Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Foster kids who sued state in 1998 want monitoring to go on

Foster kids who sued state in 1998 want monitoring to go on

Advocates for the plaintiffs in a historic lawsuit on foster care have gone back to court, accusing the state of failing to make some of the improvements it had promised.

Latest CPS abuse report update shows 3,909 assigned

Latest CPS abuse report update shows 3,909 assigned

A new team assigned to review more than 6,500 child abuse and neglect reports that weren't investigated by Arizona child welfare officials says they've now assigned more than 3,900 of those cases to investigators.

DCF promoted staffer weeks before firing in missing Fitchburg boy case

DCF promoted staffer weeks before firing in missing Fitchburg boy case

The social worker who has been fired by Department of Children and Families officials for failing to make the mandated checks of a now-missing five-year-old Fitchburg boy was promoted just weeks before, officials confirmed today.

Cherokee County woman charged with murder of foster child

Cherokee County woman charged with murder of foster child

A woman who was arrested earlier this month after one of her foster children was found dead was charged Monday with first-degree murder.

Monday, December 30, 2013

State could face lawsuits in CPS mishandled cases

State could face lawsuits in CPS mishandled cases

The state could face a number of lawsuits next year after it sifts through the estimated 6,500 child abuse complaints and tips that went ignored by Child Protective Services.

Foster Care Population Drops Sharply in California


California has seen drastic decreases in the number of children in foster care in the past decade, but child advocates say the need for high-quality foster parents remains high.

Toddler meets birth parents in Sweden following deportation battle

Toddler meets birth parents in Sweden following deportation battle 

A 3-year-old toddler who was abandoned after birth and faced deportation from Sweden met her birth parents, her foster family said.

DCF worker fired in case of missing Fitchburg boy recently promoted

DCF worker fired in case of missing Fitchburg boy recently promoted

Less than a month before the Patrick administration fired a social worker for grossly mishandling the case of a five-year-old Fitchburg boy who is now feared dead, the state Department of Children and Families promoted her, citing her commendable job performance.


Amber Alert: DCF is reviewing supervised visitation policies after abduction

Amber Alert: DCF is reviewing supervised visitation policies after abduction

After police say 6-year-old Onnika Fisher was abducted by her own mother at the end of a supervised visit, the Department of Children and Families has announced it will review its visitation policies.

Love, Joy, Feminism and Pro-CPS Bullshit

I have left a comment on an article posted on the "Love Joy and Feminism" blog, which I"m sure will get attacked from every naive, trusting and irrational angle possible, accusing me of every unimaginable thing, and all from people who don't have a clue as to what CPS does or how they actually operate.

Here's the link to the post as well as the first three paragraphs by the author on the LJF blog.  I encourage you to read it there.
Teddy Foltz-Tedesco and HSLDA’s Blindness
Last week an Ohio state senator introduced S.B. 248, a bill designed to prevent homeschooling from being used to hide child abuse. HSLDA responded predictably. It is true that this particular bill, which has already been withdrawn, went too far. It would have required the name of each homeschooler to be run through a statewide child welfare information database to flag those with a concerning history of social services investigations, which is good, but it would have also required each parent and child to have interviews with social services before beginning to homeschool. 
But what I find troubling is that HSLDA refuses to admit that bills like this seek to address a real problem and is apparently completely ignorant of the fact that they themselves have helped create this problem. And that is what I want to address here. 
S.B. 248 was introduced at the request of Shawn Tedesco, father of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco, a homeschooled boy was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend last January. Throughout their response to the bill, HSLDA placed the blame for Teddy’s death entirely on social services.
What I find concerning mostly in this blog post, as well as the following 130 or so comments, is the presupposition that CPS is a good and trusted entity.  What I find interesting is that practically all of these people would probably welcome a CPS Agent into their homes with no fear whatsoever, experiencing total shock when the rug is pulled out from under them.  These people have obviously never experienced the dark side of CPS as so many of my readers have.  Some are even foster and adoptive parents themselves who still don't get it.  However, the level of blind support for CPS and Pro-CPS Programs without the understanding of the reality of the system is the problem that we in family rights have faced since the beginning.

I'm sure that view would change when these people experience a social worker crawling up their ass.  It usually does.  That's when they find me.

This is the comment I left, in response to another comment where the person couldn't understand how such a bill would violate a parents rights.  Just keep scrolling, you'll find it:
You are totally leaving out one very significant factor by presupposing that social service agencies (CPS) are capable, adequately funded, honest, or competent enough or even have the available time to do the job which you are calling upon them to do when you expect every accusation to be investigated just to make sure or every recourse to be provided in absence of available funding or conservative ideologies which fight to keep such funding to be available. To say things like "the actual role of social services, which frequently works to heal at-risk families rather than simply either removing children or not being involved at all," is a completely incorrect and idealistic assumption, not to mention totally based upon what state you're in or who you get for a caseworker. 
Although I will fully admit that in some cases CPS workers do work to heal the family, in many more cases some little fresh out of college social worker with no kids of her own or real life experience shows up at your door on a power trip, coercing and manipulating her way into your home and personal life, jumping to conclusions, making mountains out of every possible mole hill and applying horrific scenarios of "what could possibly happen but hasn't" and flat out lying. You did not point out or even consider that the HSLDA has come across so many of these kinds of frivolous or unwarranted cases over they years that it's statistically safer to assume that an innocent family is being harassed by overzealous social workers rather than any actual child abuse going on. (I know, I know it's better to be safe than sorry. Not the point.) On top of that, you assume that it's perfectly okay to send a social worker or a nurse out just to make sure that hunky dory in every case, rather than focusing on the serious cases where the child falls through the cracks because social workers are off chasing shadows rather than spending their time where they are really needed. 
Also, prior social services involvement does not mean that there was any child abuse or neglect. It's almost as if from what I'm reading, you can't understand that there is any justifiable reason to want to fight against anything that CPS says or does at all.

Deportations of parents can cast the lives of U.S.-citizen kids into turmoil

Deportations of parents can cast the lives of U.S.-citizen kids into turmoil

Twelve-year-old Jason Penate spent the holidays hanging close by his father. They picked out a Christmas tree and decorated the front window of their Gainesville, Va., home with candy canes, and Jason tried very hard not to think about whether his father would still be here in the new year.

Social workers take children from families who overfeed them

Social workers take children from families who overfeed them

OBESE children have been taken from their families by social workers because of fears that overfeeding was wrecking their health.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Will more be held accountable at DCF over missing child scandal?

Will more be held accountable at DCF over missing child scandal?

It has been a full week since Governor Patrick told Fox 25 that more at the State Department of Children and Families could be punished over the scandal involving a missing Fitchburg boy.

Highland County Foster Care expenses doubled in past year

Highland County Foster Care expenses doubled in past year

Imagine being a child and having to leave not only your home, but all the things that make a place familiar like school and friends, too. That is what a lot of kids in Highland County have to face because there are not enough local foster homes to support the number of area children that are in foster care.

Foster mothers must screen for HIV, hepatitis – Gynaecologist

Foster mothers must screen for HIV, hepatitis – Gynaecologist

Dr Nathaniel Adewole, a Gynaecologist with the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, has advised that foster mothers who intend to breast feed should screen for HIV and hepatitis.

Foster Parent Charged With Sexual Assault

Foster Parent Charged With Sexual Assault

A 49-year-old man is charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child, according to the Michigan State Police at the Mount Pleasant Post.

Argentina court rules 14-year-old rape victim can have abortion

Argentina court rules 14-year-old rape victim can have abortion

A court in Argentina ruled Friday that a 14-year old rape victim could have an abortion, overturning a lower court decision barring the girl from seeking the procedure which had triggered outrage.

DCF: Abduction suspect claimed to have gifts in car




A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Children and Families said Charity Chatman told case workers during a supervised visit that she had gifts in her car for her daughter.



Lifelong Struggles Facing TX Foster Kids Who Age Out

Lifelong Struggles Facing TX Foster Kids Who Age Out

Hundreds of children have already gotten their Christmas wish this year: finding a forever home. However, for thousands more in foster care, especially those who are older, the wait continues.

Friday, December 27, 2013

More tap-dancing at DCF

More tap-dancing at DCF

The Department of Children and Families is in no position to be secretive at this moment in time, not with the disappearance and probable death of a 5-year-old child on its watch, accusations of children in foster care placements being victimized and a lack of public faith in its competence.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Missouri Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to adoption decision

Missouri Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to adoption decision

A Guatemalan woman seeking to overturn the adoption of her biological child by a Carthage couple has exhausted those efforts — unsuccessfully — in the state court system.

Troopers save Christmas for girl who allegedly had teeth pulled out by dad

Troopers save Christmas for girl who allegedly had teeth pulled out by dad

Note: the headline leaves out the word foster.  That was not a dad.  That was a foster parent.

Last month, NewsChannel 13 told you about a mentally handicapped girl, whose foster dad was arrested for allegedly pulling three of her adult teeth out with pliers. Thanks to the hard work of State Police, she's had a Christmas to remember.

US Department of Justice calls for examples of outrageous child custody outcomes


Concerned parents were elated this week when a much awaited segue for them to speak came forward as an invitation from the federal government, asking for clarifications on identified problems with child human rights in court, family rights in court and the lack of a uniform structure to respond to child sex abuse investigations, child abuse investigations and placement of children with a parent who is not known to them, has committed crimes against the other parent or is convicted of crimes that put the child at risk in their care.

When children are abused by foster parents

When children are abused by foster parents

I click open the x-ray viewer.  After 4 years in emergency pediatrics, I am not really surprised that a tibia fracture underlies the bruised ankle I unexpectedly encountered on physical exam.  Yet I audibly gasp as the chest x-ray loads.  The torso in question belongs to a chubby little cherub of a 3-month-old in room 11, brought in for red eyes.  I begin to count the fractured ribs — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  I pause.  That’s just the left side.


Bipartisan bill seeks to boost foreign adoptions

Bipartisan bill seeks to boost foreign adoptions

Amid partisan conflict in Congress, dozens of lawmakers from both parties — including staunch liberals and conservatives — have united behind a bill that supporters say addresses a heart-rending issue beyond politics: the millions of foreign children languishing in orphanages or otherwise at risk because they have no immediate family.

Note: What they're really trying to do is open the flood gates to the third world countries that haven't quite caught onto the issues that children who were adopted from foreign countries face, such as re-homing or the Russian Adoption Ban.

The funny thing is how our government officials can all wrap their arms around any issue that deals with CPS, foster care or adoption, sing Kumbaya and say to hell with the real parents no matter where they come from.

Judge Fights Ruling Against Her In Case Of Child, Booze At Detroit Tigers Game

Judge Fights Ruling Against Her In Case Of Child, Booze At Detroit Tigers Game

A Detroit-area judge wants a federal appeals court to intervene in a lawsuit linked to the accidental consumption of alcohol by a child at a Detroit Tigers game.

De Blasio’s child-welfare pick was criticized for inmate ‘sex bash’

De Blasio’s child-welfare pick was criticized for inmate ‘sex bash’

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s choice to head up the city’s child-welfare agency allegedly once allowed an X-rated party for juvenile inmates — part of her “therapeutic” approach to rehabilitating violent thugs.

DCF in freefall?

DCF in freefall?

Gov. Rick Scott faces a difficult decision in naming a permanent secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), given the demands of the job, the lateness in his term and the scrutiny of lawmakers moving to respond to a rash of 20 child deaths – including a Jacksonville girl who authorities say was raped and murdered by a just-released sex offender in June.

Our View: Government must keep foster kids safe

Our View: Government must keep foster kids safe

That’s the conclusion that can be drawn after reading the Los Angeles Times report on California’s foster-care system. After culling through 1.1 million reports of abuse, the Times showed earlier this week that the privatized system of foster care created 27 years ago to save money and better assist children in need is itself in need of dramatic overhaul.


Social problems are true causes of CPS’ backlog

Social problems are true causes of CPS’ backlog

Child Protective Services has come under fire for the backlog of several thousand cases.

Note: Parents in Arizona are apparently being targeted at unprecedented rates.

Court Lets Dying Father Meet his Son

Court Lets Dying Father Meet his Son

Biju Mathew, 33, suffering from a terminal disease and counting his days in this world wished to visit his four-and-a-half-year-old son. It was a wish that was not easy fulfilled as his five-year-old marriage had run into rough weather last year and the court had not given visitation rights yet.

Kentucky Agency Fined for Failing to Obey Open Record Law

Kentucky Agency Fined for Failing to Obey Open Record Law

The Kentucky State Cabinet for Health and Family Services facing a hefty fine for failing to obey the open records law. It's fined $756,000.


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Kentucky cabinet penalized $756,000 for 'willfully circumventing' child-abuse open records ruling, judge says

Kentucky cabinet penalized $756,000 for 'willfully circumventing' child-abuse open records ruling, judge says

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services must pay a $756,000 penalty after it “willfully circumvented” open-records laws by failing to fully release records on child abuse fatalities and near deaths, according to a scathing court order issued Monday.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Judge dismisses attorneys, CPS workers on case involving claims of rare psychological problem

Judge dismisses attorneys, CPS workers on case involving claims of rare psychological problem

A complex Child Protective Services case involving allegations of psychological abuse took an abrupt turn Monday, when Bexar County Children's Court Judge Charles Montemayor dismissed a majority of the state and county employees involved with it.

Patrick: First order of business to find Fitchburg child

Patrick: First order of business to find Fitchburg child

Returning from a ten-day trade mission, Gov. Deval Patrick called on anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jeremiah Oliver to contact law enforcement officials.

Report: Union County DSS mishandled cases

Report: Union County DSS mishandled cases

A report reviewed by WBTV shows problems at Union County DSS go deeper than the current child abuse charges against a fired supervisor.

Foster mom denies wrongdoing in death of baby, sues for slander, defamation


An Edmonton foster mother has filed a $20,000 countersuit against the biological family of an infant girl who died in her foster home.

Note: Murderer wants money.  Go figure.

The Family Court System in Maine Set for Review

The Family Court System in Maine Set for Review

If you have ever had any dealings with the family court system in Maine, your opinion is being solicited.

Starting next month, a series of public hearings will be held throughout the state giving you a chance to sound off.

A disaster at DCF

A disaster at DCF

The “overworked” social worker who was fired over the heartbreaking case of little Jeremiah Oliver had a responsibility to visit his family in person once a month. Once a month.

DCF keeps secret list of people suspected of child abuse, Herald says

DCF keeps secret list of people suspected of child abuse, Herald says

The state's Department of Children and Families has a list of more than 40,000 people suspected of child abuse or neglect that is almost completely unavailable to police and schools, according to an article in the Boston Herald.


NYPD: Man in custody dispute throws 3-year-old son, himself off 52-story Manhattan building roof

NYPD: Man in custody dispute throws 3-year-old son, himself off 52-story Manhattan building roof

A man involved in a custody dispute apparently threw his 3-year-old son off the roof of a 52-story Manhattan apartment building Sunday before jumping to his death, police said.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

DCF in turmoil over its handling of abuse allegations

DCF in turmoil over its handling of abuse allegations

The North Central office of the state Department of Children & Families that was responsible for ensuring the safety of young Jeremiah Oliver, now missing and feared dead, has ranked at the top of the list for years as having the highest caseloads, according to a DCF caseworkers' union spokesman.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Child welfare is a problem without borders

Child welfare is a problem without borders

Many states across the nation have found themselves living through the same tragic stories as Missouri.

Children 'at risk of abuse' as social services routinely refuse to co-operate with the police

Children 'at risk of abuse' as social services routinely refuse to co-operate with the police

New figures show that two-thirds of council-run children's service departments have refused to share information about potential abuse with police or prosecutors

Lord Justice Munby probes 'court secrecy’

Lord Justice Munby probes 'court secrecy’

The case of Alessandra Pacchieri, the Italian woman whose baby was forcibly delivered, has prompted a significant judgment from Sir James Munby, head of the family courts

Suspension at foster care agency creates overflow issues at others


Lutheran Social Services of the South is the second largest foster child placement agency in the state of Texas.

Update: Foster Parent Charged With Child Abuse

Update: Foster Parent Charged With Child Abuse

State Police said investigators were contacted by the Department for Health and Family Services Special Investigations on December 17, 2013, about a possible child abuse case after a 17-month boy was taken to the hospital unresponsive and not breathing due to a possible brain injury.


Brooke Mueller - Brooke Mueller believes family services 'out to get her'

Brooke Mueller - Brooke Mueller believes family services 'out to get her'

Brooke Mueller believes the Los Angeles Department Of Children and Family Services (LADCFS) are ''out to get her'' and are purposefully stopping her gaining custody of sons Bob and Max.

Note: No Ms Mueller they are not out to get you.  They want your kids.

Perhaps we should take a survey.  

Do you feel like CPS is out to get you?  or your kids?  Leave your answers in the comments section for all to see.

Family court judge cleared of wrongdoing in case of falsifying documents

Family court judge cleared of wrongdoing in case of falsifying documents

Harris County Family Court Judge Denise Pratt was cleared of any wrongdoing following accusations of falsifying court documents.

Friday, December 20, 2013

BC professor: DCF investigation must be transparent

BC professor: DCF investigation must be transparent

As hope fades in the search for missing five-year-old Fitchburg, Mass. boy Jeremiah Oliver, questions remain surrounding the actions of the Derpartment of Children and Families in his case.

Roundtable of MLAs and experts to study child welfare deaths in Alberta

Roundtable of MLAs and experts to study child welfare deaths in Alberta

Alberta’s system for investigating the deaths of children in care will be placed under the microscope at a roundtable gathering of government and opposition MLAs and experts in January, Human Services Minister Dave Hancock promised Wednesday.

Horror stories prompt private foster care scrutiny

Horror stories prompt private foster care scrutiny

L.A. County officials are taking a closer look at how private agencies review and clear people to become foster care parents. The move follows a report from the L.A. Times, which found that children placed in foster care are more likely to be hurt or even killed than those in state-supervised homes.

“Pay or you will never see your child again”

“Pay or you will never see your child again”

On Friday (13 Dec ’13), a local single mother fell victim to one of the most inhumane forms of blackmail and intimidation. The mother was contacted telephonically by the principal her child’s nursery school, informing that her child was taken away by the Police and will be kept by child welfare and will remain there until… she pays the child’s registration fees for January 2014.

Governor Patrick stands by head of embattled DCF

Governor Patrick stands by head of embattled DCF

Governor Deval Patrick on Thursday defended the head of the state’s child welfare department after the agency has come under sharp criticism for neglecting a troubled Fitchburg family, but he said the commissioner must determine whether other supervisors shared responsibility for the failures.

Foster children won’t be placed with Austin agency after report on child’s death

Foster children won’t be placed with Austin agency after report on child’s death

State protective services officials have stopped placing abused and neglected children with the Austin-area branch of Texas’ No. 1 foster care contractor after finding eight violations at the suburban Austin home where an 11-month-old suffered fatal injuries in October.

Judge: U.S. Government Is Assisting In Child Smuggling By Reuniting Undocumented Families

Judge: U.S. Government Is Assisting In Child Smuggling By Reuniting Undocumented Families

A federal judge in South Texas said in a recent order that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is assisting in criminal conspiracies to smuggle children into the country when it helps reunite them with parents who are known to be in the U.S. illegally.

State had data on CPS crisis for years

State had data on CPS crisis for years

The state’s child-welfare agency has for years issued reports showing that allegations of child abuse and neglect were not being investigated — suggesting that state officials who oversee CPS knew or should have known it was failing to adequately safeguard thousands of Arizona children.

Seneca foster mom accused of abusing child

Seneca foster mom accused of abusing child

Seneca Police Chief John Covington says 58-year-old Mattie Brooks is charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child and one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Police investigating foster child's injuries as abuse

Police investigating foster child's injuries as abuse

A 17-month-old boy, from Fleming County, is still in critical condition at Kentucky Children's Hospital after going through surgery Wednesday morning. The Kentucky State Police say the child's injuries are a concern and they have opened a criminal abuse case.

When families fear human services

When families fear human services

It is nearly impossible in this day and age to turn on the news without hearing about systemic racial discrimination in the United States.

TEXAS CPS CAME TO ARKANSAS AND KIDNAPPED OUR GRANDSON

TEXAS CPS CAME TO ARKANSAS AND KIDNAPPED OUR GRANDSON

Texarkana, TX CPS came to AR after we got custody of our grandchild and kidnapped him from AR Children's Hospital. Children's Hospital let us have the kids after TX CPS brought them to the hospital for alledged abuse and abandonded them here in Little Rock. They set a bogus appointment for a follow up and when we got to the hospital they took our baby and they had no paperwork to show that they had custody. They treated my fiance, the biological grandfather like a criminal and threatened to arrest him if he did not turn the other child over to them.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Former foster father allegedly got teenage girls to strip online

Former foster father allegedly got teenage girls to strip online

A former foster father and Massachusetts school official posed as a 14-year-old boy online to get girls to strip for him on camera, federal prosecutors say.

Warrant: Upstate foster mother kept abused child in doghouse

Warrant: Upstate foster mother kept abused child in doghouse

An Upstate foster mother is accused of abusing a child in her care and is now facing several charges, according to Seneca Police Chief John Covington.

Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's twin sons face Xmas in foster care

Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's twin sons face Xmas in foster care

CHARLIE Sheen and Brooke Mueller's twin sons Bob and Max could be spending Christmas in foster care.

RadarOnline.com is reporting that the four-year-old twins are in danger of being placed in care, after Child Protective Services in Los Angeles was reportedly presented with new evidence revealing inconsistencies in Mueller’s drug treatment program.




KSP investigating case involving foster child

KSP investigating case involving foster child

A child in foster care in Fleming County was transported to Fleming County Hospital Tuesday after he was found not breathing, authorities.

Alaska Native foster children to get federal help

Alaska Native foster children to get federal help

The state is entering into an agreement with the first tribal consortium in Alaska to receive federal foster care reimbursements.

State punishes foster care agency in death of 11-month-old Orion Hamilton

State punishes foster care agency in death of 11-month-old Orion Hamilton

Kurt Senske, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the South, has released the following statement:

“LSS is aware of the issues raised by the Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS). Our number one priority is the safety of our children and we remain confident of the quality of all of our programs. We respect the state’s rights and responsibilities in this area and we will cooperate fully with DFPS. We are scheduled to meet with DFPS to discuss their concerns and will have no additional comment prior to that meeting, as it would be inappropriate.”

Private foster care system, intended to save children, endangers some

Private foster care system, intended to save children, endangers some

They were found barefoot in January, huddled under a blanket against the biting High Desert winter cold, two kids on the run from a former foster mother, who had bound their hands with zip-ties and beat them.

Charlie Sheen given monitored visits

Charlie Sheen given monitored visits

Charlie Sheen has been granted visitation rights to his twin sons.

The 'Anger Management' star was told by a judge yesterday (17.12.13) that he will be allowed to see five-year-old Bob and Max - who are currently in the care of their uncle Scott Mueller - for two monitored visits per week, each lasting two hours.

And the judge presiding over the case between Charlie and his ex-wife Brooke Mueller also told the actor he will incrementally get his custody of the boys restored to 50/50 if he continues to co-operate with the courts and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (CDFS), TMZ reports.

Commissioner of Dept. of Children and Families won't claim responsibility in department scandal

Commissioner of Dept. of Children and Families won't claim responsibility in department scandal

The Commissioner of Department of Children and Families (DCF) says she can be "objective" in a top down review of its own failings related to the case involving Jeremiah Oliver, a 5-year-old missing boy from Fitchburg.

Mass. ranked poorly in child abuse report

Mass. ranked poorly in child abuse report

Massachusetts didn't fare well in a report involving child abuse in foster homes. Compared to other states, data ranks Massachusetts at the bottom of the list in keeping foster homes safe.


DCF combing through cases of two fired social workers

DCF combing through cases of two fired social workers

Officials at the Department of Children and Families are scrambling to review the cases of two fired state child welfare workers they say failed a missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy, whose disappearance authorities are investigating as a “possible homicide.”

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tribes protest custody ruling



The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are protesting the decision of the tribal court in a child custody case.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Manitoba gets inquiry report into child’s death

Manitoba gets inquiry report into child’s death

The Manitoba government says it has received the final report from a public inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair, 5, who spent much of her life in foster care.

Social worker struck off after using mobile to snap indecent photos up women's skirts

Social worker struck off after using mobile to snap indecent photos up women's skirts

An NSPCC social worker who was caught taking indecent pictures up women’s skirts was yesterday struck off from working in the profession.

Trial in foster child's death delayed until April

Trial in foster child's death delayed until April

The trial of a former Cullom woman charged with murder in the 2011 death of a foster child has been delayed until April 21.

Fund set up for Schoharie County girl whose teeth were pulled

Fund set up for Schoharie County girl whose teeth were pulled

A fund has been set up to benefit a developmentally disabled Schoharie County eight-year-old whose legal guardian is facing felony assault charges for pulling out three of her teeth with a pair of pliers, state police announced last week.


Mom: Traumatized teen faced new sex abuse in foster home

Mom: Traumatized teen faced new sex abuse in foster home

A former Stoneham school official accused of posing as a 14-year-old boy online to lure teenage girls into webcam strip shows is also at the center of a scathing civil lawsuit that slams state officials for delivering an abused foster child into his home.

Feds: Former foster dad targeted `over 100’ vulnerable girls online

Feds: Former foster dad targeted `over 100’ vulnerable girls online

The former Stoneham school official at the center of a state lawsuit claiming he abused a foster child in his care was called a “manipulative” predator who graduated from downloading child porn to targeting vulnerable teens online — including other foster children — at his hearing in federal court today.

Two DCF workers fired in missing Fitchburg boy’s case

Two DCF workers fired in missing Fitchburg boy’s case

Two child welfare workers have been fired in the case of a missing Fitchburg boy, which the head of the state’s Department of Children and Families is calling a “serious failure.”

Michigan foster mom leaves 2 kids in van at store

Michigan foster mom leaves 2 kids in van at store

Police say a foster mother could face charges after leaving two young children in a van in Monroe with the engine off while temperatures were in the 20s.

Monday, December 16, 2013

ADHD diagnoses soared amid 20-year drug marketing campaign

ADHD diagnoses soared amid 20-year drug marketing campaign

After more than 50 years leading the fight to legitimize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Keith Conners could be celebrating.

2 kids return to US after overseas custody dispute

2 kids return to US after overseas custody dispute

 Two children are back with their mother in Jefferson City after an overseas custody dispute.

Jon Lender: DCF Probes Handling Of Abuse Cases By Employees

Jon Lender: DCF Probes Handling Of Abuse Cases By Employees

Two tragic cases of child abuse in recent months have prompted state Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz to pen an unusual memo expressing concern about "some less than stellar performances" by DCF personnel.

Botched cases update set for CPS oversight panel

Botched cases update set for CPS oversight panel

The Arizona Legislature’s child protective services oversight committee on Monday is set to hear an update on efforts to investigate more than 6,500 ignored abuse and neglect reports.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder

The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder

After more than 50 years leading the fight to legitimize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Keith Conners could be celebrating.

Family Feels They're Victims of Social Workers Strike

Family Feels They're Victims of Social Workers Strike

A tentative deal between children's social workers and the County of Los Angeles was tentatively reached Friday, but not before one family says it negatively affected them in court

Ga. social worker arrested on drug charges

Ga. social worker arrested on drug charges

Police in suburban Atlanta say a social worker accused of carrying illegal drugs while driving a mentally disabled man to a group home has been arrested.


Additional fixes for child Colorado welfare system

Colorado operates with a disturbing lack of transparency when it comes to information about child abuse investigations.

Beaten New Jersey Boy, 4, Wins in Lawsuit

Beaten New Jersey Boy, 4, Wins in Lawsuit

An Essex County jury handed down a $166 million verdict on Friday against the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services in a case involving a boy who suffered severe brain damage allegedly caused by a beating.

Cary mom faces sex charges

Cary mom faces sex charges

A Cary mom was arrested and is accused of having sex with a minor in her care.

The victim is a teenage boy who was under the care of 30-year-old Crystal Ritter, but police say he is not her biological child.

State wants to get out of settlement on foster care supervision

State wants to get out of settlement on foster care supervision

The state believes it is ready to continue reforms of its foster care operations without court supervision.

L.A. County reaches tentative deal with striking social workers

L.A. County reaches tentative deal with striking social workers

After days of strikes, Los Angeles County and its social worker employees reached a deal Friday to end the labor action by reducing caseloads, one of the last sticking points to signing a contract with a union that represents 55,000 county workers.

Arizona CPS update: New team reports progress on botched Child Protective Services cases

Arizona CPS update: New team reports progress on botched Child Protective Services cases

A team overseeing investigations into more than 6,500 ignored child abuse and neglect reports in Arizona says 119 cases have been identified requiring an immediate response.

Inspector General reopening investigation into CPS

Inspector General reopening investigation into CPS

The life of Orion Hamilton was cut short the day before her first birthday. The toddler's death left a lot of unanswered questions, and on Friday, the Inspector General of Texas said he is looking for answers.

Secrecy shrouds details of Georgia child deaths

Secrecy shrouds details of Georgia child deaths

A culture of secrecy undergirds Georgia’s child-protection services, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Rep. Tim Murphy Introduces Mental-Health Legislation

Rep. Tim Murphy Introduces Mental-Health Legislation

Rep. Tim Murphy (R., Pa.), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, introduced a wide-ranging mental health care bill that would change the way mental illness is treated.

Bill of rights in action. : juvenile law. (1974)

Bill of rights in action. : juvenile law. (1974)

Follows two brothers, ages fifteen and eighteen, after their arrest, pointing up differences between adult criminal procedures and juvenile law. Asks whether it would be better if juveniles were treated as adults, subject to criminal sanctions but granted constitutional rights.

Note: This is an old video that I just came across on the Internet Archive.  It's worth watching.

Six 'at risk' children reported to DOCS 20 times died last year, government admits

Six 'at risk' children reported to DOCS 20 times died last year, government admits

ONE child known to community services caseworkers died every four days on average last year, amid revelations six of the now dead children had been reported to the department more than 20 times.

El Paso family sues over alleged caseworker strip-search of a child

El Paso family sues over alleged caseworker strip-search of a child

The family of a 15-year-old girl is suing El Paso County, saying she was forced to undergo a strip-search by a caseworker investigating abuse.

Report clears CPS in death of Cedar Park foster child



A state inquiry has cleared Child Protective Services of any mistakes in the October death of a 1-year-old foster child in Cedar Park, even though investigators never scrutinized the chain of events leading to the fatal injury or questioned whether the girl’s social worker missed red flags that the baby was in danger.

Officer: CPS put children in danger


The Phoenix police detective who blew the whistle on Child Protective Services’ failure to investigate thousands of allegations of child abuse or neglect wrote in a memo last month that the “dangerous and unlawful practice” had become “institutionalized” at the agency in order to reduce employees’ workloads.

DCF investigator raped mother while on duty, police say

DCF investigator raped mother while on duty, police say

A child protection investigator for the Department of Children and Families was arrested Thursday after police say he used his position of authority to threaten a mother then raped her twice while on duty.


Have sex with me or I'll take your kid.
~ A Florida CPS Agent 

Teen admits stealing social worker’s car

Teen admits stealing social worker’s car

A 17-year-old girl admitted yesterday that she assaulted a Franklin County Children Services worker and stole her car last summer, ending a trial that began one day earlier with the victim weeping on the witness stand.

Former social worker pleads guilty in decades-old sex crimes case

Former social worker pleads guilty in decades-old sex crimes case

Mary M. Laughinghouse pleaded guilty Dec. 6 in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court to four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor after a motion to dismiss the charges was denied by Judge William Alexander II.


Social worker struck off for using Council credit card for personal purchases

Social worker struck off for using Council credit card for personal purchases

Social worker Dorothy Lowe’ Bamidele has been struck off the HCPC Register for using her procurement card for personal purchases whilst working for Oxfordshire County Council.

Sharon Shoesmith: Social workers should not be blamed for child murders

Sharon Shoesmith: Social workers should not be blamed for child murders

Social workers should not be held "morally responsible" for the murder of children, the former Haringey children's services director Sharon Shoesmith has said.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Once-confidential memo reveals CPS mess

Once-confidential memo reveals CPS mess

A Phoenix police detective in charge of scrutinizing criminal investigations at Child Protective Services warned in a memo about the "dangerous and unlawful practice" of not investigating thousands of reports of child abuse or neglect.

Los Angeles County Social Workers End Six-Day Strike

Los Angeles County Social Workers End Six-Day Strike

After a raucous day of protests highlighted by the arrests of seven people, a six-day old work stoppage by Los Angeles County social workers came to an end today, with union officials saying they will return to the bargaining table.

New team for botched CPS cases reports progress

New team for botched CPS cases reports progress

An independent team created by Gov. Jan Brewer to oversee more than 6,550 ignored child abuse and neglect reports says they've assigned more than 1,200 of those cases to social workers.

Barbara Brooks: Former foster parent charged with raping children heads back to court

Barbara Brooks: Former foster parent charged with raping children heads back to court

A Colerain Township woman accused of sexually abusing children she babysat is scheduled to appear in a Hamilton County courtroom Thursday to either enter a plea or set a date for trial.

Woman who miscarried in prison 'forced to clean up blood in cell'

Woman who miscarried in prison 'forced to clean up blood in cell'

A pregnant woman who miscarried while in a cell at a private prison was left to clear up after herself, a court heard.

Adoption Incentives Could Be Reauthorized by 2014 - Call Congress And Complain

Adoption Incentives Could Be Reauthorized by 2014

The Senate Finance Committee will mark up a bill today that could usher in a reauthorization of federal adoption incentives before Congress breaks for the holidays.

5 CPS workers placed on paid leave; 2 identified

5 CPS workers placed on paid leave; 2 identified

Child Protective Services says five workers were placed on paid administrative leave Dec. 2 after the discovery of more than 6,500 child abuse cases that were not investigated.

Debunking CPS or rather A Desperate Attempt To Make CPS Look Good

Debunking CPS

In the creaky apartment of a young couple addicted to heroin, an employee of Sacramento County’s most feared agency makes herself comfortable.

Gallupville man indicted in foster child's teeth extraction

Gallupville man indicted in foster child's teeth extraction

The Gallupville man accused of extracting adult teeth from his mentally-handicapped foster daughter was indicted on Wednesday.

Striking Child Welfare Workers Still Out in the Cold

Striking Child Welfare Workers Still Out in the Cold

Social workers say they want a lighter case load but county officials say pay raises are the real reasons workers are striking.

Scottsdale police investigating shelved CPS abuse cases

Scottsdale police investigating shelved CPS abuse cases

Scottsdale police have started investigating their city’s share of 6,554 reports of child abuse and neglect that were shelved without being investigated by state welfare workers.

Watchdog Update: Senate panel seeks answers on child deaths

Watchdog Update: Senate panel seeks answers on child deaths

Outraged over the recent abuse death of an 8-year-old Chicago girl and a rising toll of such deaths, a Senate subcommittee pushed state child welfare officials for answers today after administrators admitted the agency’s statistics are flawed.

Need for foster homes outpaces availability

Need for foster homes outpaces availability

Foster children often arrive at their new homes with just the clothes on their backs, or maybe a garbage bag of belongings. But they all carry a history.

Note: Perhaps Arizona's inability to investigate 100% of calls to the CPS hotline has something to do with their inability to house every kid who is reported.  Of course that would be like putting 2 and 2 together, but the general public, which comprises of mostly normal people who don't have a clue as to how the agencies run are going to demand that they do something about this.


Santa is a CPS Rat!

Santa tells child he is going to 'report mummy to social services'

A MOTHER was furious after Santa threatened to call social services because her daughter was too small - despite being just a few pounds lighter than the average child.

Note: This from a guy who "sees you when your sleeping," and then goes around letting little kids sit on his lap bribing them with toys and candy canes.


Secret courts: couple tell of their struggle to adopt granddaughter

Secret courts: couple tell of their struggle to adopt granddaughter


Grandparents of child taken into care by Essex County Council tell of their anguish at not having legal rights to be her guardian

LA County Social Worker Strike Ends

LA County Social Worker Strike Ends

A strike by county social workers ended Tuesday afternoon, with the county asking union leaders to return to the bargaining table.

Falls teen missing from group home

Falls teen missing from group home

Police are looking for the public's help in finding a 13-year-old girl who ran away from her group home on Tuesday.

Foster Parents Plead Guilty to Child Neglect

Foster Parents Plead Guilty to Child Neglect


Two foster parents pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of child neglect or endangerment with substantial bodily harm involving two young children in their care.

DCFS Comes Under Criticism At State Senate Hearing

DCFS Comes Under Criticism At State Senate Hearing

The Department of Children and Family Services came in for some scathing criticism at a State Senate hearing today. The accusation? DCFS isn’t protecting children well enough, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Foster mother gets jail term for infant's drowning

Foster mother gets jail term for infant's drowning

A 32-year-old Kingman foster mother has been sentenced to 100 days in jail for the accidental bathtub drowning of an 8-month-old baby in her care.

Professor: R.I. is shortchanging foster families with inadequate financial aid

Professor: R.I. is shortchanging foster families with inadequate financial aid

The average Rhode Island foster family needs 72 percent more financial aid than what the state provides, according to an American University economics professor who testified Monday in U.S. District Court, Providence.

Arizona CPS uncovers problems with another 1,800 child abuse cases

Arizona CPS uncovers problems with another 1,800 child abuse cases

The Associated Press and ABC 15 is reporting that a review by Arizona Child Protective Services officials of a second group of ignored child abuse and neglect reports found another 1,800 cases that warranted a full investigation.

Father of child in kidnap case arrested in Portland

Father of child in kidnap case arrested in Portland

Portland police have arrested a Vancouver man accused of abducting his 5-month-old son Nov. 27 from Washington Child Protective Services.

Judge lifts bail restrictions on couple accused of abusing adopted and foster children

Judge lifts bail restrictions on couple accused of abusing adopted and foster children

A federal judge yesterday lifted the bail restrictions of home confinement and GPS monitoring against Army Maj. John Jackson and his wife, Carolyn — each charged with abusing their adopted and foster children for years.

‘Daily Show’ Takes on Johnson & Johnson’s Criminal Allegations

‘Daily Show’ Takes on Johnson & Johnson’s Criminal Allegations

Jon Stewart takes on pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, saying the criminal allegations against the company are far worse than the shootings, decapitations and massacres encountered in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto.

How 'forced' caesarean case became a story about social work

How 'forced' caesarean case became a story about social work

The hostile media outburst was characterised by speculation and half-truths, with little focus on the complexities of the case

Monday, December 09, 2013

Foster children neglect case raises questions about Family Services response

Foster children neglect case raises questions about Family Services response

On Sept. 23, two Clark County Department of Family Services employees traveled down a gravel road in Sandy Valley and parked along a fence near a travel trailer on a two-acre dirt lot.

Thousands to join LA county social workers' strike

Thousands to join LA county social workers' strike

A strike by Los Angeles County children's social workers will expand Monday as thousands more county workers join the picket line, a union spokesman said.

After failing Arizonans on CPS, Carter must go

After failing Arizonans on CPS, Carter must go

Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini wrote recently that we should not be criticizing the overworked, underpaid Child Protective Services caseworkers fighting to protect children throughout Arizona. He reminded us of their commitment and their dedication as they continue working in conditions which many people would find unbearable (“A view of CPS from within the trenches,” Valley & State, Dec. 1).



Caseworker vacancy rate climbs after Pru Goward's directive ignored

Caseworker vacancy rate climbs after Pru Goward's directive ignored

The child protection caseworker vacancy rate has almost doubled this year despite Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward's directive to her department in March to fill all vacancies.

Missing Vancouver baby found unharmed, mom arrested

Missing Vancouver baby found unharmed, mom arrested

Police located a missing 5-month-old and arrested two suspects Saturday after a Vancouver couple ran away with the infant before he could be taken into the custody of Child Protective Services.

Arizona's child welfare system designed to fail

Arizona's child welfare system designed to fail

Outrage that Arizona state workers set aside more than 6,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect over the past four years is not mitigated by understanding how woefully inadequate our state child-welfare system has been for years.

A forced adoption and the lifelong search of a mother

A forced adoption and the lifelong search of a mother

Philomena Lee is 80 now and she has made peace with many things. Yet, her voice catches when she describes her last glimpse of her firstborn child as he was being taken away to be adopted by an American family.

Saturday, December 07, 2013

FOSTER PARENTS PLEAD GUILTY TO KIDNAPPING, HOMICIDE

FOSTER PARENTS PLEAD GUILTY TO KIDNAPPING, HOMICIDE

The foster parents to a deceased three-year-old baby girl whose body was found by a roadside in Ulu Kuala Balai entered their pleas before the High Court yesterday.

Court reverses decision to deny deported man custody of son

Court reverses decision to deny deported man custody of son

A Chelan County court cannot deny a deported father the custody of his son after he met all criteria set by child welfare agents, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

8 arrested in connection to missing Vanc. baby

8 arrested in connection to missing Vanc. baby

Police arrested eight people Thursday in connection with a Vancouver couple who ran away with their infant before he could be taken into county custody.

Friday, December 06, 2013

L.A. County child-welfare chief asks social workers to end strike

L.A. County child-welfare chief asks social workers to end strike

During a raucous rally of striking social workers on Friday, Los Angeles County child-welfare chief Philip Browning made a surprise appearance before the crowd and urged them to return to work.

“Philomena’s” story is just one example of the forced adoption of Irish children

“Philomena’s” story is just one example of the forced adoption of Irish children

Critics and audiences are applauding "Philomena," the new film starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. It’s about an Irish mother who becomes pregnant and is more or less forced by local nuns to give up the child for adoption.

Reasonable Doubt: B.C.’s throwaway children

Reasonable Doubt: B.C.’s throwaway children

LAST WEEK, I walked into the courthouse and I saw a kid in handcuffs with two sheriffs standing near him. I was surprised for two reasons.

Council defends move to take Italian mum's C-section baby into care

Council defends move to take Italian mum's C-section baby into care

A council has been applauded for defending its actions to take an Italian mother's baby into care after she was forced to undergo a Caesarean birth.

Big payout to Foster care kids

Big payout to Foster care kids

THE NSW Department of Family and Community Services will pay a substantial settlement to two children it forced into foster care after caseworkers noted the infants' parents used marijuana.

Caseworker strip-search alleged in Colo. lawsuit

Caseworker strip-search alleged in Colo. lawsuit

The family of a 15-year-old El Paso County girl is suing over an alleged forced strip-search by a caseworker investigating abuse.

Mother sues Batshaw after case worker impregnates her

Mother sues Batshaw after case worker impregnates her

A Montreal woman, whose identity cannot be revealed because her two youngest children are protected under the Youth Protection Act, is suing Batshaw Youth and Family Centres for half a million dollars after her case worker got her pregnant.

Mississippi Supreme Court orders reprimand, fine for Jackson County Judge Neil Harris in contempt case

Mississippi Supreme Court orders reprimand, fine for Jackson County Judge Neil Harris in contempt case

The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered a public reprimand for a Jackson County judge who issued contempt citations against three people who allegedly lied about delivering subpoenas in child support cases.


A fix for foster care

A fix for foster care

Caring for the most vulnerable among us is the very essence of what a well-functioning government must be able to do.

And now we find out — yet again — that this state, which has never pinched pennies when it comes to funding services to children and to families, is still failing too many of them.

Note: They want more money.

Fixing CPS won’t prevent child abuse

Fixing CPS won’t prevent child abuse

We are, of course, appalled that 6,000 reports of possible child abuse and neglect to Child Protective Services received not even follow-up phone calls.




Teen sues after sexual assault in foster home

Teen sues after sexual assault in foster home

A 15-year-old girl has launched a $1.15-million lawsuit after she was sexually assaulted by the biological son of the Edmonton foster family she was placed with.

County Children's Social Workers Strike for Lower Caseloads

County Children's Social Workers Strike for Lower Caseloads

The union representing Los Angeles County's approximately 4,000 children's social workers has called a strike for Thursday in an attempt to get lower caseloads, a union official told City News Service tonight.

Note: They want more workers to snatch more kids.  Now watch the newspapers obsess over this.


Thursday, December 05, 2013

Ann Arbor woman allowed to visit with her infant 3 hours a week as she fights CPS for baby's return

Ann Arbor woman allowed to visit with her infant 3 hours a week as she fights CPS for baby's return

"They started knocking on my door, telling me that if I don't give them my baby that they were going to arrest me," said Dalia Kenbar whose infant daughter was taken by Child Protective Services (CPS) the day before Thanksgiving.

Grandmother testifies DYFS workers told her to 'stop calling,' after she found drug pipe in diaper bag

Grandmother testifies DYFS workers told her to 'stop calling,' after she found drug pipe in diaper bag

Neomi Escobar says she spent five nerve-wracked weeks trying to get state child welfare workers to make sure her infant grandson was okay only to be rebuked by a supervisor who told her to “stop calling.”