ParentingBanter.com - View Single Post - Grandmother protests moving boy out of state: A half-dozen protesterssat outside Department of Health and Human Services...

fx

Sherman wrote:
Thanks for posting this story, fx.

I'm currently working with a grandparent in Alaska whose grandson was
shipped off to Florida. She's spent most of her retirement money now, just
going to court to have contact with him at all. The facility is a "for
profit" company which sells it's stock and it's a business of kids and
keeping the bed counts full. Also it's a full lock-up facility for
children who have never been convicted of any crime any time, anywhere.

She has been the primary caretaker for this child most of his life. She
would like custody, if possible but it's a tangled web, once a child is
shipped out of their home State, especially from Alaska. Shameful, it is.

I sent this article to the parties involved and they can utilize some of the
information contained therein, I'm sure.

This is a good case to follow. If you learn more, I'd appreciate a heads-up
and any updates.

Sherman.

No problem Sherman, glad to be of service... FX

"fx" wrote in message
...
Grandmother protests moving boy out of state

BY MICHAEL ARMSTRONG
STAFF WRITER

http://www.homernews.com/stories/062...s_a3_001.shtml

A half-dozen protesters sat outside Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Children's Services on Lake Street Friday to protest
an OCS decision to move an 8-year-old boy to a Texas treatment facility.
The boy was scheduled to leave Alaska this week.

Sitting or standing by a sign for the Division of Family and Youth
Services the former name of OCS about a half-dozen friends displayed
slogans like "Keep Our Kids Here" and "Leave Kids in Loving Homes."
Corinne Coffey, the boy's grandmother, held a sign that read "Help me see
my grandson 1 last time."

Coffey said her grandson has been diagnosed with autism, bipolar
depression and attention-deficit disorder. Her daughter was not able to
care for the boy, Coffey said. Coffey had custody of the boy off-and-on
until he was 5 and then after that until July 2005, when she had to give
him up because of health reasons. Dana Payne, a friend of Coffey's at the
protest, was the boy's foster parent; the boy is now a ward of the state.

OCS sent the boy to a treatment facility in Anchorage, and allowed Coffey
to visit him. OCS decided to send him to Texas, she said a move that would
make it expensive for her to visit.

"They (OCS) say they don't have any place to take care of these kids,"
Coffey said. "Well fine. Give him back to me."

OCS follows strict procedures in deciding when it takes a child into state
custody, said Susan Morgan, communications coordinator for Alaska Health
and Social Services. Because of privacy concerns, OCS cannot speak about
individual cases, Morgan said. She did discuss general policies regarding
sending children to the Lower 48 for treatment.

"When children require intensive residential psychiatric treatment
services that are not currently available in Alaska, an Out-of-State
Placement Committee consisting of representatives from various divisions
and agencies including the Division of Behavioral Health and the Division
of Juvenile Justice reviews that child's situation before they make any
placement decision," Morgan said in a statement prepared by OCS. "A judge
must approve the placement and the placements are reviewed on a regular
basis. The placement decision does not rest solely with the Office of
Children's Services."

OCS recently hired a coordinator for its Bring the Kids home project, an
initiative to keep Alaska children in Alaska treatment facilities, Morgan
said. Last year, Alaska had 429 children in Lower 48 residential
psychiatric facilities. This year, 301 Alaskans in treatment Outside.

Payne said Coffey visited her grandson Saturday in Anchorage for 90
minutes. She said the group plans to hold protests every Friday from noon
to 5 p.m. Payne has talked to OCS setting up a community meeting in Homer
to listen to concerns. Before setting up a meeting, OCS needs to know how
many people would attend, she said. People interested in attending a
meeting should call Payne at 235-9393.

CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A DAILY
BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL SECURITY
AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 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

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that are
supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per 100,000
children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse and kills
more children then parents in the United States. If the citizens of this
country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold parents too. No
judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY government agency
because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and death than any human
being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more human rights violations
and deaths of children then the homes from which they were removed. When
are the judges going to wake up and see that they are sending children to
their death and a life of abuse when children are removed from safe homes
based on the mere opinion of a bunch of social workers.

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...