CPS does MORE HARM THAN GOOD, Calif Judge finds

Fancy that, the Presiding Judge found just what folks on ascps have been
writing about for years.

CPS is an extremely dysfunctional, poorly administered, largely unaccountable
system that should be completely made over.


Subject: Yes, CPS does MORE HARM THAN GOOD, CA Judge says
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 4:35 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Not our words, but the report of a Judge evaluating CPS in California.

Just what we said all along. As does Dr. Richard Gelles, the author of ASFA.

Subject: CPS does more harm than good says Judge in Calif.
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 4:14 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Subject: Scathing report blasts San Mateo's HSA, Calif.
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 9:31 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

San Mateo County Times


Report: Kids not a priority in the County
Independent committee finds at-risk children take back seat to image hype
By Malaika Fraley
STAFF WRITER


Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - REDWOOD CITY -- San Mateo County's Human Services
Agency is more concerned with image than it is with protecting at-risk
children, an independent committee said in a scathing report released Monday.

The report, ordered by Presiding Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum and County
Manager John Maltbie in March 2003, contains a long list of findings that
paints a picture of a dysfunctional child protective services, or CPS, program
that does more harm than good.

"(The Human Service Agency) expends precious time and resources on functions
which promote the agency's external image at the expense of attending to
internal agency operations which would ensure children's well-being," the
report says.

The report was written by the "Joint Court/County Committee to Review the
System for the Delivery of Child Protective Services in San Mateo County," made
up of judges and high-level social services professionals from outside the
County.

The committee interviewed a "broad spectrum of individuals and entities
interacting with the HSA in its role of delivering child protective services."
The report was completed Feb. 19 and released to the media late Monday.

The study includes recommendations to correct the system. The committee
suggests increased communication with the Human Service Agencies by law
enforcement and the Juvenile Court, and more support staff to over-taxed social
workers whose time is diverted from casework.

Due to the timing of the re- port's release, no one from the HSA could be
reached for comment Monday.

However, HSA Director Maureen said in a prepared state-ment, "The Human
Services Agency is committed to continuing to improve its services to children
and families. As one of five counties selected as an early implementer of
statewide Child Welfare Redesign, we will work with an oversight committee ...
to review and improve the continuum of services and supports available to our
most vulnerable children and families in San Mateo County."

Committee conclusions

Among other things, the committee found:

- There is a widespread lack of confidence the HSA's commitment to focusing on
the protection of at-risk children.

- Community outreach amd regionalizing the organization take priority over the
protection of children.

- The way resources are allocated undermines the HSA task of minimizing child
deaths and injuries.

- Case workers are consumed with work that should go to a non-existent support
staff, which takes away time that should go to providing services to children
and families.

- The HSA has been described as having "a brittle intolerance for differences
of opinion."

- "The relationship between the Juvenile Court and HSA has deteriorated
significantly, going from being too cozy to one of antagonism and mistrust."

- The Juvenile Court believes it is not receiving all relevant information in
many cases, which hinders its ability to make the best decisions for families
and children.

- The HSA offers inadequate training for social workers.

- The Child Death Review Panel fails to examine deaths of dependent children
who die outside the County. Contact staff writer Malaika Fraley at (650)
348-4337 or by e-mail at .



DESCRIPTORS; CASEWORKERS, CPS, CALIFORNIA, CAPTA, ASFA, SOCIAL WORK, FAMILY
LAW, ORGANIZATIONAL DYSFUNCTION, TAX WASTE, IMMUNITY, DYSFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM,
IMAGE, CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, FOSTER CARE, DSS

Fern5827 wrote:
Fancy that, the Presiding Judge found just what folks on ascps have been
writing about for years.

I've recently learned that you are a very unwelcome poster on ascps.
Fancy that.

CPS is an extremely dysfunctional, poorly administered, largely unaccountable
system that should be completely made over.

CPS has problems. It is an underfunded organization charged with the
protection of children in a country where protection is extremely anbiguous.

I know CPS workers with caseloads over 100. Some of these workers are
unable to meet their clients prior to trial.

Given your above post, I suspect both you and I vote on the same ticket
-- and always vote for increased taxes that will allow this system to
hire more qualified workers, lower caseloads, and fewer errors. One
cannot improve a system without money.

LaVonne


Subject: Yes, CPS does MORE HARM THAN GOOD, CA Judge says
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 4:35 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Not our words, but the report of a Judge evaluating CPS in California.

Just what we said all along. As does Dr. Richard Gelles, the author of ASFA.

Subject: CPS does more harm than good says Judge in Calif.
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 4:14 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Subject: Scathing report blasts San Mateo's HSA, Calif.
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 9:31 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

San Mateo County Times


Report: Kids not a priority in the County
Independent committee finds at-risk children take back seat to image hype
By Malaika Fraley
STAFF WRITER


Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - REDWOOD CITY -- San Mateo County's Human Services
Agency is more concerned with image than it is with protecting at-risk
children, an independent committee said in a scathing report released Monday.

The report, ordered by Presiding Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum and County
Manager John Maltbie in March 2003, contains a long list of findings that
paints a picture of a dysfunctional child protective services, or CPS, program
that does more harm than good.

"(The Human Service Agency) expends precious time and resources on functions
which promote the agency's external image at the expense of attending to
internal agency operations which would ensure children's well-being," the
report says.

The report was written by the "Joint Court/County Committee to Review the
System for the Delivery of Child Protective Services in San Mateo County," made
up of judges and high-level social services professionals from outside the
County.

The committee interviewed a "broad spectrum of individuals and entities
interacting with the HSA in its role of delivering child protective services."
The report was completed Feb. 19 and released to the media late Monday.

The study includes recommendations to correct the system. The committee
suggests increased communication with the Human Service Agencies by law
enforcement and the Juvenile Court, and more support staff to over-taxed social
workers whose time is diverted from casework.

Due to the timing of the re- port's release, no one from the HSA could be
reached for comment Monday.

However, HSA Director Maureen said in a prepared state-ment, "The Human
Services Agency is committed to continuing to improve its services to children
and families. As one of five counties selected as an early implementer of
statewide Child Welfare Redesign, we will work with an oversight committee ...
to review and improve the continuum of services and supports available to our
most vulnerable children and families in San Mateo County."

Committee conclusions

Among other things, the committee found:

- There is a widespread lack of confidence the HSA's commitment to focusing on
the protection of at-risk children.

- Community outreach amd regionalizing the organization take priority over the
protection of children.

- The way resources are allocated undermines the HSA task of minimizing child
deaths and injuries.

- Case workers are consumed with work that should go to a non-existent support
staff, which takes away time that should go to providing services to children
and families.

- The HSA has been described as having "a brittle intolerance for differences
of opinion."

- "The relationship between the Juvenile Court and HSA has deteriorated
significantly, going from being too cozy to one of antagonism and mistrust."

- The Juvenile Court believes it is not receiving all relevant information in
many cases, which hinders its ability to make the best decisions for families
and children.

- The HSA offers inadequate training for social workers.

- The Child Death Review Panel fails to examine deaths of dependent children
who die outside the County. Contact staff writer Malaika Fraley at (650)
348-4337 or by e-mail at .



DESCRIPTORS; CASEWORKERS, CPS, CALIFORNIA, CAPTA, ASFA, SOCIAL WORK, FAMILY
LAW, ORGANIZATIONAL DYSFUNCTION, TAX WASTE, IMMUNITY, DYSFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM,
IMAGE, CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, FOSTER CARE, DSS

Really? What is your evidence for that Madame Strumpet?

NONE. As usual.

CPS has problems. It is an underfunded organization charged with the
protection of children in a country where protection is extremely anbiguous.

It's gonna be REFORMED, RESTRUCTURED OR WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS.

lAVONNE BRAYS AGAIN:

Fern,

You chose to snip my post and reply with name calling and derogatory
comments. I thought I would reinsert my post, which includes no name
calling because I don't need to resort to juvenile verbal abuse to make
a point

Fern 5827 wrote:

Really? What is your evidence for that Madame Strumpet?

NONE. As usual.

There are many names I could call you Fern, but I don't. I think this
is juvenile behavior and I chose not to participate in your method of
debate. The content, should you care to read the content, is included
below.

You said nothing, but you managed to call me "Madame Strumpet" and
referred to my post as "braying."

You verbally abuse adults. I can only imagine how you behaved as a
parent when your victim was a powerless child. I could care less about
your verbal abuse directed towards me, but you make such a great case
for never spanking a child. Spanking does not teach respect. Your posts
are a living example.

LaVonne

Here is the part of the post than Fern snipped:

Fern5827 wrote:

Fancy that, the Presiding Judge found just what folks on ascps have been
writing about for years.


I've recently learned that you are a very unwelcome poster on ascps.
Fancy that.


CPS is an extremely dysfunctional, poorly administered, largely
unaccountable
system that should be completely made over.


CPS has problems. It is an underfunded organization charged with the
protection of children in a country where protection is extremely anbiguous.

I know CPS workers with caseloads over 100. Some of these workers are
unable to meet their clients prior to trial.

Given your above post, I suspect both you and I vote on the same ticket
-- and always vote for increased taxes that will allow this system to
hire more qualified workers, lower caseloads, and fewer errors. One
cannot improve a system without money.

LaVonne


CPS has problems. It is an underfunded organization charged with the
protection of children in a country where protection is extremely anbiguous.


It's gonna be REFORMED, RESTRUCTURED OR WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS.

lAVONNE BRAYS AGAIN:

I find it intriguing that you can even understand what I post.

Varied your derogatory, hectoring questions, have you?

I thought not.

Pssst.....What we've been saying is being verified in the court of Opinion and
Evaluation. CPS is dysfunctional, cares little about children, but heaps about
its image.

And does more harm than good, the Presiding Judge reports.

On 06 Mar 2004 01:04:29 GMT, (Fern5827) wrote:

....and fails to notice that business continues as usual. Has for
decades, and will for many more.

I find it intriguing that you can even understand what I post.

That's an indication of how little you actually observe and understand
others.

Varied your derogatory, hectoring questions, have you?

Well, I'll presume you mean me, as you haven't been answering MY
questions for some time now.

I guess if I expect an answer (how naive of me) I have to try
something, and changing the form of a question is considered
intelligent debate.

I know that's hard for you to understand but try. Those Plant Grow
suppositories look like they were just made for you.

I thought not.

Know I well.

Pssst.....What we've been saying is being verified in the court of
Opinion and
Evaluation.

You are conning yourselves because that's what you want to believe.

CPS is dysfunctional,

Only as far as it is underfunded, understaffed, and overloaded.

cares little about children,

On the contrary.

but heaps about
its image.

An opinion, tendered with no actual proof. I kept looking and no real
examples were offered. Political meat pie is what it was. But all
crust and no beef.

And does more harm than good, the Presiding Judge reports.

CPS routinely is the target of politically motivated attacks by
politicians.

Those, by the way I checked, are elected judges.

CPS is a common target.

In fact there is a list of targets politicians handlers keep that they
trot their boss through on a schedule consistent with his or her
"platform" and in preparation for the next election.

You didn't know that?

Tsk.

One can get politicians to say just about anything if it makes them
look good, as in electable.

CPS is trained to lay down and take it.

In fact nearly all government agencies are run on a similar model.

Administrators are like the overseer of plantation times. Then there
are line bosses, also from the same model.

When I lived in Hawaii the plantations were still being run by that
same system.
People couldn't even leave to go to town without permission from "The
Boss."

CPS is as well.

Notice the response from the head honcho. Exactly like a snapped at
puppy rolling over to expose its belly. It's the only way to keep the
big dog from biting.

If you dummies actually understood political strategy you could use
that phenomena, but you are too stupid.

I offered to run a campaign for one of the "watchers" but was turned
down. It makes me laugh to see you stumblebums slowing reform to a
crawl.

You simply assume that unrelenting attack will destroy. Give me some
examples where that has worked without major bloodshed, on both sides.
(Yew nuckleheads sacrifice families and children, of course, not
yourself, but your time for Harvest will come).

What you forget is that it can very likely make the opponent stronger
and teach themselves to fight you more powerfully. That snapped at
puppy just rolls back to its feet after the big dog wanders off and
goes about ****in' in the dogs tracks.

You've had ample demonstration here in ascps on how to actually reform
CPS and you keep turning your back on the examples generously offered.

Your petiole is stuck too far up your scape, Dracenea.

Kane