A community meeting about child abuse had some people shouting at the state Children, Youth and Families Department Tuesday evening.
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I am adding something to this post because there was a really good comment left here. I don't want anyone to miss it.
The problem is not ONLY that CFS fails to protect children who are truly being abused even when they have been given reason to investigate, it's that CFS ALSO victimizes families who are NOT abusing or neglecting their children in any way that warrants removal from the home and trampling civil and constitutional rights of families.
Typically what CFS does when communities angrily demand it "do more" without seeing the overall failure and belligerence of over-powerful, undertrained, overloaded case workers is to remove more children from GOOD homes.
Built into any demand that CFS does a more competent job (i.e. this department is guilty of negligence in many states), should be the demand for better training, transparency, independent oversight, and TRUE accountability for negligence or willful violations of civil rights - of both parents and children. Believe it or not, CFS ruins lives and devastates families by removing children needlessly far more frequently, than acting on true abuse cases. We should be asking WHY CFS/CPS is too often on the WRONG side of these issues? If they weren't busy grabbing children from good homes, perhaps they could spend their time investigating and acting upon keeping children safe who truly need that intervention!
Visit our own grassroots group website for families demanding CFS is reformed nationally and at the local levels: FamilyAdvocacyMovement.com and select your own state to register as a member.
The problem is not ONLY that CFS fails to protect children who are truly being abused even when they have been given reason to investigate, it's that CFS ALSO victimizes families who are NOT abusing or neglecting their children in any way that warrants removal from the home and trampling civil and constitutional rights of families.
ReplyDeleteTypically what CFS does when communities angrily demand it "do more" without seeing the overall failure and belligerence of over-powerful, undertrained, overloaded case workers is to remove more children from GOOD homes.
Built into any demand that CFS does a more competent job (i.e. this department is guilty of negligence in many states), should be the demand for better training, transparency, independent oversight, and TRUE accountability for negligence or willful violations of civil rights - of both parents and children. Believe it or not, CFS ruins lives and devastates families by removing children needlessly far more frequently, than acting on true abuse cases. We should be asking WHY CFS/CPS is too often on the WRONG side of these issues? If they weren't busy grabbing children from good homes, perhaps they could spend their time investigating and acting upon keeping children safe who truly need that intervention!
Visit our own grassroots group website for families demanding CFS is reformed nationally and at the local levels: FamilyAdvocacyMovement.com and select your own state to register as a member.