Dec. 4 Editorial: Forsaking public trust
Monday, December 3, 2007 8:32 PM CST
http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/articles/2007/12/04/opinion/hopin13.txt
ISSUE: Social workers’ cases end in whimper
OUR VIEW: Begin documenting work performance
After nearly two years of investigation by the state, local prosecutors
and a grand jury, the case against social workers at the heart of a
report critical of the Department of Community-Based Services in Hardin
County does not end with assurances that the issues have been resolved
and the culprits held accountable. Instead it ends with a whimper: The
state says its case for firing the workers is too weak to stand up on
appeal.
The ruling that the workers would be demoted or otherwise chastised �
but would keep their jobs � is disappointing, to say the least.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services has instituted changes, among
them reorganizing its 16 regions into nine, hiring 170 additional staff
members, reorganizing teams to provide better supervision and putting an
independent contractor in the Hardin County office to observe and
evaluate its procedures.
It also budgeted $6 million for prevention programs aimed at families
deemed to be “at risk.”
“Multiple levels of review will improve accountability,” said Mark
Washington, CHFS commissioner.
Sounds good, but not good enough.
Other steps must be taken. The public needs to know and trust that the
cabinet is able to document its staff’s actions and work performance.
Adoption procedures should be made transparent including notifying
members of the child’s extended family.
Money must be budgeted for court-appointed special advocates who are
independent of welfare services.
Families and the hundreds of honest, hard-working, front-line social
workers have to be able to trust that DCBS can and will protect the
integrity of the system.
If these appropriate steps are taken, not only would children and
families be protected, but they would ensure that in the future there
would be ample evidence to build cases against wrongdoers and to remove
them quickly and effectively from positions of community trust.
The public needs to remind the General Assembly of some of the inspector
general’s findings:
# At least two of the cases involved children who had contact with the
system and now are dead.
# Some adopted children likely never should have been taken from their
biological families. The OIG report says case files were forged and
reports likely were made up from whole cloth.
# Employee evaluations were based on how many adoptions took place, not
how many cases were resolved.
Families were torn apart or lived in fear of workers supposed to be
dedicated to keeping children safe. If none of their actions were
criminal, and apparently don’t even rise to the level of fireable
offenses, why weren’t they?
Outgoing Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration will be remembered for its
hiring and firing practices. This chapter is the saddest yet.
This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial
board.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAMS....
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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