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OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state's foster care system is headingback to court, with lawyers for a group of foster kids saying the state hasn'tdone enough to make promised reforms.
Foster care lawyers taking state back to court
http://www.komotv.com/news/9883317.html By Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state's foster care system is heading back to court, with lawyers for a group of foster kids saying the state hasn't done enough to make promised reforms. The pending court action is the latest twist in a landmark lawsuit known as the Braam case, in which 13 foster children sued the state for bouncing them around foster homes without adequate services. The state settled the suit in 2004 by promising to make dozens of specific improvements, including more state caseworkers, better foster parent training and increased mental health treatment for kids. But lawyers for the Braam plaintiffs have criticized the state's progress, and said Wednesday they have decided to seek a court order forcing the state to uphold its earlier promises. "They've dropped the ball on certain critical areas," Casey Trupin, a lawyer with Columbia Legal Services, told The Associated Press. "The court needs to give some clarification that these are mandates. They need to be taken care of quickly." State officials weren't surprised by the move, which was foreshadowed by months of complaints from plaintiff's lawyers that the state wasn't spending enough to overhaul the foster care system. Some said the court action could help the state set priorities for achieving the huge set of reforms. Specifically, Braam attorneys say the state has fallen short by: - Only completing timely health and education screenings in 30 percent of cases, instead of the 90 percent required in the settlement. - Not cutting the number of times new foster kids are transferred from one home to another. - Failing to decrease caseloads for foster caseworkers, and taking too long to raise the number of foster kids who see a caseworker once a month. One of the Legislature's child welfare leaders, Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, pointed out that lawmakers have increased spending aimed at the Braam case's mandates. That includes about $4.6 million to add caseworkers over the next two years, with the goal of visiting foster children once per month. However, Kagi said, the Braam settlement is so complex that policy-makers have found it hard to decide which areas to tackle first. "I think getting some clarity from the court about what exactly is required would be helpful," Kagi said. "And the Legislature has never been given a clear idea from the plaintiffs about how much money they're talking about." Robin Arnold-Williams, secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services, agreed that a clearer sense of priorities could help. "You can't do it all at the same time and do it well," Arnold-Williams said. "We're trying to be strategic." And while the Braam settlement focuses solely on foster care, Arnold-Williams said lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire have also been putting money into programs to help children before they're removed from dangerous homes. 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 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. CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS 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... |
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