| Topic: |
Sociology > Education |
| User: |
"fx" |
| Date: |
08 Nov 2007 12:19:03 AM |
| Object: |
CA -- L.A. County Employees Caught Using Foster Kids' Resources |
County Employees Caught Using Foster Kids' Resources
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5749227
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7, 2007 (KABC-TV) - Gift cards bought with L.A. County
money by the Department of Children and Family Services were designated
to supply food and clothing to foster children.
Related Links
Four county managers responsible for helping foster children may be
fired for helping themselves to money meant for those children. An audit
has revealed the managers spent county money on entertainment for
themselves and their families or friends.
The L.A. County department of children and family services, or DCFS,
uses gift cards to help foster children and foster parents in
emergencies. The cards are issued to buy clothing or food.
They're not supposed to be used for employee purchases or dining out at
places like P.F Chang's, but they were, according to a county audit.
Along with places like Starbucks, and Glenn Ivy Hot Springs.
Public money can be used to take foster children to plays like "Wicked,"
but the audit shows one program office spent $14,000 on 160 tickets to
the musical play. Only 53 of those tickets were used by children. Most
were used by staff and their guests.
"The mentors and children attended the event. What was inappropriate was
the additional people that my staff invited to accompany these mentors
and these children to these events," said DCFS Director Patricia Ploehn.
The audit found one office spent more than $200,000 on entertainment in
less than a year.
DCFS employees bought $5,700 worth of tickets to a performance at the
House of Blues. One-hundred-fifty tickets were purchased; 43 of them
went to children, the same number to mentors. The rest to employees and
friends.
Now, back to those gift cards that are supposed to be used to help
people in need.
The audit found the staff purchased gift cards from non-program-related
businesses such as The Cheesecake Factory and Starbucks.
Gift cards were used to pay for staff luncheons.
The staff tried to hide extra gift cards with false invoices.
One office bought more than $50,000 in gift cards.
The new director of the department called for the audit and is cleaning
house. She's pulled in all the gift cards.
"There are no more gift cards around our department. They are all
centralized in one place, in our finance and administrative bureau. They
are now tightly controlled," said Ploehn.
Ploehn says she's been told nothing was found to indicate criminal
wrongdoing. However, Fifth District Supervisor Mike Antonovich says the
results of the audit should be turned over to the District Attorney for
possible criminal prosecution.
As of Wednesday afternoon the D.A. had not been contacted.
Copyright © 2007 KABC-TV. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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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