HUMAN TRAFFICKING, INSTITUTIONAL STYLE

Beverly Tran

Update: October 2008: St. Vincent Sarah Fisher is still soliciting donations in the name of children, without licensing from the Attorney General.


In October of this year the “historic foster care center”, St. Vincent Sarah Fisher Center of Farmington, Michigan, closed its doors forever (For some strange reason, the article, “Historic foster-care center to close” published October 4, 2005 by Emilia Askari and Melanie D. Scott, Free Press Staff Writers, Children First column in the Detroit Free Press, seems, not to be found in a search on Gannett’s Detroit Newspapers’ websites. If anyone would like a copy of the article, contact me and I will be more than elated to send you a copy. On that note, I’ll just refer to the letter from the Chairman, Board of Trustees: http://www.svsfcenter.org/new/pdf/LetterfromBoardChairman.pdf .

Allow me to inform the public on the “several serious challenges” the Center’s foster care, adoption and residential programs faced: Abuse and Neglect of children in its care. My term of choice is Human Trafficking, institutional style. The agency was already on 6 month provisional licensing for its foster care and adoption programs when I contacted the Michigan State Commerce Department, Bureau of Regulatory Services, Commercial Licensing Division and pleaded for an investigation to be initiated. The following are the items I grieved:

1. Psychological Abuse: The first day my son was transferred, I wrote explicit directions as to not cut his hair. The next day he was shaved bald. He grieved to me. In turn, I grieved to the program director. I was reassured that I would never happen again, but it did. Over time, I began to observe the other children to see if I could discover an underlying reason for shaving each and every boy bald. One day, sitting in the lobby, I saw a line of young girls returning from school. My heart bled. These girls, with coarse, short hair, looked like hardened, old women who fought to retain their girlhood by attempting to clip barrettes to tiny, uncombed clumps of hair. I sent word to administration that, if St. Vincent Sarah Fisher did not provide basic hygiene services, I would grieve to higher authorities. To make a long story short, the girls, soon, began to look like little girls.

2. Abusive Therapy: There are federal laws which support the rights of minors not to be interrogated without parental permission, but not in foster care. My son was told on multiple occasions that he could only return home if he was good. He was told that his incarceration was his fault. He was even told by the former, parent agency worker, in the presence of a therapist, that he could go home and was given a specific date. (This transpired over a year ago.) He packed his bags a week before and ceremonially crossed each day of his calendar. When I asked the head case worker of Orchards Children’s Services why she provided him false hopes (because she changed her mind, why…the world, the court, and herself…and I quote, “don’t know”), I was told that my son makes things up. My question was how he just so happened to pick the date of the next court hearing when I informed all staff not to tell him.

Recommendation was then put in for an increase of medication because of my son’s mood swings. He was devastated when nothing happened. He was not progressing with therapy because he would not open up. His little brother was never included in family therapy, until I was able to address the court. Orchard Children’s Services was formally reprimanded, whatever that means, and my youngest son only showed for two sessions. I must note that these, so-called “family therapy” sessions were just an opportunity to see my children, because I estimate, that we saw my youngest child approximately 20 hours total in a twelve month period. But, of course, the longer the family is separated, the more therapeutic assistance is needed. The more therapeutic assistance that is needed; the longer the family should be separated. “Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush…”

3. Medical Abuse: I can recall conference with the Psychiatrist. I did not like him; he had no eye contact with me. He handed me papers and told me to sign to double my son’s medication. I wanted to read the entire consent form, as well as research the long term effects of this type of medical regiment. The proud doctor told me that I did not know how to read this type of medical information. All I could do was to smile at his ignorance and preconceived prejudices of mothers with children under his care. He did not know my background. He did not know my associates. Hell, he did not know my colleagues. He chastised me when I inquired about the long term effects of adult dosages of the medication. I wanted a second opinion but was stopped in my tracks when threatened with court action if I refused to sign, grounds for termination of parental rights. I was presented with the conundrum: challenge the physician’s medical authority or retain my parental rights. All I can say is revenge is a dish best served cold. I signed the papers under duress. My son soon joined the ranks of the other catatonic children in Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul.

As the old adage goes, “children should be seen and not heard”. As their mission statement reads, “To Protect, Nurture, and Strengthen”…the financial sustainability of the organization? Obviously, it was not the children.

4. Abusive Special Education Classification: Soon after the doubling of medication for my son and the smashed hopes of returning home I received in the mail a consent form from his teacher for special needs assessment. My son would not do his class work. I called the teacher and asked why, after an entire school year as honor roll student, he would have learning disabilities? No response. This was never, again, until the next court date.

5. Abusive False Reporting: Reports were generated to show parental neglect for the educational and emotional needs of my son. I never signed the form and why should have I? No response to my allegations of over medication and emotional torture. Reports were generated to show parental neglect for the educational needs of my son. I never signed the form and why should have I? No response to my allegations of over medication and emotional torture.

Reports were also generated that I was not participating in family therapy or visitations. Nothing was explained to the cancellations by the therapist. Nothing was explained to the weather conditions due to snow storms. Nothing was explained about my automobile accident that reduced me to taking the bus. My round trips on the bus normally lasted about four hours. There was even the time when I was dropped off by a friend with the intentions of retuning home, via bus, only to find out that the line did not run on Sundays. I ended up walking, I estimate around 12 miles to the next available bus line. Nothing was explained on how I would spend about 40 dollars on a round trip taxi ride on Sundays to see my son. Nothing was explained when the transportation that was finally arraigned, went to the wrong address, and at the wrong time. I do not fault the staff; I blame poor administration.

Perniciously generating the variables to escalate the level of severity of a child’s disability, only to report the inability of a parent to care for that child, lays theoretical foundation for a child to linger in the foster care system. The ends financially justify the means; special needs children make more money.

6. Nutrition: Frozen starches were the main staple on my son’s diet. He called me one day to tell me the only things for dinner were stale bread and fried potatoes. I would like to give credit to Papa Ramano’s in Southfield on Northwestern Highway for honoring my request for deliveries with a simple call and review of my credit card on file. They have, on so many occasions, put joy in the stomachs of the boys in my son’s cottage.

My son was put on a medication without my knowledge or approval, because he was having severe problems with constipation. A regiment of fresh fruits and vegetables would have eliminated this issue, literally, but that would have been too expensive, I assume. So, whenever I could, I would go to the Eastern Market and deliver fresh fruit or cook home made meals for his entire cottage and staff for special occasions, such as Super Bowl Sunday, his birthday, or when my heart was too heavy.

7. Sexual Abuse: My son told me about what he had witnessed between boys. Other sources told me about what they had witnessed. My son has lost the childhood I believed I could have, for as long as possible, retained for him. I will say nothing more.

8. Medical Neglect: Children who are wards of the court are to have annual medical physicals. My son never had this done. Because he is taking the prescription of Lithium, his blood levels are to be monitored, monthly. This has never been done. His prescriptions have warning labels about eating grapefruit; he ate grapefruit. When a child in state care experiences an injury, it is to be reported to the state followed by a trip to the emergency room. Only certain children were eligible for this type of care; children who were not of color. I suspected this and was supported in my suspicions by a number of staff members.

One weekend visitation my son laid in bed and continuously slept, telling me he could not remember things and felt nauseous. He told me he was hit in the head by an older resident. I was told by his case worker that he was pushed by another boy and hit his head on the wall. I was then told by a staff member that he was punched in the head and suffered a concussion by a boy twice his size. I was never notified nor allowed to accompany my son to emergency. The transgressor was never removed from the cottage. My son would show me his bruises from being punched in the ribs and back on other occasions.

When my son was ill with fever, he was forced to attend school, just as the other children. I know this to be a fact because I was informed by a former teacher. No medical attention was given to the children; I guess it is cheaper to send them to school.

9. Developmental Neglect: The only segment of this topic that I will address will be of the daily routines. Scheduled daily activities were gradually reduced to sitting in front of the television watching cartoons. I inquired about the lack of extra curricular activities and was told, “Due to lack of funds…”, and, “…not enough staff”. I would like to thank the staff, dearly, for coming out of their own pockets and hearts to bring activities for the children.

10. Fund Raising Abuse: Every year Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul had a Garden Party to raise funds for the children. The most prestigious donors were invited to enjoy the beautifully decorated grounds and to be served delectable cuisine for some of the finest chefs in the area while the children were on lock down in the cottages to be served special treats of chili dogs and hamburgers http://www.jeffreysaugerphotography.com/GardenParty2005/. If hot dogs and hamburgers are considered to be special occasion meals, I really do not want to see the normal menu. Over the years Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul has been bestowed awards and major donations from Detroit Newspapers and the Gannett Foundation (perhaps a surprising coincidence for which the aforementioned article is unavailable!), vehicles to be auctioned from Ford Motor Company, and financially supported by local media, Fox 2, and SBC/America Michigan http://www.svsfcenter.org/new/pdf/2004.pdf.

The two day celebration during the summer removed the children from the only other activity besides being glued to the television: playing outside. The windows had to remain closed; privacy issue, of course. My son called me to tell me about the heat in the cottage; the air conditioners were broken. I asked administration if I could bring a fan for him and the rest of the cottage. I was met with, “The temperature is maintained at appropriate levels.” What those, ‘appropriate levels’ were, I have no idea, but the Garden Party was a success.

Another successful way Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul raised money was by keeping the children in its care for as long as possible. This is the only plausible explanation I have formulated to justify the operations of this facility. If I am not mistaken, a short term facility is 30 days or less. Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul was licensed to be a short term facility. If the state of Michigan funds institutional care in the range of 100 to 300 dollars a day, let’s, for sake of argumentation, take the lower limit, 100 dollars a day. If there are 365 days in a year, that equates to $35,600 in annual funds per child. My son was in Sara Fisher St. Vincent de Paul over 34 months. You do the math.
Abandonment: This item was a residual effect of the closing and was not addressed with the state. The day before the agency closed, I took the liberty of taking pictures. I captured wonderful pictures of top quality, large volume, shredding machines in the offices. I took snapshots of the tiled wall of benefactors, some who are, also, administrators and coordinators. I always thought that was a conflict of interest, but who am I to say anything; I am just a birth mother with children in foster care. The next day my son was dropped off on the front doorstep of Vista Maria with only the clothes on his back, literally. All his worldly possessions were gone, just like his childhood. St. Vincent Sarah Fisher has left me in a quite a position because of their actions. If I do not provide clothing for my child, it will be considered neglect. I replaced the clothing I had purchased, again. His personal items, such as the daily journals he was keeping about his experiences in the St. Vincent Sarah Fisher, were probably shredded with the rest of the incidents reports. It took me almost a week to track him down.

There was no continuity of medical servicing; his medication soon ran out and St. Vincent Sarah Fisher has, or should I say, is suppose to have, his medical files. The prescribing psychiatrist of SFSVDP not only denied writing prescriptions for my son, but also, refused service. I guess the bulk of his files were lost in the shredding machines. I have had to resort to hospital emergency due to the disruption in medical care. It must be noted that, to this day, I still contend that my son is overmedicated and have scheduled the first available appointment at the Children's Center for intake. I can only hope the other children fared as well.

To make the historic story of foster care and adoption short and sweet, allow me to cost-effectively sum up the policy for the Industry of Human Trafficking: Poverty is abuse and neglect. Abuse and neglect is a crime. A parent(s) who is poor abuses and neglects the child. The state must protect the welfare of the child. The state never questions the work of God. Foster care and adoption residential institutions are in the name of God. People and corporations make tax write-off financial contributions to the institutions. Children get medicated; pharmaceutical companies get profit; social workers get jobs. The longer a child is in foster care; the more jobs are sustained. Sustaining and creating jobs saves money for the state. Foster parenting is a job. The state and the institutions are given financial incentives and receive financial rewards for each child transitioned into adoption. Michigan needs to make budget cuts. Michigan needs to create more jobs. Foster parenting is significantly more economical than an institution. Adoptive families receive financial rewards for each child adopted. The state no longer is financially responsible for the child. The state is no longer financially responsible for the birth parent. Everyone contributes to the economy. A stronger economy eradicates poverty. Poverty is a crime. When you stop poverty, you stop abuse and neglect.

If anyone is offended by what I have just said, I suggest you join me and do something about it.

Beverly Tran,