Lawmakers call for audit of Kansas’ foster care system

Lawmakers call for audit of Kansas’ foster care system

Two Democratic lawmakers from south-central Kansas are calling for an audit of the state’s foster care system.

“Four children have been killed while in the foster care system already this year,” said Rep. Ed Trimmer, D-Winfield, expressing concern in a news release about the safety of children in the state’s foster care system.

Sometimes parents need to ask for help without fear of losing custody

Sometimes parents need to ask for help without fear of losing custody

Nearly 2,000 children are living in Maine’s foster care system, far outpacing the number of approved foster and adoptive families. While the Office of Child and Family Services issued a plea last month for more families to open their homes to children in foster care, we must do more to end this tragedy and ensure our children grow up in safe, loving homes.

Eight of our colleagues in the Legislature are standing beside us to respond to this urgent need, sponsoring legislation that mobilizes the local community to prevent abuse and neglect by supporting families in crisis and helping them stay together. Our bill, LD 1065, the Strengthening Families Act, empowers parents or guardians to provide for the short-term care of a child when life circumstances prevent them from doing so. Our goal is to protect families and their rights while giving them the courage to ask for help before the challenges they face spiral out of control.

New federal law tells states to look for ways to let foster children lead more normal lives

New federal law tells states to look for ways to let foster children lead more normal lives

Not so long ago, if foster children in Florida wanted to spend the night at a friend's house, the parents hosting the sleepover faced a criminal background check. Taking the kids on an out-of-state vacation required official permission from a state agency.

Governor gets last re-homing bill

Governor gets last re-homing bill

Lawmakers sent the last bill aimed at ending the practice of "re-homing" adopted children in the state to the governor's office Tuesday.

SystemSuckology and the Unanimous Passage of Child Welfare Legislation - A Legally Kidnapped Exclusive Report

I did not want to get into a big long thing today, as I simply have too much to do but I have noticed a trend that I feel warrants your attention.

To me, this suggests that nobody in family rights is being heard.   No CPS victims are making an impact and that our Governments at both the federal and state levels can vote on bills without having a clue as to what they're doing or the consequences of such legislation, but do so because it makes for a good photo opportunity later on down the road.

More simply put, if a bill that comes before a legislative committee or a state house or senate is attached to the line, "will help keep kids safe" or has anything to do with the system that is supposed to protect children from abuse or neglect, it is destined for universal passage regardless of the cost or consequence to the child, parent, foster care provider or even the CPS Agent.

For example:

• House unanimously passes Rep. Hargrove's bill to help foster children

Which of course would be great if not for the total nonsense associated with it...

"I strongly value parental rights," said Hargrove, R-Covington. "But when it is clear that a child’s birth parents have no interest in reunification, we need to more quickly enable that child to find a permanent, loving home with their foster or other adoptive parents. With a typical stay in foster care lasting 33 months, this is a small, but important step in the right direction for the stability and well-being of these children."

This omits so many possible factors including the major piece of the puzzle that every case is different and it sometimes takes a little longer than a year for a parent to get their shit together but that's still actually what's best for the kid.  It leaves out possible factors and important points such as a CPS Agents refusal to recognize the progress that a parent has made or the fact that there is nothing stable about the foster care system in any State especially one like Washington which has had many foster care sex abuse lawsuits over the years.  

• Agency sued after boys abused in foster care
• Lawsuit: State failed sexually abused girl at 3 foster homes
• Ex-foster child sues DSHS, alleging long list of horrors
• just to name a few.

It also leaves out possibilities such as a capable and loving grandparent who is fighting for custody.  It lumps all cases together as if there were only one worthy solution.  Then it passes UNANIMOUSLY in the Washington House of Representatives because some idiot said it would help foster kids.

Now I'm all for helping foster kids in regards to what's best for them, which is to be with their families.  I'm all for helping families to keep their kids safe in the home.  I'm all for grandparents or other family members taking the kids when the parents can't take care of their kids, but the Rep. Hargrove bill isn't going to help anybody.  It's simply going to cut the chord and clog up the system with older kids who they can't get adopted out and can't send home later on down the line after they took the drastic step to terminate the parents rights.

Here's another bill that came up recently in the State of Washington.

• A new bill would hold social workers accountable for mistakes

Which will not do much for social worker recruitment or job retention in an industry with turnover rates that rivals a fast food joint.  It will harm more kids by making it harder to go home.  Some believe that it will keep kids safe though.  And with so many newly grad's on the job, a chronic lack of experience among new child welfare workers and such added complexity, you gotta stop to wonder how they come up with this stuff, but if you read the last line in the article which claims...

The measure passed the senate unanimously.

Then again you see that word come up.  "UNANIMOUSLY"  And the senator can later on call on his record of helping to protect the states most vulnerable kids as a photo opportunity when he is up for re-election without having to have a clue as to what they're voting for.

Okay, granted this is only one state but check this article from Vermont out...

• SENATE UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTS CHILD PROTECTION LAW

or this article from Florida...

• Senate unanimously passes child-welfare reform bill

You see that word pop up again.  And check this out...

• House unanimously passes Bass legislation to fight child link between sex trafficking and foster youth

When have you ever known the two parties of Congress to come together over anything?  Yet when it involves Child Welfare Legislation the house can pass a bill Unanimously?  Congress can say, "We can all come together!" Not one legislature would call shenanigans?  Not one would question the cost?  Not one would stand up and say that half of these kids never should have ended up in foster care to begin with?  Nobody can say, the root cause of the problem is that they're taking too many kids and therefore forced to lower the standards in order to house them all when they should be helping the families who need and could benefit from counseling, drug treatment, housing assistance, daycare or whatever the problem is?

What is going on here?  How do we address this problem?  Why is nobody offering better solutions?  Why are we not being heard?  Is anybody even contacting their legislators?

No!  You're all sitting there pissing and whining on Facebook and half of you are making the rest of us look like kooks!

I'm sorry but it's true.

Peace, Love and Flowers.

LK

Sen. Charles Schwertner introduces two bills to help children in foster care, improve child safety

Sen. Charles Schwertner introduces two bills to help children in foster care, improve child safety

Two bills filed by State Sen. Charles Schwertner on Thursday are aimed at improving the lives of children in foster care and providing new resources to ensure child safety.

The Republican senator filed SB 1406 and 1407, which would allocate more resources to state agencies during foster care investigations and protect foster parents and agencies from punitive damages.

23 new laws in effect to protect kids from abuse

23 new laws in effect to protect kids from abuse

Northumberland County Children and Youth Services is dealing with many challenges caused by 23 new laws that have gone into effect this year to improve child abuse prevention and detection.

Proposed Bill Could Eliminate Neglect from Utah's Child Welfare Law

Proposed Bill Could Eliminate Neglect from Utah's Child Welfare Law

A state Senator is proposing a minor change that could have far-reaching implications for the state's child welfare laws.

SB 261, sponsored by Sen. Al Jackson, R-Highland, eliminates neglect as a reason the state could remove a child from a home.

SENATE UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTS CHILD PROTECTION LAW

SENATE UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTS CHILD PROTECTION LAW

The Senate gave preliminary approval to a hefty child protection reform package, 28-0, in a roll call vote Wednesday.

Note: And I'll just bet that if you asked any of them what the sustenance of the bill was, more than half wouldn't have a clue, and are just blindly wrapping their arms around something emotional and easy that makes it look like Republicans and Democrats can actually work together.

Bill would increase number of children allowed in foster homes

Bill would increase number of children allowed in foster homes

The maximum number of foster children permitted to be in one foster home in the State of Utah had been three; however, HB139 calls for that number to rise to four and, in the case of sibling groups, five.

In wake of boy's death, changes to Minnesota child protection system proposed

In wake of boy's death, changes to Minnesota child protection system proposed

Shocked by cases of overlooked child abuse, a bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers moved Wednesday to revamp the state's child- protection laws.

Lawmakers tire of DCFS’ lack of accountability

Lawmakers tire of DCFS’ lack of accountability

It was déjà vu for some state legislators Wednesday as they heard reports of ineptitude within the state's child welfare agency that left wards of the state open to neglect, abuse and crime.

VT lawmakers to change child protection laws

VT lawmakers to change child protection laws

A special legislative committee set up to investigate the Vermont child welfare system in the aftermath of two toddlers' deaths plans to propose a law to prioritize the best interest of the child over keeping families intact.

Vermont needs Office of Child Advocate

Vermont needs Office of Child Advocate

On Oct. 5, the Burlington Free Press called for public accountability and oversight of our child protection system in an editorial ("DCF report needs emphasis on transparency").

Note: This is a knee-jerk reaction to recent media propaganda and the exploitation of a couple recent fuck-up's that highlight human imperfection in child welfare.

To see how this all came about, just click here: LK Vermont 

Mother, state senator blast state investigation of child's death

Mother, state senator blast state investigation of child's death

The day after an official report found four Child Protective Services workers failed to do their jobs in the case of 8-year-old Sarah Brasse, who died of untreated appendicitis in 2009, an upset state Sen. Carlos Uresti vowed to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session that targets problems at the agency that may have played a role in her death.

Washington Supreme Court Holds State In Contempt

Washington Supreme Court Holds State In Contempt

The Washington Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday holding the Legislature in contempt for its lack of progress on fixing the way the state pays for public education but withheld possible punishment until after the 2015 session.

Gov. Brown signs 10 bills to help homeless and foster youths

Gov. Brown signs 10 bills to help homeless and foster youths

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed 10 bills that his office said will help protect “the most vulnerable Californians – homeless children and adults and foster youth.”

Wisconsin state senator pushes bill classifying single parenthood as child abuse

Wisconsin state senator pushes bill classifying single parenthood as child abuse

I’m so sick of rule of the wingnuts. In legislatures around the country, low-life teabaggers, bigots, know-nothings, and deeply insecure individuals managed to get elected. Now they are empowered to be full-out womb controllers, to attack the rights of low-wealth residents to vote, to rile up fear of black and brown people…the list goes on and on.

Wisconsin Lawmaker Introduces Law To Classify Single Parenthood As Child Abuse

Gov. Brown vetoes bill regulating child abuse investigations

Gov. Brown vetoes bill regulating child abuse investigations

Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would authorize counties to establish child advocacy centers to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases and create standards on how they operate.

Reinstatement of Parental Rights

Reinstatement of Parental Rights

Every State has statutes providing for the termination of parental rights by a court. Termination of parental rights, which can be voluntary or involuntary, ends the legal parent-child relationship. Once parental rights have been terminated, the child is legally free to be placed for adoption.