Missing-child report pins bulk of blame on agency

By MELANIE AVE
Published July 18, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/18/St..._report_.shtml

The foster girl's caseworker may have been the one who failed to report
her missing to Florida law enforcement for four months.

But it was the state's child welfare system - and its lax procedures and
oversight - that bears most of the responsibility for errors in the case
of Courtney Clark, a 2-year-old former Pinellas County foster child who
disappeared with her mother for nine months, according to a state report
released Tuesday.

The Florida Department of Children and Families, its nonprofit
contractor, the Sarasota Family YMCA, and the YMCA's subcontractor,
Directions for Mental Health in Clearwater, all failed to care for and
protect Courtney, according to a 39-page report released by the DCF
inspector general's office.

While some individuals "should be held accountable" for mistakes, the
report attributed the ultimate failure to be "poorly established
protocols within the provisions of the contract, lack of proper
oversight, weak internal controls, and ineffective communication by all
parties involved."

All three agencies lacked due diligence and a sense of urgency, the
report concluded.

Among its recommended changes:

* DCF should oversee its subcontractors more closely and
specifically be required to approve a subcontractor's policies.
* Workers should take immediate action when a child's safety is in
question.
* Employees should be trained on how to properly report missing
children.

The review also faulted a home study, done by the Seminole County
Sheriff's Office, for not being "detailed enough" about previous
allegations of sexual abuse at the foster home where Courtney was living.

Because of "inexcusable" errors in the case, DCF Secretary Bob
Butterworth previously announced the hiring of five missing-children
workers and the formation of a committee to study cracks in the foster
system.

The case is a wake-up call that shows DCF needs to hold the 20 private
agencies that provide foster care, like the YMCA, more accountable, he said.

"I don't think we have been as hands-on as we should have been,"
Butterworth said. "I do not believe we are providing the oversight ...
or requiring as much accountability as we should."

In June, police found Courtney and two younger sisters safe, but living
amid a grisly scene in a two-story rental home in Wisconsin. Police also
discovered there a scalded and starving 11-year-old boy and the buried
body of his 36-year-old mother.

Four people, including Courtney's mother, Candice Farris, 23, who took
the girl from foster care in Lake County, are jailed on murder and child
abuse charges. The children are in the custody of Wisconsin child welfare.

The inspector general report is the third review of the case. A June 20
YMCA report called for additional training of workers.

DCF's internal June 26 review faulted several agencies, including itself
and the YMCA for failing to follow proper procedures.

[Last modified July 18, 2007, 01:33:29]



CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...