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ELIZABETHTOWN — Statewide problems with child services
Statewide problems with child services
By BOB WHITE Sunday, December 23, 2007 6:33 PM CST http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/...ews/news02.txt ELIZABETHTOWN — When news of problems involving child protection and permanency services of Hardin County broke nearly two years ago, a key fighter for family rights warned the issue was not isolated. Parents throughout the state were losing children after unfounded allegations of abuse and neglect, said David Richart, executive director of the National Institute on Children, Youth and Families. In recent weeks, the widespread problems Richart warned of have made headlines from Louisville to Lexington. He credits the light shone on abuses of power within Hardin County’s Department for Community Based Services for bringing problems within other state child protection and permanency offices to the forefront. “Though it was certainly worse in Hardin County,” Richart said. A state representative from Louisville pre-filed a bill in Frankfort last week calling for legislative discussion on mandating court representation for all families and children involved in parental rights and custody issues. More recently, Lexington’s Southern Bluegrass regional office was described in a Cabinet for Families and Health Services report as a “hot spot” for complaints against social workers, with more than 60 legitimate complaints being filed by families against social workers serving the 10-county area around Lexington. The complaints are based around claims that children were improperly removed from homes n the same types of complaints Richart’s group brought attention to in its report “The Other Kentucky Lottery.” That report brought the attention of the Office of Inspector General to child welfare services. Richart said Lexington’s office now is facing what the Hardin County DCBS office experienced months ago. While menial disciplinary measures were taken against some social workers and supervisors who formerly worked at the Hardin County DCBS, no criminal charges or terminations from employment resulted from a year-long investigation of the Hardin County DCBS by the OIG. That investigation revealed more than a dozen examples of official misconduct within the office. CHFS Commissioner Mark Washington said steps are being taken to address problems within child protection, foster-parenting and termination of parental rights by making significantly more front-end services available to parents accused of neglecting children. Richart commended Washington’s efforts and prays whomever Gov. Steve Beshear appoints as cabinet secretary will continue the positive steps Washington and Secretary Mark Birdwhistell initiated. “Most of these cases involve neglect, not abuse,” Richart said. “Tackling these issues on the front end is a big breakthrough.” Offering counseling and drug and alcohol dependency prevention programs, along with tending to families’ basic needs for food, shelter and work pays off far better for all involved than does removing children from homes and placing them in costly state care facilities, Washington said. Now, Richart says the “hurdle” will be to change attitudes of some social workers and their supervisors who brandish their power more as law enforcement than agents of family services. “We need to have experts to come in and help change the culture in these offices,” Richart said. “There’s a tremendous need for them to be supportive of the families they’re serving.” Along with that, Richart said legislators and judges need to question social workers’ recommendations to remove children from homes more than they have been n especially in Hardin County. Richart said the end result of petty disciplinary measures being taken and no criminal charges being brought against former Hardin County DCBS social workers accused by the OIG of wrongdoing was a casualty of graduated sanctions and the state’s merit system, which makes it difficult to terminate employees. Most employees investigated by the OIG were shuffled to other state offices and put into different roles. The Cabinet does not comment on specific cases or whether any families have been reunited as a result of the OIG’s investigation into alleged wrongdoing by former employees, but Richart said some children have been reunited with their parents because of the spotlight cast on the Hardin County DCBS problems. He said it’s too big a risk for those families who have been reunited to tell their stories. “These situations will make most sane people very defensive,” Richart said. “It’s a surprise to me that more social workers aren’t getting hurt in the line of duty.” Bob White can be reached at 505-1750, or . 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 PROGRAMS.... 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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