007, Ms. Harrill rushed into then-St. Joseph Hospital with 7-month-old Parker Harrill in her arms, witnesses testified. The baby had a seizure of some kind, she told the hospital staff.

Later at the Medical College of Georgia Children's Hospital, Parker was found to have suffered severe brain damage and broken bones in both legs and his right arm. Neither Ms. Harrill nor her live-in boyfriend, James D. Jackson, 27, had an explanation for the baby's injuries.

Doctors testified this week that Parker's injuries were no accident. The brain damage occurred when Parker was either choked or suffocated, they said.

Mr. Theodocion said doctors estimated the brain injury occurred six to 12 hours before Ms. Harrill took Parker to the emergency room. Ms. Harrill was at work for most of that time frame, Mr. Theodocion said.

Her boyfriend testified for the prosecution this week. Mr. Jackson pleaded guilty on Oct. 27 in Richmond County Superior Court to two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Nicastro said Mr. Jackson admitted to negligent conduct.

Mr. Jackson testified that he took care of Parker while Ms. Harrill worked. He denied harming Parker. He said he never saw Ms. Harrill abuse Parker.

Parker, 3, is in foster care. He is unable to walk or communicate. He can eat a little on his own, but doctors doubt if he will ever be free of a feeding tube.

Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com

*To make a comment on this story, please visit the link below...

chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/11/06/met_554660.shtml?cpage=last#commentnav

Step In To Protect Children, But Do It the Right Way

November 7, 2009

THE STATE should not hesitate to remove a newborn child from a family with a demonstrated history of abuse and neglect, but it must show its reasons fully and fairly. The Supreme Judicial Court acted appropriately this week in overruling a lower court judge and ordering the state Department of Children and Families to provide sworn evidence to back up its decision to take a baby from its mother. But social workers shouldn’t draw the wrong lesson from the ruling.

The SJC’s rebuke riled some case managers, who worry that it could make their colleagues reluctant to take action in similar situations. They shouldn’t be reluctant, merely schooled in the law and prepared to follow it.

State child protection workers had removed two older children from the unnamed mother’s home seven months before she gave birth to baby girl “Zita’’ on Dec. 18, 2008. Two days later, state workers took emergency custody of the newborn and prepared, as required by law, to defend the agency’s actions at a hearing. But the evidence was flawed, including an unsworn petition from a social worker outlining the mother’s previous child-rearing failures that led to the removal of the older children. Still, Judge Lillian Miranda of the Hampshire-Franklin Juvenile Court, who had ordered the removal of the older children, awarded temporary custody of “Zita’’ to the state. The SJC vacated the judge’s ruling and ordered a new hearing.

Common sense suggests that “Zita’’ would be better off raised by someone other than her mother, given her history. But the SJC offers a pointed reminder that the Department of Children and Families must back up its cases with solid documentation. And the state fell miserably short. The justices, in fact, could barely contain their sarcasm in a footnote to their unanimous opinion. “We are informed that in some counties in the Commonwealth it is the practice of the department - preferable in our judgment - to submit a sworn affidavit of a social worker in support of a request for emergency removal of a child,’’ it reads.

Protecting children from neglect and abuse is among the most important responsibilities of the state. Attention to detail in every regional office of the Department of Children and Families should be in direct proportion to that awesome responsibility.

Still, some child protection specialists now worry that the case could undermine future efforts to show that past parental abuse or neglect can be a predictor of future behavior. The concern is made even greater by the SJC finding that Judge Miranda gave too much weight to her prior knowledge of the mother’s parenting failures and not enough to the evidence, or lack of evidence, in the case of baby “Zita.’’

The law, however, does allow the court to take a parent’s prior behavior into consideration. But that requires judges, attorneys, case workers, and those involved in child protection to do their jobs diligently when parents don’t.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Former Social Worker Discusses Dynamics of Abuse

Editor's Note: Ever notice how all these social workers only talk about abuse in biological homes and never, not once address the issues of abuse and neglect, not to mention the deaths and the myriad of children who go missing from foster care each year? This woman coerced families to open up and "admit" abuse so that she could legally kidnap and sell children. It would be nice for just one of these people to actually come forward and tell the truth about the corruption. She's writing about it, I wonder what she has to say...

There’s abuse in wealthy, suburban homes tucked away in gated communities like the homes found in Beverly Hills.

“While working as a social worker, I saw abuse in all types of families. There’s abuse in wealthy, suburban homes tucked away in gated communities like the homes found in Beverly Hills. There’s abuse in middle class families and rural and inner city families. To be able to get to the root of deep family problems, I learned how to get people to relax, so they would open up and tell me the truth.” This is the message conveyed by Maxine Thompson (www.maxinethompson.com), a woman who worked in social services for more than 20 years. “When I first started working in social services, I was naive,” Maxine shares with Denise Turney, host of CBK’s “Off The Shelf” (www.chistell.com). “Then I started to see how bad abuse in some families is. It was my communication skills that allowed me to help clients help themselves,” Maxine goes on to convey. “It helped me get through the day, because case loads are heavy, and I found I had to get people to respond honestly so I could get them proper help.”

After working to remove children from abusive homes and to help families confront their hidden dysfunction so they could begin to heal, Maxine Thompson took her communication skills, sat down and poured her experiences into a series of poems. One of those early poems earned her runner-up in Ebony magazine’s first writing contest. Yet, moved by the family tragedies and triumphs she discovered while working as a social worker, Maxine penned the highly acclaimed book aptly titled The Ebony Tree. It is Maxine’s books and experiences as a social worker that CBK’s Denise Turney discusses with the author on “Off The Shelf”, one of the Internet’s longest running and leading multi-cultural talk shows that airs at www.blakeradio.com.

The show’s host has a penchant for probing her guests for answers to eradicate global illiteracy and community dysfunction. When asked why she founded “Off The Shelf” which airs at www.blakeradio.com on the Rainbow Soul Channel, Turney is clear. “Off The Shelf was created to give the world another resource through which to enjoy and thoroughly celebrate the power of the written word! I ask listeners to think about the enormous and life-changing impact words have on their lives. It is nothing short of astounding what words and story do to the human landscape. From families, to communities to nations to the universe – story has always been there. My dream,” shares Turney, “Is to bring a multitude of readers stories that stir their hearts, as well as heal, encourage, guide, teach, and support their own dreams!”

Besides founding and hosting the hit literary talk show, “Off The Shelf”, Denise Turney has authored Portia, Love Has Many Faces, Spiral, Long Walk Up and Open Something In Your Heart To Love. Turney’s new book, Long Walk Up, will hit stores early 2007. Recipient of two Navy Achievement Medals, Turney continues to serve. She states that, “Just as with social work, writing is about connecting with other people and addressing situations that focus on the human condition. It is for this – to connect with others on a deep emotional and thought level – that I write.”

Turney has nearly 30 years of writing experience to her credit. She has appeared in Parade Magazine, Essence, The Trenton Times, The Bucks County Courier Times and various other magazines and newspapers around the United States. Turney’s works are featured online at www.chistell.com where readers can read and listen to early chapters of her books for free.

DHS Discrimination Against Transgender Teen Alleged

A transgender teenager who identifies as a girl said she was subject to constant abuse and discrimination during 18 months in the custody of Philadelphia's Department of Human Services.

At the Youth Study Center, the 16-year-old teen was placed in the boys' unit, where, she said, staff and residents harassed her despite a judge's order that she be addressed by her preferred female name and female pronouns.

Last week, a national civil-rights group filed a complaint on her behalf with the Pensylvania Commission on Human Relations alleging unlawful discrimination. The commission can enforce state antidiscrimination laws.

The complaint contends she was physically attacked by other residents and orally abused by staff every day for almost a year and a half.

The teen, now 17, is in foster care but is no longer in custody. The Youth Study Center, which was on the Parkway, has been torn down.

"We are seeking the commission to investigate the charges and take appropriate measures to end discrimination and harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth," said Flor Bermudez, a lawyer with Lambda Legal in New York City.

The complaint also asks DHS to adopt "explicit written policies" for staffers on how to meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths in the city's juvenile justice system.

While DHS has not yet reviewed the complaint, the agency has "made great strides over the last couple of years in handling issues" regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, said Alicia Taylor, DHS communications director.

DHS now has a nondiscrimination policy, in May held a town-hall meeting, and posted on its Web site resources for families and youths, she said.

The teen, identified in the complaint as L.P., was born male but has wanted to be a girl since age 9. She has been in DHS custody since she was 11.

In November 2007, the teen was admitted to the Youth Study Center.

During a psychological evaluation in January 2008, she told a social worker that she wanted a vagina and wanted to be "castrated as soon as possible."

The social worker diagnosed gender identity disorder, a condition marked by the persistent discomfort of a person's own sexual anatomy and a strong identification with the opposite sex.

The next month, Common Pleas Court Judge Abram Frank Reynolds ordered that the teen be addressed with her female name and that female pronouns be used when referring to her. He also authorized DHS to administer hormone therapy to the teen to delay puberty.

The complaint contends that staff at the Youth Study Center ignored the order and heaped abuse on her.

One staffer allegedly told her that as long as she had male genitalia, "I'm not going to call you by [her female name]." When she asked for a bra and panties, another staffer hurled an insult and refused to accommodate her.

The complaint states that she filed several formal reports but that administrators failed to discipline the staff.

Residents taunted and insulted the teen, calling her "gay" and "a wannabe girl." When she asked the staff to protect her, the ridicule only escalated to include physical abuse by other residents, the complaint states.

Though she repeatedly asked to be placed with girls, she was kept in the boys' unit, where residents threatened her, it states.

Staff allowed her to spend one night on the girls' unit. That was the only night in the custody of the Youth Study Center that she slept without fear of being harassed and abused, the complaint states.

As a result of the alleged harassment, the teen became depressed and suffered "significant emotional distress," the complaint states.

It contends she was subject to unlawful gender identity discrimination, sex discrimination, and disability discrimination.

By Sam Wood
Inquirer Staff Writer

Bring Austin Home

Editor's Note: Another child kidnapped by the state!

Child Protection Service in Disarray

The children. Has anyone considered the health and well-being of the children during these times of financial hardship? Monetary burden gives rise to child abuse and neglect. Some of those families that struggle with day-to-day survival issues and mounting financial pressures may be pushed over the edge and culminate in taking their pain, anger and frustration out on their children.

As the economy continues to take its toll on families, crisis centers are seeing a sharp rise in child-abuse and neglect cases. Our children greatly need and deserve to be protected regardless of the life challenges and circumstances of their parents.

Unfortunately, the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) can no longer be trusted to care for children in home care. As a registered and certified school nurse, I have struggled with this agency on numerous occasions, viewing firsthand this poorly managed child-welfare system. Departments are fragmented, and a tremendous lack of supervisory checks and balances exists. Its workforce is inexperienced, with 80 percent of directcare staff (those who work directly with clients, i.e. therapists, psychologists, etc.) having less than five years' experience, and 25 percent of the casework staff (staff members who arrange for client services) are trainees with less than one year of experience. Children are not visited by DYFS workers regularly, sometimes not for months at a time. Physician referrals are made but not enforced, and cases are closed with uninvestigated complaints of abuse. This is in violation of ethical, professional standards of practice, those principles that express values or standards of conduct.

If malpractice lawsuits punish physicians, what method of punishment will be used when an agency such as DYFS is negligent and fails to protect a child? Who will be the children's advocate when the so called "child-advocacy agency" fails them? In order to ensure child safety and to capture evidence before it is compromised, investigations must be prompt; this was seldom the case in my experience.

How then is New Jersey spending the $1 billion over nearly the past six years to expand and improve the child-welfare and mental-health system, thereby benefiting the 23,500 troubled families DYFS supervises, if children continue to be neglected and ultimately die while the agency has been under the supervision of a federal-court monitor?

It should be an undying commitment by all legislators to reform DYFS for the sole well-being of the child. The state's child-protection system is in tragic disarray and in need of meaningful transformation. DYFS requires complete restructuring, better management, increased training and a greater emphasis on accountability, which will lead to fundamental institutional reform.

We, the people, need to see our hard-earned money work for us in an agency whose core mission is indeed the protection of the child.

Katherine Shkolar
Spotswood