Public CPS hearing provides insight into death of 2 kids
By Jim Small,
http://www.azcapitoltimes.com/story.cfm?id=5948
CPS on the hot seat
House Government Committee Chairman Kirk Adams (center) listens to
testimony about the deaths of two children under the watch of Child
Protective Services. The poster board refers to a third child whose
death the committee did not have time to investigate.
Lawmakers say the highly publicized committee hearing looking into Child
Protective Services should lead to proposals next year aimed at making
it easier for the agency to do its job. And after just the first such
hearing, ideas for legislation are already starting to coalesce.
House Government Committee Chairman Kirk Adams, R-19, said the Sept. 25
hearing about the “complex, difficult and somber” issues surrounding the
recent deaths of two Tucson children was productive.
“We accomplished our two main goals: provide some accountability and
transparency to the process and identify specific legislative
solutions,” he said.
Likewise, Rep. Jonathan Paton, the committee’s vice chair, said the
hearing provided some good insight into how CPS acted in the deaths of
Tyler and Ariana Payne.
“The questions were tough, but I think the tone was fair and measured,”
Paton, R-30, said. “We had some really good debate in there about what
happened in the case and how it translated into policy issues at CPS.”
Adams says the hearing made it abundantly clear that CPS needs to be
more open with records about its cases, comply with court custody orders
and ensure cases are not closed too early. He also said the agency and
law enforcement need to have better communication and CPS caseworkers
have to be able to electronically access criminal records to perform
background checks.
Paton says he intends to sponsor legislation next year to require CPS to
release records to the public in cases of death and give caseworkers the
ability to file missing persons reports and request that law enforcement
perform welfare checks on children.
The Payne children, 5- and 4-years old, were allegedly killed by their
father who was caring for them after CPS placed them in his care,
despite a court order giving the mother sole custody. Caseworkers gave
the children to the father, Christopher Payne, because of unproven
allegations the mother, Jamie Hallam, was using methamphetamine.
Payne is charged with killing the children, and prosecutors say they
will seek the death penalty.
CPS officials acknowledged their investigator never checked court
records to verify the court order.
The decision to disregard the order was a major focus of the hearing.
CPS officials said there were no indications the children were in danger
as Payne had never been the subject of any child abuse allegations.
Moreover, CPS officials said, it was Hallam who violated the court order
by placing the kids with Payne in January 2006.
Lillian Downing, the agency’s Pima County head, said CPS erred by
closing the case file on the children early.
One of the reasons for the case being closed prematurely, Downing said,
was a shortage of caseworkers who were — and are still — swamped with
complaints to investigate and cases to follow up on.
The staffing shortages were expected to be solved in 2003, when the
Legislature, in a special session, provided millions of dollars of
additional funding to CPS. Adams says the Legislature’s job now is to
examine the priority of spending within the agency and ensure it is
being used properly.
“I think we absolutely have to look at if we have appropriate levels of
resources for the front-line caseworker,” he said.
Referencing remarks in the past by fiscally conservative lawmakers that
money won’t solve problems within the agency, Adams disagreed, though he
acknowledges more funding isn’t a panacea.
“I don’t think you can dismiss [funding] as irrelevant — it is
relevant,” he said. “We gave them a bunch of money in 2003 and we have
dead children in 2007, so that obviously doesn’t solve everything.”
Paton says the money should, first and foremost, be used to get the
caseworkers out from behind their desks in the office.
“I want to know that people are spending more time in families’ homes
than they are on the computer [filling out paperwork],” he said.
Rep. Pete Hershberger, R-26, who chairs the Human Services Committee
that typically deals with CPS legislation, said he was encouraged by the
hearing and the effect it may have on future legislation.
“We can look at the system now and maybe make some changes,” he said. “I
think that this hearing was a good first step.”
However, he is concerned that an expected tightening of the state’s
spending next year because of an impending budget deficit will result in
less money, or even cuts, to CPS and treatment programs the agency uses.
“I just got out of a budget meeting,” Hershberger said, “and the budget
ain’t looking good.”
Rep. Steve Farley, D-28, says he hopes Republican legislative leaders
are willing to work with CPS on legislation, as the agency’s openness in
the hearing indicated to him there was an opportunity for a partnership.
The best ultimate outcome, he said, would be for CPS to be able to
protect children by getting parents the counseling or treatment they need.
“If we can make the families safe, that’s the best of both worlds,”
Farley said
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
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