Bogus child abuse claims targeted by legislators
But DCFS fears losing a tool for spotting patterns
By James Thalman
Deseret Morning News
Published: Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 12:13 a.m. MST
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695227185,00.html
Targeting people who make false claims of child abuse and ridding the
names of accused but unsubstantiated persons from the state's abuser
tracking system are yet again the focus of proposed legislation.
Alleging child abuse is becoming a disturbingly popular tactic among
divorcing couples arguing over child custody, says the sponsor, Sen.
Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake.
The fact that making a knowingly false claim is a felony under Utah law
is not proving to be much of a deterrent.
"People resort to making a claim, legitimately or not, if they believe
they're up against the wall," Davis said. "While it helps one, it can
destroy the other person. Once the system's gears get turning, not only
is it next to impossible to stop them, the name of the accused stays in
the state Management Information System indefinitely."
Under Davis' bill, the names of accused but unsubstantiated abuse
suspects would be removed after five years. His legislation received
conditional approval last week by fellow lawmakers on the Child Welfare
Legislative Oversight Panel.
Critics of the state Division of Child and Family Services — the state's
main child protective-services agency — say the handling of false claims
is the biggest flaw in a system heavily weighted against anyone accused,
regardless of the source or merits of the claim.
A flaw to some is a vital tool to DCFS, which does not endorse the
legislation, at least in its current form. Agency administrators say the
possible damage to someone's reputation who is falsely accused and on
the list is almost nil. The chance of missing a pattern of reported
behavior over many years — which is a common trait of abusers who are
ultimately caught — is almost a certainty, they told lawmakers.
Rep. Steven Mascaro, R-West Jordan, who is co-chairman of the Child
Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel, agrees with the intent of the
legislation. He is cautious in his support of it, because he believes
the system can be dodged by those who are legitimately accused abusers.
"I don't want someone unduly punished for a claim, nor do I want someone
who knows how to work around the system get around an ongoing (abuse)
problem," Mascaro said.
Duane Betournay, director of DCFS, considers the current policies and
practices regarding fraudulent claims "very well calibrated to protect
the individual and the agency." He said that DCFS is obviously against
people using the system to get the upper hand in a child-custody battle,
adding that the agency is willing to "take a step further" and review
the process and the training of employees to better recognize false reports.
However, he added, the agency remains opposed to any additional
provisions that would remove unsupported findings from the system. Doing
so "would limit the ability of the division and the courts to use
information in researching possible patterns of abuse" that removal of
the names might preclude, he said.
The issue of cases being brought without merit has been addressed
previously by lawmakers, and new language has been debated several
times, said Rep. David Litvak, D-Salt Lake. "I think we agree on the
overall goal, but at the same time, we can't discount the concerns
raised by the very people the state has assigned and relies on to keep
children safe."
In the 2007 fiscal year, social workers investigated 20,340 child-abuse
and neglect cases. Of those, 8,396 reports were substantiated.
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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