Former foster child sues over alleged abuse
A Spokane man who says he was repeatedly sexually abused after being placed in state foster care with a convicted child molester is suing the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, the state Department of Corrections and Spokane County.
There are increasing incidents of abuse in our state system of "shelter" for children placed in foster care. "The Child Abuse Insdustry" book hopefully has been updated with solutions to decrease the need for increased costly interventions in the name of prevention of child abuse and neglect.
ReplyDeleteI think as well as the "best interest" but also the "self-directed intent" of a child needs to be considered in out-of-home placement not only initially but also periodically not less that annually. Supreme Court Justice Willam O. Douglas writings define when a child has the ability to provide consent.
The requirements for foster care licensing are decreasing. Increasing the standards for foster care licensing including real background checks for applicants would result in greater safety for children.
Foster Parents Association of Washington State supports improved standards for licensing foster parents: http://fpaws.org/
If children are removed from their family home because of allegations of neglect or abuse, emergency shelter care must include placement with relatives who are able to demonstrate reasonable standards of safe care for children related to them.
If an employee of DSHS can get a background check within 72 hours, relatives of children removed from their family home should be provided the same service within the same time period and a decision made promptly within 24 hours after the reports are received.
With more services with federal laws and funds provided to Washington State for adoption than funds provided for family re-unification, a child's intent to return to the family home is doomed.
Washington Families United, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families in crisis who are affected by state Child Protection Services can be contacted: 1063 S. Capital Way, Suite 212, Olympia WA 98501/ Phone: 360-705-3233/website: washingtonfamiliesunited.org
Advocacy for families is alive in oour State with this group and with at least two coalitions. State governmental services to support families in nrrf are starving them into extinction.