Legally Kidnapped

Shattering Your Child Welfare Delusions Since 2007


Saturday, October 31, 2015

Sentimental headlines mask child 'protection’ big business

Sentimental headlines mask child 'protection’ big business

Is there not something questionable about the way tabloids can advertise winsome pictures of children needing adoption?


Local adoption attorney weighs possible impact of China’s relaxation of one-child policy on U.S. adoptions

Local adoption attorney weighs possible impact of China’s relaxation of one-child policy on U.S. adoptions

China's government made a major cultural shift this week.  It will now allow all couples to now have two children -- effectively ending its decades-old "one child policy."

Haiti officials looking into new allegations of sex abuse against US man who founded orphanage

Haiti officials looking into new allegations of sex abuse against US man who founded orphanage

Haitian investigators say they're looking into new allegations of sex abuse against a U.S. man who founded an orphanage for boys.

Spanish parents found guilty of murdering their adopted daughter

Spanish parents found guilty of murdering their adopted daughter

One of the most closely followed criminal trials in Spain of recent years ended on Friday with the jury unanimously deciding that both parents of a 12-year-old girl, who was found strangled to death two years ago, are guilty of her murder.


Ky. blocks foster parent from taking own nieces

Ky. blocks foster parent from taking own nieces

As a state-approved foster parent for 16 years and a Kentucky government employee with a good job, Lorie Crawley believes she could provide a loving home and the best care for two young relatives, girls removed from a household disrupted by drug abuse and domestic violence.


Mother of Severely Abused Toddler Speaks Out, Says She Warned Foster Agency

Mother of Severely Abused Toddler Speaks Out, Says She Warned Foster Agency

A mother is speaking out, saying she tried to warn Santa Clara County social workers her daughter was being severely abused while in foster care. She says she took over 100 photos documenting the girl’s wounds during supervised visits.


Foster father is accused of molesting children in his care

Foster father is accused of molesting children in his care

A foster father from Springfield is accused of repeatedly molesting children who were placed in his care.  Greene County prosecutors on Friday charged Harry Clark, 56, with first-degree statutory rape, two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, and first-degree child molestation; the first charges involve a child under age 12 and the fourth one involves a child under age 14. In asking a judge for a $75,000 bond, prosecutors wrote this:  “Multiple children have disclosed instances o…


As You Were Saying...DCF must preserve families, too

As You Were Saying...DCF must preserve families, too

While stories in the media about the Department of Children and Families focus on the tragic deaths of children who were in DCF custody or who should have been, the overwhelming majority of cases are less sensational. Consider the following actual DCF cases. Names have been changed for privacy reasons.

ACLU sues Indiana agency over adoption subsidies on behalf of 2 foster parents

ACLU sues Indiana agency over adoption subsidies on behalf of 2 foster parents

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two foster parents against the director of the Indiana Department of Child Services' Central Eligibility Unit over adoption subsidies.

Friday, October 30, 2015

State Investigating Caseworker Who Copied & Pasted Bella Bond’s DCF File

State Investigating Caseworker Who Copied & Pasted Bella Bond’s DCF File

The Department of Children and Families is investigating an unnamed caseworker at the center of the Bella Bond case who copied and pasted old reports into Bond’s case files. The caseworker’s reports contained information from a 2006 report on Rachelle Bond, Bella’s mother, and resulted in the Department of Children and Families electing to close her case file in September 2013. Bella was born in 2012, years after the state revoked Rachelle Bond’s custody of her first two children.


Mom gets jail in adoption

Mom gets jail in adoption

A Springdale woman received jail time and 10 years on probation after she admitted taking money from two sets of prospective adoptive parents.

"Social services scared RT will expose forced adoption" - Father



Father Eugene Lukjanenko says social services told him his son was forcibly adopted because he "exposed him to media attention" and also because he suffers from Holocaust trauma.

DCF to scrutinize Bella case worker's involvement with other kids

DCF to scrutinize Bella case worker's involvement with other kids

Serious discipline could be on the way for a Department of Children and Families worker who evaluated the case of Bella Bond, the 2-year-old found murdered on Deer Island.

S.C. case enters debate on filming police

S.C. case enters debate on filming police

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott returned home from a gathering of law enforcement leaders to an uproar over images of a school resource officer flipping a 16-year-old girl out of her desk and dragging her across the floor of her classroom Monday at a high school in Columbia.

Near Death of Foster Child Sheds Light on Flawed System

Near Death of Foster Child Sheds Light on Flawed System

Records obtained by NBC Bay Area reveal the Santa Clara Department of Social Services recorded numerous complaints about the injuries from caregivers, relatives and teachers before taking action.

Police: Amesbury woman stole from former foster child

Police: Amesbury woman stole from former foster child

An Amesbury mother was ordered to pay back her one-time foster daughter more than $3,000 after using her name to open two National Grid accounts without her knowledge.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Siblings reunite at Rutgers University after 18 years in different foster homes

Siblings reunite at Rutgers University after 18 years in different foster homes

A day doesn't go by where Gina Pearson and her biological brother, Keith DuPree, don't talk. If they're not meeting up on the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, they're texting or chatting on the phone.


Focus on the Figures: Long Stays in Foster Care

Focus on the Figures: Long Stays in Foster Care

The U.S. foster care system is structured to provide temporary, safe living arrangements and therapeutic services for children who cannot remain safely at home due to child maltreatment or for children whose parents are unable to provide adequate care. The aim, at all times, is to either reunify children with their parents or secure another source of permanency with other family or through adoption.

Troubling trend in Kansas foster care system

Troubling trend in Kansas foster care system

The number of kids in foster care in Kansas is at a record high while the number of social workers is dropping.

Guardian for Children sounds warning as more at-risk kids kept in motels, temporary accommodation under state care

Guardian for Children sounds warning as more at-risk kids kept in motels, temporary accommodation under state care

THE number of children living in rented apartments or hotel rooms, after being taken from abusive or neglectful parents, has “ballooned”, peaking at 126 on one night last financial year.


Number of Alaska children in foster care rises to record level

Number of Alaska children in foster care rises to record level

A record number of Alaska children are in foster care, according to state officials.

Hopes dashed for Sask. couple hoping to adopt their foster kids

Awww.  The poor things.

Hopes dashed for Sask. couple hoping to adopt their foster kids

A couple from a small town south of Regina is heartbroken after the two little boys they have been fostering for more than a year are set to be adopted by another family.

I-Team: DCF child abuse hotline counselor removed after dismissing tip on baby later found murdered

I-Team: DCF child abuse hotline counselor removed after dismissing tip on baby later found murdered

Our I-Team has discovered a Department of Children and Families employee has been removed from working with the state's child abuse hotline and the child welfare division.

What One Woman Wishes She'd Known Before Placing Her Child for Adoption

What One Woman Wishes She'd Known Before Placing Her Child for Adoption



In the adoption world, adoptive parents usually get the most spotlight, with adoptees and birthparents getting less attention. I'm interested in bringing to light more stories from birthparents and adoptees to spread awareness of their experiences with adoption to promote healthy conversation. I recently had the chance to interview Brina Collins, a young woman who placed her child for adoption earlier this year, on the positives and negatives about her adoption experience and what she wishes she had known. This is the perspective of one birthmother, based on her personal experiences. She recognizes that other women may have had different experiences and does not claim to speak for all birthmothers. We'd love to hear your comments, but please be respectful to Brina and her experiences.

Family, ACLU sue DCS over adoption subsidies

Family, ACLU sue DCS over adoption subsidies

Family claims they are being forced to choose between giving up their three grandsons or sentencing them to poverty.


China lifts one-child policy amid worries over graying population

China lifts one-child policy amid worries over graying population

China said it would abandon its controversial “one-child policy” on Thursday and allow all couples to have two children, effectively ending the biggest population control experiment in history amid growing pressures from a rapidly aging population.

Bella Bond just 1 of 110 children to slip through cracks in protective services

Bella Bond just 1 of 110 children to slip through cracks in protective services

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families had been aware that Bella may have been subject to abuse but 'didn't do enough' to protect her, a report released Wednesday found.

Note: They are totally milking this.

School Recourse Officers Should Be Trained In Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and IEP Policy


We have all seen that video of the cop taking down the student in South Carolina.
And Beverly Tran did an insightful piece on this.
I am also familiar with the issue of physically restraining children in schools, or physically escorting them from classrooms.  That has been a hot topic over the last couple years.  So here are my thoughts on this issue.

Schools all across the country have policies for handling unruly students.  In the more extreme cases, they have the ability to physically restrain a child and to put them into isolation.  In doing so, only professionals who are trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), overseen by an administrator should be physically handling the child, except in the most extreme cases like when the use of potentially deadly immediate force becomes necessary.  The reason for this is to minimize the harm to the child as well as to other students or staff.

This student should and probably did have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in place, simply because of her prior circumstance.  Her being a foster child, I believe, qualifies her for an IEP.  Although I can't claim to know much about her circumstances or her particular life situation, I can say that being "Recently Orphaned" is a reasonable explanation for the behavior which she was exhibiting.

Now, because of Deputy Ben (the animal) Fields we will have one child injured, traumatized students, and the social workers and counselors there to talk about it.  Parents will be calling the school demanding that their children be kept safe from psycho cops like that.  The Sheriffs Department will also need to do some serious damage control to get the kids to trust the police (recourse officers) again and an arrest would be a good way to start with that.

Had proper school TCI procedure for the physical removal of children from a class, as outlined in policies and state laws in South Carolina as well as all over the country been followed, there would have been two people, one under each arm, picking her up and removing her from the class.  The class would have been cleared of other students who would have to have otherwise been in danger from the violent and unruly student.  There would be no video, because the child's privacy would have been protected during the restraint.  And all de-escalation techniques should have been exhausted first.

I believe that the job of a School Recourse Officer should be to not only ensure safety, but to make the children feel safe in school.  The unjustifiable attack on the student at Spring Valley High School, now having gone viral, has set that goal back a few decades and demonstrates a desperate need for police officers in schools to be trained in the safe handling of unruly students, they should be subject to act only in extreme circumstances, and they should be subject to behavior plans outlined in IEP's, overseen by school administrators and trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention so that the student is handled as safely as possible.

Otherwise they should not be in school.


City foster care leader takes over amid problems, politics-inflected lawsuit

City foster care leader takes over amid problems, politics-inflected lawsuit

Julie Farber is taking charge of New York City's foster care system in unusually awkward circumstances.

Tasked with turning around a historically troubled system, she is now fighting a lawsuit filed against the city agency by her former employer, and joined by Public Advocate Letitia James — a lawsuit that seems to be caught up in the increasingly fraught political dynamic between Governor Andrew Cuomo and his erstwhile ally, Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Shock over Montana child protection panel selection

Shock over Montana child protection panel selection

A member of a collection of grandparents and counselors who have been calling for change to the state’s Child and Family Services Division said she is shocked that no one from her group was named to Gov. Steve Bullock’s new 14-member panel looking at how to improve systems serving children and families.

Former children services worker sentenced for child porn

Former children services worker sentenced for child porn

An Akron man who previously worked for the Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services has been sentenced for downloading and viewing child pornography.

Report: DCF failed in Bella Bond case

Report: DCF failed in Bella Bond case

Child welfare workers never fully checked whether Rachelle D. Bond could care for her daughter Bella in 2013, and instead used “cut-and-pasted” info from previous investigations before prematurely closing her case — two years before the little girl was found dead on a Winthrop beach, according to a state watchdog.

Surrogacy for Indians only - Govt tells SC it plans to ban embryo import

Surrogacy for Indians only - Govt tells SC it plans to ban embryo import

The Centre today told the Supreme Court it proposes to ban the import of human embryos for commercial surrogacy and would permit "only altruistic surrogacy to... infertile married Indian couples".

Is Foster Care a Risk Factor for ADHD?

Is Foster Care a Risk Factor for ADHD?

Children in foster care were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and other behavioral disorders than other children on Medicaid, according to a large retrospective study of Medicaid claims data released here.

Gov. Phil Bryant to seek $37M for foster care reform

Gov. Phil Bryant to seek $37M for foster care reform

A status conference is scheduled next month in federal court on the state's progress to reform its foster care system.


‘Baby Doe’ neglect claims were mishandled by social workers

‘Baby Doe’ neglect claims were mishandled by social workers

Massachusetts child protection workers failed to thoroughly investigate earlier reports of neglect involving a 2-year-old girl, who became known as “Baby Doe” after her body washed up in a plastic bag on a Boston Harbor beach, a state report released Wednesday said.

Woman Suspected of Inappropriate Contact with Foster Child Facing New Charges

Woman Suspected of Inappropriate Contact with Foster Child Facing New Charges

A woman suspected of having inappropriate sexual contact with a foster child in her care turned herself in as she faces additional charges.


Life is even harder now for the South Carolina teen assaulted by ex-Deputy Ben Fields — she's in foster care

Life is even harder now for the South Carolina teen assaulted by ex-Deputy Ben Fields — she's in foster care

In an interview with the Daily News, Todd Rutherford, the respected Columbia, S.C., attorney representing the assault victim of the recently terminated Deputy Ben Fields, revealed that his client, in addition to suffering injuries on her face, neck, and arm, is a recent orphan living in foster care.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

After Recent Child Deaths, Gov. Scott Pledges Additional Funds To DCF

After Recent Child Deaths, Gov. Scott Pledges Additional Funds To DCF

Governor Rick Scott says he wants an additional about $23 million to fund Florida’s child welfare agency—under scrutiny recently for its involvement in two high profile child abuse deaths.


Pilot project aims to help youth in care avoid jail

Pilot project aims to help youth in care avoid jail

Ottawa and Queen’s Park are launching a pilot project aimed at reducing the high rate of youth in Ontario’s child welfare system who end up in jail.


State Answers Senator Kennedy's Call for Investigation into Erie County Child Protective Services in Response to Tragic Death of Eain Brooks

State Answers Senator Kennedy's Call for Investigation into Erie County Child Protective Services in Response to Tragic Death of Eain Brooks

Five-year-old Eain Clayton Brooks was murdered last week on Buffalo’s West Side. Family members say they reported abuse to CPS on several occasions, but apparently no actions were taken after they determined the complaints were unfounded.


Spring Valley High School officer suspended after violent classroom arrest

Spring Valley High School officer suspended after violent classroom arrest

A student slammed to the ground by a South Carolina school resource officer "bears some responsibility," Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday.



Note: But she didn't deserve this.

Local officials, child development experts discuss ‘free-range’ parenting

Local officials, child development experts discuss ‘free-range’ parenting

In December 2014, the Montgomery County Department of Child Protective Services investigated two Maryland parents for neglect after they let their children — aged 10 and 6 — walk home unsupervised from a park about a mile from their house.

Note: As if the experts have a right to weigh in on everything.

Child welfare agency says charged Trenton parents did not abuse their kids

Child welfare agency says charged Trenton parents did not abuse their kids

The lawyer for the mother of a Trenton couple charged with leaving their kids unattended while they went shopping said child welfare officials have dropped neglect charges and are in the process of reuniting the children with their parents.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

New Coventry family drug and alcohol court aims to reduce children in care

New Coventry family drug and alcohol court aims to reduce children in care

A PIONEERING court specialising in tackling drug and alcohol issues in families whose children are facing care proceedings has been launched in Coventry.


Hilary Cottam: Social services are broken. How we can fix them

This is a Ted Talk on the failed structure of social services which often lead to more drastic forms of intervention.

Hilary Cottam: Social services are broken. How we can fix them

When a family falls into crisis — and it sometimes happens, thanks to unemployment, drugs, bad relationships and bad luck — the social services system is supposed to step in and help them get back on track. As Hilary Cottam shows, in the UK a typical family in crisis can be eligible for services from more than 70 different agencies, but it's unlikely that any one of them can really make a difference. Cottam, a social worker herself, asks us to think about the ways we solve deep and complex social problems. How can we build supportive, enthusiastic relationships between those in need and those that provide help?

20 Problems with 20/20's Coverage of Justin Harris 'Rehoming'

20 Problems with 20/20's Coverage of Justin Harris 'Rehoming'

Friday, ABC aired its six-months-in-the-making "20/20" special on the Justin and Marsha Harris adoption and rehoming, a story that the Arkansas Times originally broke in March.

Whitley County foster parent arrested


Whitley County foster parent arrested

A Whitley County foster parents faces endangering the welfare of a minor charges.




Brothers accused of fake child abuse reports


Brothers accused of fake child abuse reports

State police say two Binghamton brothers made separate reports claiming child abuse, which later proved to be false.

DCF Boss: 'System Failure' In Latest Child Deaths

DCF Boss: 'System Failure' In Latest Child Deaths

Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll told a Senate panel late last week that the state's child-protection system appears to have failed two Southwest Florida children whose bodies were found in recent days.

Child welfare agency says charged Trenton parents did not abuse their kids

Child welfare agency says charged Trenton parents did not abuse their kids

The lawyer for the mother of a Trenton couple charged with leaving their kids unattended while they went shopping said child welfare officials have dropped neglect charges and are in the process of reuniting the children with their parents.

Transparency in the Family Court: judge allows publication of article about children in care

Transparency in the Family Court: judge allows publication of article about children in care

Before the court were cross applications by a journalist and the local authority regarding care proceedings which the former wished to report. The individual in question was a mother (representing herself in these proceedings) who had had a number of children taken into care in the past. Her life had been “blighted” historically by serious mental health problems which have at times made it unsafe for her to care for her children. At the time of this application, it seemed, those times appeared to be behind her. Be that as it may, she and her children had been through the care system on a number of occasions.

Family courts must open up to avoid 'outrageous injustices', warns Ukip

Family courts must open up to avoid 'outrageous injustices', warns Ukip

Secrecy within the UK’s system of family courts is allowing social workers to “ride roughshod” over ordinary people and resulting in the unnecessary breakup of families and forced adoptions, the Ukip MP Douglas Carswell has warned.


Monday, October 26, 2015

Social workers criticised for ‘shocking misunderstanding’ of the law

Social workers criticised for ‘shocking misunderstanding’ of the law

Social workers have been criticised for the “most shocking misunderstanding of the law” in a court case that ended with a mother and daughter being awarded a record £40,000 in damages for a case of its kind.

Homeschool and You Get Assigned a Social Worker

Homeschool and You Get Assigned a Social Worker

One week afterward the secretary to the superintendent, Lisa Delia, called and demanded to know where the IHIP was. According to state law, a parent has four weeks from receipt of the IHIP form to return it. The school official insisted that the IHIP had to be submitted immediately. She also informed the family that she would be assigning them a social worker and that their son had to remain in public school until the IHIP was approved.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Lawmakers question use of temps to cut child-safety case backlog

Lawmakers question use of temps to cut child-safety case backlog

The Department of Child Safety is turning to former staffers and a temp agency for help chopping down a backlog of 15,000 cases.

Pa. Budget Impasse Threatening Services For Foster Children

Pa. Budget Impasse Threatening Services For Foster Children

Pennsylvania’s state budget impasse has stopped funding for child welfare agencies, including those that provide for foster children and foster parents. Now, a lawsuit has been filed to get those funds flowing again.

Attorney accused of cheating adoptive parents out of money

Attorney accused of cheating adoptive parents out of money

An Oklahoma City adoption attorney is accused of cheating adoptive parents out of thousands of dollars.




Abused Girls Take on Jewish Foster Agency

Abused Girls Take on Jewish Foster Agency

An agency dedicated to serving Jewish foster children turned a blind eye as two sisters suffered years of sexual abuse, they claim in Federal Court.

Foster Parent all butt hurt after they took away the foster kid

Foster care parent shares pain of having a child taken

After nearly a decade of love, it took only a day and the catalyst of one incident for Mary and her husband Martin* to have their sometimes violent foster son taken from their care forever.

‘Rehomed’ girls to appear on ’20/20’ to debunk Rep. Justin Harris’ claims about their demonic behavior

‘Rehomed’ girls to appear on ’20/20’ to debunk Rep. Justin Harris’ claims about their demonic behavior

The briefly adopted daughters of state Rep. Justin Harris will appear Friday night on a television news program to repudiate the Arkansas Republican’s claims that they are demonically violent.

State: DCS Caseload Law Doesn't Create Right to Sue

State: DCS Caseload Law Doesn't Create Right to Sue

A judge will decide next year whether a Department of Child Services caseworker's lawsuit over heavy caseloads should be thrown out.

NJ Trampled Indigent Mom's Trial Rights

NJ Trampled Indigent Mom's Trial Rights

A homeless mother should have been given court-appointed counsel in her fight to retain parental rights over her young daughter, a New Jersey appeals court found.

Arkansas State Rep. Refutes Claims Exorcism Was Performed on Adopted Kids

Arkansas State Rep. Refutes Claims Exorcism Was Performed on Adopted Kids

Family has always been important to Justin and Marsha Harris, who are raising three boys in their devoutly Christian household in Arkansas.

Our Voice: Privacy law can hinder foster care safety

Our Voice: Privacy law can hinder foster care safety

A recent two-day series by Desert Sun reporter Brett Kelman shed light on a troubling situation involving some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.


Our Voice: Privacy law can hinder foster care safety

Our Voice: Privacy law can hinder foster care safety

A recent two-day series by Desert Sun reporter Brett Kelman shed light on a troubling situation involving some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.


More Charges Possible in Anoka Co. Child Abduction

More Charges Possible in Anoka Co. Child Abduction

A mother is charged with a felony after authorities say she took her daughter from day care when she did not have custody.

Ham: DCF problem is foster care system

Ham: DCF problem is foster care system

I'm screaming. Let's all scream for the plight of the children who have no voice when committed to the care and custody of the Department of Children and Families. The abused and neglected children are being further confused and harmed by placement in foster homes that have little or no ability to help them. It's an empty bed somewhere. With the current scrutiny of DCF even an empty bed will hard to find.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Children in foster care three times more likely to have ADHD diagnosis

Children in foster care three times more likely to have ADHD diagnosis

Researchers already knew that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was the most common behavioral health diagnosis among children enrolled in Medicaid. A new study to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2015 National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC, found that children in foster care were three times more likely than others to have an ADHD diagnosis.

DCF Secretary Points To ‘System Failure’ In Child Deaths

DCF Secretary Points To ‘System Failure’ In Child Deaths

Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll told a Senate panel Thursday that the state’s child-protection system appears to have failed two children whose bodies were found in recent days.

Woman Films Encounter With Child Protective Services You Do Not Want To Miss

Woman Films Encounter With Child Protective Services You Do Not Want To Miss

While she comes off belligerent and uncooperative, Sylvania Nipper has every right to be.  She did everything right, however she made one mistake.  She let them in her house.  NEVER let these people in your house.  They are looking for a reason to take your children because they make a profit every time they do.  Ask them for their card, and tell them you will follow up with them in their office with your legal representation, then kindly close your door.  If they don’t have a warrant or judge’s order, DO NOT LET THEM IN.


Make this go viral! SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY. SENT A MAN TO LOOK AT MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS ASS AFTER I WHIPPED HER IN FRONT OF THE POLICE WHEN SHE WAS BROUGHT HOME IN HANDCUFFS THIS MORNING!

Posted by Sylvania Nipper on Friday, October 9, 2015

Council that removed fostered children from their beds criticised for ‘knee-jerk’ response

Council that removed fostered children from their beds criticised for ‘knee-jerk’ response

A council that removed children from a foster placement without showing it had considered their best interests has been criticised by the local government ombudsman.


R.I. child advocate raises concerns over some group homes

R.I. child advocate raises concerns over some group homes

With months remaining in her tenure as the state's child advocate, Regina M. Costa has chronicled numerous shortcomings in the state Department of Children, Youth and Families and called attention to Liberty Lane, a South Kingstown group home that was shuttered this month after a staff member allegedly assaulted a youth.

Polish couple jailed for abusing foster children

Polish couple jailed for abusing foster children

The husband, a former Roman Catholic priest, and his wife were also banned from being foster parents for fifteen years.

Report: Nebraska Foster Care Needs To Give Kids More Normal Life Experiences

Report: Nebraska Foster Care Needs To Give Kids More Normal Life Experiences

A new report says Nebraska's foster care system can do more to ensure that foster children have normal life experiences, such as participating in sports or having sleepovers with friends.


Explainer: what are false memories?

Explainer: what are false memories?

Recent media reports have raised questions over the therapy undergone by several people making allegations of historical sexual abuse against prominent public figures. In particular, it has been suggested that certain forms of therapy run a high risk of unintentionally generating false memories of sexual abuse. But why are there such fears around these kind of therapies?

DCF partners with UCF to improve child welfare process

DCF partners with UCF to improve child welfare process

The Department of Children and Families has had its share of problems, including caseworkers who did not follow up in certain circumstances and children who lost their lives.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Possible Death Sentence Looms for Woman Accused of Killing Foster Daughter

Possible Death Sentence Looms for Woman Accused of Killing Foster Daughter

A woman accused of killing her foster daughter and burying the child’s body in her back yard went on trial in Bali on Thursday, where she faces charges that carry a maximum penalty of death.

Conservative Fiscal Irresponsibility: Cutting welfare increases the number of kids in state care

I just came across this very important article which states an truth which leads me to the following conclusion, which I've known for years:  The best way to reform CPS is to address the needs of the family so that children can remain safe in the home, and keep them with family when that's not possible.

Republicans, however, want to reform welfare because they think it will save money.
Hundreds of Az’s poorest families will be dropped from assistance program
Arizona will become the first and only state to impose a one-year lifetime limit for impoverished households receiving federal benefits from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program – a move that will cut payments to about 1,600 families next July.
I usually don't post stuff about welfare like TANIF or SNAP, because it is a whole different can of worms, but this is just too important to pass up because it demonstrates either how conservative welfare reformers are out to destroy the family or just how stupid they are while claiming to be for smaller government and fiscal responsibility because the cost of snatching a kid and warehousing them in foster care on a monthly basis will make that $195 a month look like pocket change.
“I think what we have in Arizona is an aggressive and intentional effort to undermine support for vulnerable families,” said Cynthia Zwick, executive director for the Arizona Community Action Association. “Well, I’m worried that many of those families will end up on the streets, they will become homeless. They will not have the resources they need for their children, that their children will be placed in unsafe circumstances.”
------------------ 
The average family on TANF receives $195 each month. Part of the savings from the program will instead go to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety to help with abuse and neglect investigations and foster care. 
It is also true that CPS creates jobs and contracts and work for lawyers, shrinks, various NGO's, and it certainly creates billing opportunities for System Sucks to bring those desperately needed federal dollars into the state.  Not the point.  That all costs more money for the tax payer who ultimately pays the bills as well as more government intervention into our lives when it is not completely necessary, such as in minor neglect cases which will increase when they cut families off welfare.
It’s not the first time that the state has cut back on TANF assistance. In 2010, Arizona reduced its limit to three years and in 2011, it went down to two years. Federal law permits 60 months. According to DES, about half of Arizona’s current recipients, will lose benefits come July. 
And Arizona's Child Welfare system has been an out of control, baby-stealing mess since long before that.  This is not what they need.  This will not help them solve any of their current problems.  It will only create more.
“It seems clear that Arizona has abandoned these two original functions and instead chosen to funnel TANF funds into an overburdened and underfunded child welfare system that has been plagued over the years by both structural and operational failures,” says a recent report from Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute.
The fact of the matter is that TANIF, SNAP, daycare subsidies, drug treatment programs, housing assistance or whatever the problem is, is much cheaper than the alternative.  A young mother simply can't be left to fend for herself when 3/4th (or more) of her McDonald's paycheck is expected to go to daycare and McDonald's and Walmart don't have to pay their workers enough so that they don't have to qualify for welfare assistance.


Time-wasting calls tying up child abuse hotlines

Time-wasting calls tying up child abuse hotlines

Too many unnecessary calls are being made to child abuse hotlines, which only means one thing - there are abused kids out there, desperate for help, that aren't getting to the front of the queue.

SOCIAL WORKERS SAY LARGE CASELOADS PUT THEM AT RISK

SOCIAL WORKERS SAY LARGE CASELOADS PUT THEM AT RISK

For Kara Haynes, a senior social worker with the Department for Children and Families, there is a clear hierarchy of priorities for social workers who are helping abused or neglected children.


Social worker's texts admit guilt

Social worker's texts admit guilt

A female social worker effectively admitted through text messages she had sex with a teenage boy she was mentoring, the Crown says.

DFCS takes tips from law enforcement for caseworker safety

DFCS takes tips from law enforcement for caseworker safety

When emotions run high, Division of Family and Children Services caseworkers and employees must redirect the energy to find a solution.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Woman’s case over alleged forced adoption of son dismissed


The Court of Appeal has dismissed a woman’s case against a religious order over the alleged forced adoption of her four-month-old son 46 years ago. Her case against a second religious order and the HSE is still pending.


SC child-welfare agency says it needs additional $33 million, 157 workers to steal more kids

SC child-welfare agency says it needs additional $33 million, 157 workers

South Carolina’s welfare agency will ask for about $32.6 million in new money next year, in part to hire more workers to help the embattled agency protect children and vulnerable adults.

Lawsuit alleges foster abuse

Lawsuit alleges foster abuse

A recently filed lawsuit accuses two Victorville foster parents of abuse over a period of two-and-a-half years and when combined with a similar complaint filed early last year, four of five children in the foster family are now alleged to have been mistreated.

Foster Parents Name Children after Texas Cities

This link will bring you to the very disturbing video of a very creepy (Loony Tune) type of foster parent who loves helping CPS take babies away from their parents and hugging and holding them and ewwwwww.
Foster Parents Name Children after Texas Cities 
"Typically we pick the baby up straight from the hospital", Blake says. "When they are two days old, if they are healthy and everything is good, we get them. So we jump right into the sometimes sleepless nights and feeding every two hours, and changing lots of diapers!"

Lawmakers Look Into Opening Closed Adoption Records

Lawmakers Look Into Opening Closed Adoption Records

Lawmakers next session will take another pass at legislation opening up records from Indiana’s closed adoptions era.


Is Vermont doing enough to protect social workers? What about Families?

Is Vermont doing enough to protect social workers?

Since the fatal shooting of Vermont social worker Lara Sobel this summer, fellow social workers have received several dozen threats, many referring to Sobel's attack.

Complete Guide to Pending Foster Care, Adoption and Juvenile Bills In Congress Right Now

Complete Guide to Pending Foster Care, Adoption and Juvenile Bills In Congress Right Now

There is a whole lot of youth-related legislation in the ole’ congressional hopper these days. And with Congress revved up for bipartisan compromise, it’s almost certain to move!

BC's child watchdog pleased with province response on girl's death while in government care

BC's child watchdog pleased with province response on girl's death while in government care

The province chose election day to release its official response to a report on the life and death of a troubled Aboriginal girl in government care living on the Downtown Eastside. The author of the “Paige” report is glad to see the Ministry of Children and Families accept some responsibility for the mishandling of the case.

James reaches settlement with state in foster care suit

James reaches settlement with state in foster care suit

A little more than three months after she filed a federal class-action lawsuit against city and state child protective services agencies alleging mismanagement in foster care, Public Advocate Letitia James on Tuesday announced she had reached a settlement with the state, but not the city.

Temporary foster parent in Billings denies molesting 2 girls in his care

Temporary foster parent in Billings denies molesting 2 girls in his care

A 68-year-old Billings man has denied charges of molesting two girls who were in his temporary care as a foster parent.

Following murder of social worker, threats continue against DCF

Following murder of social worker, threats continue against DCF

Staff at Vermont's Department for Children and Families received 85 threats from members of the public in the two months after a social worker was fatally shot in Barre.

CPS caseworker missed chances to intervene before death of Pullman baby

CPS caseworker missed chances to intervene before death of Pullman baby

Washington’s Child Protective Services missed opportunities to intervene with the family of a Pullman baby who suffocated on a plastic bag Easter Sunday, according to a state review of the boy’s death.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

New Report Shows Even Short Stays in Family Detention Harm Children’s Health

New Report Shows Even Short Stays in Family Detention Harm Children’s Health

In a report released today, Human Rights First found that the Obama Administration’s continuing operation of family detention facilities negatively impacts the mental and physical health of children and their parents. The report comes days before the administration’s October 23 deadline to comply with a U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruling that sets standards for the detention and release of children in federal immigration custody.

Norfolk children's services still 'inadequate' says Ofsted

Norfolk children's services still 'inadequate' says Ofsted

Norfolk County Council has failed to improve significantly services for children in care after being rated "inadequate" in 2013, a report says.


Vermont lawmakers grapple with social worker safety


A Vermont legislative committee is looking at several aspects of the state's child protection system — including how to keep social workers working in it safe.

Roma boy's family awarded 60,000 euros after suing Irish state over removal

Roma boy's family awarded 60,000 euros after suing Irish state over removal

The family of a blond Roma boy, who was removed from his Irish home over unfounded fears he was not their son, has won 60,000 euros (£44,000) damages.


Study Finds High Overlap Of Children In DCF Care And Juvenile Detention

Study Finds High Overlap Of Children In DCF Care And Juvenile Detention

A new report from a youth advocacy group shows MOST teens in the Massachusetts juvenile justice system also have spent time in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.

Broken Adoptions: When "Forever" Is an Illusion

Broken Adoptions: When "Forever" Is an Illusion

For many young people who are adopted out of the foster care system, the promise of a "forever family" is an illusion. In New York City, anecdotal data from child advocates suggests that thousands of children adopted out of foster care end up displaced from their adoptive home. This trend persists across the country, with advocates seeing adoptions fail in startling numbers.


Agencies fight claims that law discriminates against Native American children

Agencies fight claims that law discriminates against Native American children

State and federal agencies are asking a judge to throw out legal claims by several Arizonans that a 37-year old federal law harms and illegally discriminates against Native American children.

Tribe Sues Canada for Control of its Children

Tribe Sues Canada for Control of its Children

In what could be a coup for aboriginal self-government in Canada, the Splatsin First Nation has taken British Columbia to court, claiming the province's child welfare legislation is unconstitutional and does not apply to the tribe.

A Tale of Two Holland Youths Involved in Child Protective Services-Related Abductions

A Tale of Two Holland Youths Involved in Child Protective Services-Related Abductions

Two separate cases, four weeks apart, involving youths in Holland being taken by their mothers in order to avoid complying with court orders from Child Protective Services are moving forward with the children safe.

Half of calls to Families SA abuse hotline are unnecessary, clogging the system


HALF the calls to the Families SA abuse hotline are clogging the system with unnecessary or minor concerns, such as children not wearing hats to school or fighting with siblings in the supermarket.


Tupelo social worker charged with kidnapping juveniles from South Mississippi

Tupelo social worker charged with kidnapping juveniles from South Mississippi

A Tupelo woman is facing multiple felony charges after police say she kidnapped two children from the Gulf Coast.

Canada's Current Child Welfare System Fails Families

Canada's Current Child Welfare System Fails Families

Six advocates for First Nations children have gone on a symbolic hunger strike at the Manitoba Legislature to try to raise awareness across the country about Manitoba's broken child welfare system. Why? Well, here's one fact that should make most Canadians sit up and take notice: Over one in five First Nations children in Manitoba spends some time in care before their 15th birthday. And kids in care are in crisis.

Monday, October 19, 2015

As South L.A. Families Struggle to Raise Relatives’ Kids, Some Want More Support

As South L.A. Families Struggle to Raise Relatives’ Kids, Some Want More Support

When the crack epidemic hit South Los Angeles in the ’80s and ’90s, addiction among low-income residents skyrocketed.

For Men in Prison, Child Support Becomes a Crushing Debt

For Men in Prison, Child Support Becomes a Crushing Debt

New regulations would give parents in prison the right to pause child support payments, but opponents say it undercuts welfare reform.

Oklahoma DHS must find way to lower maltreatment rate

Oklahoma DHS must find way to lower maltreatment rate

PERHAPS it's to be expected that the Department of Human Services is making only halting progress in improving care for foster children. After all, DHS is a giant agency with a giant workload, the latter the result of myriad societal issues that have long plagued Oklahoma. There are no easy fixes.

More cases of suspected child abuse not passed from Queensland principals to police, investigation finds

More cases of suspected child abuse not passed from Queensland principals to police, investigation finds

An investigation has uncovered more cases of suspected child abuse not being passed on from Queensland principals to police.


Why are some parents still unfairly losing their children to adoption?


Just over 10 years ago, Cassandra Jardine in an article in this newspaper (“Children are taken away but the system won’t admit it’s wrong”) described how local councils were achieving their adoption “targets” by forcibly removing children from parents convicted, on the basis of disputed medical theories, of having deliberately caused their injuries. “The pain these parents suffer is hard to overestimate” she wrote. 


Witnesses at centre of VIP sex abuse allegations had attended charity accused of using controversial counselling which can create false memories

Witnesses at centre of VIP sex abuse allegations had attended charity accused of using controversial counselling which can create false memories

Two key witnesses in the VIP paedophile investigation are being helped by a charity that uses a controversial therapy which can generate false memories, it emerged yesterday.

NSW Government acts on troubled foster care system

NSW Government acts on troubled foster care system

After being removed from her parents as a toddler, Claudia Simpson was split  from her siblings and sent to 13 different foster homes in 15 years.

Experts: Michigan's Foster Children Vulnerable to ID Theft


Identity thieves don't discriminate when it comes to the age of their victims, and experts say foster children are a prime target for fraud.

DCF hesitates on surprise home visits

DCF hesitates on surprise home visits

A new Vermont child protection law would require DCF to make unannounced home visits, but safety and other concerns complicate the mandate.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Couples Sue Over Tribal Adoption Hurdles

Couples Sue Over Tribal Adoption Hurdles

For nearly four decades, couples wishing to adopt American Indian children out of troubled situations have faced several hurdles, including giving the child’s tribe a chance to find suitable tribal parents first.


For Former Foster Kids, Moving Out of State Can Mean Losing Medicaid



For Former Foster Kids, Moving Out of State Can Mean Losing Medicaid

Soon after moving to Utah this summer, Rainbow Sky Buck ended up at the hospital with a painful ear infection. There, Buck learned she no longer had access to the free health coverage she had in California as a former foster youth.

In another ‘free range’ case, Chicago mother wages 2-year fight against child neglect citation

In another ‘free range’ case, Chicago mother wages 2-year fight against child neglect citation

Two years ago, Natasha Felix’s three children were outside playing at a playground next to her East Ukrainian Village apartment while she was at home.

TEXAS COULD LICENSE IMMIGRANT LOCKUPS AS "FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CENTERS"

TEXAS COULD LICENSE IMMIGRANT LOCKUPS AS "FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CENTERS"

This summer a federal judge in California unambiguously condemned the current practice of jailing immigrant women and children in Texas detention centers run by for-profit prison corporations that contract with federal immigration authorities. In July and August rulings, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee declared that federal detention centers in the remote South Texas towns of Dilley and Karnes violate a longstanding legal settlement that prohibits the feds from keeping immigrant children in prison-like conditions.


Saturday, October 17, 2015

Teen in South Carolina killed by foster father in hunting accident

Teen in South Carolina killed by foster father in hunting accident

A teen is dead after she was shot in an apparent hunting accident Thursday afternoon in Anderson County, officials said. He said the bullet entered her back and exited through her left chest.

Ukrainian teenager faces deportation from Cornwall

Ukrainian teenager faces deportation from Cornwall

A teenage girl who was rescued by a Cornish couple from the Ukraine after her mother was murdered faces being deported.14 year old Iryna Mynich has been living in Bodmin since November.

On-the-run child-snatch mum vows NEVER to return to UK for fear her precious children will be taken away

On-the-run child-snatch mum vows NEVER to return to UK for fear her precious children will be taken away

A mum on the run in Northern Cyprus with her two young sons has vowed not to return to Britain because she fears they will be taken from her.

SC teen killed by shot from foster father while hunting

SC teen killed by shot from foster father while hunting

Authorities say a 17-year-old girl has been shot and killed while deer hunting with her foster father in Anderson.

Welsh social workers call for action over fears a Baby P case could happen in Wales


Ian has been a social worker for 21 years, a job he used to love. He'd help people at their lowest point in life. He retired in September and has no regrets, for him the job became unbearable.

Judge: Texas may deny birth certificates to immigrants' kids

Judge: Texas may deny birth certificates to immigrants' kids

A federal judge has chosen for now not to force Texas health officials to change their stance in denying birth certificates to immigrant families with U.S- born children, saying that the families raised "grave concerns" but more evidence is needed, according to a ruling issued Friday.



Baby girl’s death in foster care leaves family with unanswered questions

Baby girl’s death in foster care leaves family with unanswered questions

Norman Nickelberry doesn't know how his baby granddaughter died.

Police blotter: Butte mother, father allegedly threaten state caseworker

Police blotter: Butte mother, father allegedly threaten state caseworker

Police are seeking warrants to arrest a 30-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, both of Butte, after they allegedly threatened a state Department of Family Services caseworker in Butte via phone in connection with supervised visitations of their child. Police say they used profanity and issued threats to initiate a fight.

Friday, October 16, 2015

How Social Networking Can Be Used Against People in Family Law Cases

How Social Networking Can Be Used Against People in Family Law Cases

Some of the most popular places on the Internet are "social networking sites." It is easy for people to create their own pages and add personal information. Sharing your pages or passing interesting or humorous pages you come across to others can be great fun. It can also become a serious problem if your stories, comments or photos unexpectedly end up in the hands of someone who wants to use them against you. Many Iowans are not aware of some sobering facts about content they put on a social networking site:

Half of kinship carers have to give up work to care for the kin child

Half of kinship carers have to give up work to care for the kin child

The Family Rights Group has published a new report – Doing the right thing: A report on the experiences of kinship carers – which considers the experiences of friends and relatives who are raising children who are unable to safely live with their parents.

Foster mom released after 8 year manslaughter sentence

Foster mom released after 8 year manslaughter sentence

The Dorchester foster mother convicted in the death of 4-year-old Dontel Jeffers is a free woman Thursday.

Foster care injury case may be discontinued in wake of second lawsuit

Foster care injury case may be discontinued in wake of second lawsuit

A personal injury case involving a minor previously in foster care may be discontinued, due to the filing of a similar but separate action.

Group home leader accused of sexually assaulting boy at gunpoint

Group home leader accused of sexually assaulting boy at gunpoint

A Milwaukee man accused of sexually assaulting a boy at gunpoint is out on bail.

Foster-Adoption: The Fastest Way to a Family in L.A.

Foster-Adoption: The Fastest Way to a Family in L.A.

Last year, of the 35,000 county kids in foster care, only 4 percent were adopted. But for would-be parents, campaigns like FosterMore offer an efficient alternative for those bogged down by the adoption process: "We started telling another narrative to show how resilient and amazing these kids are."

Oregon accuses foster care provider of 'plundering' $2 million in state funds

Oregon accuses foster care provider of 'plundering' $2 million in state funds

The Oregon Department of Justice has sued a woman whose foster care agency endured withering scrutiny from lawmakers last month, alleging a years-long plot involving three charities and the misspending of at least $2 million in state funds.

Foster parents fighting for child's return

Foster parents fighting for child's return

Some foster parents here in the Triad are heartbroken. The child they fostered for more than a year has been taken from them and in the process of being sent to Mexico. WXII's Margaret Johnson has more.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Sheriff says Missouri home where 12-year-old shot by 13-year-old not foster home

Sheriff says Missouri home where 12-year-old shot by 13-year-old not foster home

A southwest Missouri sheriff says a home where a 13-year-old boy was arrested in the death of a 12-year-old girl is not a foster home.

Report: State Still Falls Short In Taking Care Of Foster Children

Report: State Still Falls Short In Taking Care Of Foster Children

A new report says the state of Oklahoma still falls short when it comes to taking care of foster children.


Foster parents plead not guilty to sexual abuse

Foster parents plead not guilty to sexual abuse

The foster parents arrested earlier this year on suspicion of sexually abusing two foster children 13 years ago pleaded not guilty Wednesday in district court.

Tips for Using Social Media During Your Divorce

Tips for Using Social Media During Your Divorce

Social media can be a great tool to help connect people. It can also affect your life in ways you probably didn’t even think about until your divorce. Statistics show that 80 percent of divorce lawyers have used evidence from social media sites in divorce cases. You should probably look at social media use during divorces cases like you’re being given your Miranda rights every time you log onto social media: anything you post can and probably will be used against you in a court of law.

Man accused of raping 15-year-old ran group home for boys

Man accused of raping 15-year-old ran group home for boys

A man who police say raped a 15-year-old boy at gunpoint ran a state-sanctioned group home for boys where, four days before the alleged assault, another 15-year-old boy committed suicide by hanging himself from an evergreen in the home's backyard.

Mass. Senate to address 're-homing' of adopted children

Mass. Senate to address 're-homing' of adopted children

Senators are preparing to debate legislation this week that would impose harsh penalties on those involved in transferring adopted children, many from foreign countries with mental or physical health problems, from family to family without oversight.

Man investigated for rape allowed access to CYF child

Man investigated for rape allowed access to CYF child

A man being investigated for rape was allowed continued access to his foster son.

Four separate notifications relating to the man were sent to Child, Youth and Family by police and health professionals between 2012 and 2014, each one raising concerns about the boy's safety.

A Macro-CPS Observation

Ever since the Supreme Court ruling on Gay Marriage, my news feeds have been flooded with articles about gay adoption, surrogacy, family planning for same sex couples, foster parent recruitment drives, etc.

Although I have no personal problem with LGBT's being parents as I've known several who were great parents, a pattern is beginning to emerge out of this as it coincides with a sharp rise in the number of child removals in the USA.

CPS has apparently found a growth opportunity here.

Family Planning for Same-Sex Couples Can Have Unforeseen Risks

California Governor Signs Landmark Bill Protecting Transgender Children in Foster Care

Legally Kidnapped: LGBT tag

How Racism is Hurting Our Nation's Foster Children

How Racism is Hurting Our Nation's Foster Children

As our nation turns to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Adoption Month in the coming weeks with heartwarming success stories, mass adoption finalizations, and other special events, we should be mindful that much remains to be done to make the foster care and adoption system, renown for bringing people together and crossing social boundaries, a holiday truly inclusive for all regardless of race.

Note: Celebrating 20 years of stealing and selling children you mean.

Advocate, Critic React To Gov's Child Protection Plan

Advocate, Critic React To Gov's Child Protection Plan

Last week Governor Steve Bullock announced a new, multi-million dollar initiative to reform child protective services in Montana.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Social worker accused of having sex with teen

Social worker accused of having sex with teen

A social worker took advantage of a vulnerable boy in her care when she drove him to a Mangere motor lodge and had sex with him, the Crown says.


Retired social worker found with stolen files on abused children

Retired social worker found with stolen files on abused children

A retired social worker caught with stolen case files on abused children and a haul of indecent images has avoided jail.




U.S. Supreme Court to decide on sentences for young prison 'lifers'

U.S. Supreme Court to decide on sentences for young prison 'lifers'

Sheriff's Deputy Charles Hurt was on truant patrol when he came across a teenager in a Baton Rouge park on a cool fall morning. The teenager pulled a gun from his jacket, panicked, he said, and shot Hurt dead.

Govt can't force nuns to continue adoption work: Legal experts

Govt can't force nuns to continue adoption work: Legal experts

A recent decision by the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) to discontinue adoption work has been criticized by Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi, but legal experts have struck a more balanced note in favour of the charitable organization.

Premier’s office site of native protest over child welfare

Premier’s office site of native protest over child welfare

Protesters gathered at Premier Christy Clark’s constituency office Tuesday afternoon in support of aboriginal child welfare rights.

"I should punch your f****** head in:" Raging mum attacked two social workers after having children taken away

"I should punch your f****** head in:" Raging mum attacked two social workers after having children taken away

A mum who beat two social workers to the ground in fury after her children were taken from her has walked free from court.

Manning Police searching for runaway foster child

Manning Police searching for runaway foster child

The Manning Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a 15-year-old girl reported as a runaway.

Review of botched child welfare case delayed

Review of botched child welfare case delayed

A retired bureaucrat appointed to review the botched handling of a child welfare sex abuse case has received more time to complete his report because of legal challenges.

Ex-DCF investigator accused of falsifying records released from jail

Ex-DCF investigator accused of falsifying records released from jail

A former Department of Children and Families investigator accused of falsifying case records was released from the Brevard County Jail Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Tips for Choosing a Family Rights Advocate to Help With Your CPS Case

Oh Waaaaaaa!!!!!!! I am sorry for posting this link.

As parents cleared of abuse denied return of their child one adoptive mum explains her heartache

"I can only imagine how ­vulnerable the adoptive parents in this case must feel if there is even the slightest chance of their ­adoption order being overturned.

They entered into the process in good faith, trusting the evidence and advice given by social services.

Now, they face the threat of suffering a trauma similar to what the birth parents have had to endure.

The thought of losing the child they have loved and nurtured for years will fill every waking second and, no matter how much they are told it is unlikely to happen, that won’t reduce their fears."

Note: Just goes to show ya....


Give the kids back and name and prosecute those responsible for the kidnapping.  Simple solution to make it right.  Nobody cares how the receivers of stolen children feel.

SONOMA COUNTY FOSTER KIDS FIGHT TO SAVE GROUP HOME FROM CLOSING

SONOMA COUNTY FOSTER KIDS FIGHT TO SAVE GROUP HOME FROM CLOSING

Time is running out for foster kids in the North Bay where their longtime, unique group home, is slated to close in just a week. The kids' futures are unknown and everyone is hoping for a miracle.

Pala Tribe takes steps to protect native children in foster home placement

Pala Tribe takes steps to protect native children in foster home placement

The Pala Band of Mission Indians is the first tribe in California to receive clearance to conduct LiveScan background checks for tribal foster homes under new State law (Senate Bill 1460). The tribe is also the first to apply to the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) program,  Purpose Code X, to assist tribal services agencies within federally recognized tribes that are seeking to place children in safe homes during an emergency situation, when parents are unable to provide for their welfare.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Santa Clara County Foster Parent Accused of Lewd Acts on Child


Santa Clara County Foster Parent Accused of Lewd Acts on Child

A South Bay foster parent is accused of performing lewd acts on a 12-year-old boy and police are asking for help finding additional victims.

Australian 'foster' mother under investigation in Bali missing

Australian 'foster' mother under investigation in Bali missing

An elderly Australian woman under investigation by Bali police over three Indonesian children in her care failed to show up for an interview on Monday.


Pennsylvania Council Of Children, Youth & Family Services Sues State To Force Foster Care Payments During Budget Impasse

Pennsylvania Council Of Children, Youth & Family Services Sues State To Force Foster Care Payments During Budget Impasse

On September 15, 2015, the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services (PCCYFS) sued the state to force the Department of Human Services (DHS) to release funds for non-Medicaid child welfare and juvenile justice services. Since July 1, 2015, Pennsylvania has been without a signed budget. During this period, DHS has lacked authority to pay certain contractors. This includes organizations that have contracts with county children and youth offices to provide a range of non-Medicaid interventions for children and families involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The interventions include prevention, community-based and in-home services, foster and kinship family care, and community- and campus-based residential services. During the budget impasse, DHS has not disbursed state general funds to the counties or federal Title IV-E foster care maintenance funds.

Parents protest CYFD’s ongoing investigation of day care

Parents protest CYFD’s ongoing investigation of day care

Two weeks have passed since the Children, Youth and Families Department suspended a local day care’s license, causing it to close.


Forced Removal of Native American Children From Parents Exposed in 13 Minutes

Forced Removal of Native American Children From Parents Exposed in 13 Minutes

A 13 minute documentary about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up in Maine to investigate the forcible removal of Native American children from their homes over many years, debuts today.

Temporary foster parent denies molesting 2 girls in his care

Temporary foster parent denies molesting 2 girls in his care

A 68-year-old Billings man has denied charges of molesting two girls who were in his temporary care as a foster parent.

Calif. Gov. Signs Landmark Bill Protecting Transgender Children in Foster Care

Calif. Gov. Signs Landmark Bill Protecting Transgender Children in Foster Care

California Governor Jerry Brown signed yesterday a landmark bill that protects transgender children in the foster care system.

Auburn Housing Authority to keep closer watch in wake of foster child's death

Auburn Housing Authority to keep closer watch in wake of foster child's death

As Wayne C. Page stood before the duplex in a subsidized housing development where a foster child died two months ago, a passing tenant handed him a slip of paper.

Nuns in India halt adoption services because of new guidelines

Nuns in India halt adoption services because of new guidelines

Thirty orphanages run by the group founded by Mother Teresa have decided to shutter their adoption services in India rather than comply with a new government system that makes it easier for single and divorced people to adopt children.

Louisiana case at center of U.S. Supreme Court hearing on appropriate sentencing for juvenile killers

Louisiana case at center of U.S. Supreme Court hearing on appropriate sentencing for juvenile killers

The 17-year-old Scotlandville High School student who shot and killed East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Charles Hurt in 1963 is long gone, having aged into a 69-year-old Angola inmate who is rehabilitated and deserves a chance to show he should not die behind bars, attorneys for Henry Montgomery will argue Tuesday at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Overwhelmed By Thousands Of Refugee Children Traveling Alone, Europe Considers Adoption

Overwhelmed By Thousands Of Refugee Children Traveling Alone, Europe Considers Adoption

In a yellow, concrete dorm building for refugee children located just outside the city center, there's a room at the end of a long, dark hallway. A group of children, ages 7  to 16, huddle in the doorway, peering in at its exotic content: a pool table. Inside, children wield cues, slapping balls wildly across the green felt table, betting candy bars on the outcome of the games.

Fears grow for Uganda's 'orphans'

Fears grow for Uganda's 'orphans'

When Agatha Namusisi, 64, let her grandson leave Uganda for medical treatment abroad, she assumed he would return, but more than a year later she says he has disappeared.

Sheriff: Shooting of 12-year-old Missouri girl by 13-year-old boy not an accident

Sheriff: Shooting of 12-year-old Missouri girl by 13-year-old boy not an accident

A 13-year-old boy deliberately shot and killed a 12-year-old girl outside a foster home in rural southwest Missouri where they both lived using a gun he had taken from the house, the local sheriff said Friday.

DOC Receives $7.5 Million Grant to Help Incarcerated Parents Maintain Bonds With Children

DOC Receives $7.5 Million Grant to Help Incarcerated Parents Maintain Bonds With Children

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, DHHS, has awarded the Washington Department of Corrections a five-year, $7.5 million federal grant aimed at helping inmates with children transition back into society and be successful parents. Only five awards are set to be funded nationally.

Note: $7.5 million?  And all I ask for is $1 Million Dollars so that I can quit my job and just work on Legally Kidnapped all the time.  



Key official with child protective services placed on paid administrative leave

Key official with child protective services placed on paid administrative leave

One of the top officials with the state agency charged with protecting children from abuse and neglect has been placed on paid administrative leave, the Department of Public Health and Human Services confirmed.

Medical error rips yet another family apart forever

Medical error rips yet another family apart forever

The Today programme’s Jim Naughtie may have described as “very unusual” the tragic case of Karissa Cox and Richard Carter, the distraught parents accused of injuring their son, who was therefore sent for adoption, before a criminal court found that the cause of the boy’s injuries was “metaphyseal fractures” due to a Vitamin D deficiency.


Manitoba child welfare system hiding behind privacy law: Nepinak

Manitoba child welfare system hiding behind privacy law: Nepinak

The head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says the provincial child welfare system is using privacy laws to avoid dealing with families who want to reunite.


Arizona child welfare case backlog continues to grow

Arizona child welfare case backlog continues to grow

Arizona revamped its agency to protect children last year after abuse and neglect cases fell through the cracks, but the agency can't keep up with investigations.

Guess what

It Could Happen To You