Apple puts spotlight on CPS " Child Protective Services"

Apple puts spotlight on CPS

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/break...y.asp?ID=10419

Benjamin Shors
Staff writer
June 23, 2007

Amid the blue herringbone chairs in the waiting room of the county’s
juvenile court, it’s not uncommon to hear scathing critiques of the
Washington’s child welfare system from disgruntled parents and their
families.

But this week, the criticism came from an unusual quarter: Spokane City
Councilman Bob Apple.

The outspoken, 51-year-old councilman waded waist-deep into a child
welfare case involving a former employee and campaign volunteer, Daniel
Morgan, 29.

Throughout several days of hearings, Apple could be heard variously
accusing a state social worker of submitting false court documents,
stating that an assistant attorney general should be jailed, and
repeatedly accusing Child Protective Services of kidnapping a 2-year-old
boy.


“It’s a sham,” Apple fumed in the waiting room, surrounded by the
Morgans and their relatives. “If this is how the court system operates,
then it’s broken.”

A spokeswoman for CPS called Apple’s comments “absolutely ridiculous.”

“None of these decisions are made in isolation,” spokeswoman Kathy
Spears said. “There are checks and balances in this system. When we go
to court, we have to make the case that a child we are removing is at
risk of imminent harm.”

Four years ago, Washington legislators opened the doors to the hearings
where the fate of hundreds of allegedly abused or neglected Spokane
County children are decided. The vast majority of the cases – on any
given day, about 10,000 children are in Washington’s foster care – pass
unnoticed.

But the presence of Apple, an outspoken and blunt councilman, shined a
light on the Morgans’ two-month legal battle – and into the
little-understood machinations of the child-welfare system.

At the center of the dispute are three boys and the familiar tale of a
family torn apart by divorce and competing allegations of child abuse
and neglect.

The Morgans, who own a car-detailing business, allege that an
overzealous CPS social worker relied heavily on the reports of Robin’s
ex-husband, Derrick Allen. The 33-year-old is involved in a custody
dispute with Robin, with whom he had two older sons.

“We would submit that this is really nothing more than a custody
battle,” said attorney Connie Powell, who defended Daniel Morgan against
an allegation that he threw his 8-year-old stepson to the ground and
kicked the boy in the buttocks.

Late Thursday night, a court commissioner sided with Morgan and his
wife, and ordered the state to return their 2-year-old son, who was
taken by police April 18.

Social worker Sheila Thorne, a 13-year veteran of the agency, declined
to comment.

“The department has made more than a reasonable effort to prevent the
removal of (the boy) from the family’s home,” said Kim McClain with the
state’s Attorney General’s office, which represents CPS in child-welfare
cases.

McClain said the two older boys in the home reported that Daniel Morgan
had physically abused them. She described the family as “chaotic.”

In April, three days after he made the report to police and social
workers, Allen obtained a temporary change of custody to care for his
and Robin Morgan’s two biological children. Allen could not be located
for comment.

“Unfortunately, in this field, when the custody of children is involved,
everyone involved is willing to lie,” said Dave Wood, a lobbyist for
Washington Families United, a nonprofit group seeking reforms to the
child-welfare system. “You don’t know what the truth is. Something has
to change.”

The Morgans maintained the boy suffered injuries to his knee and head
during accidents with a toy car and a bike, respectively. According to
testimony, the boy told Allen that Daniel Morgan had caused the injuries.

The Morgans said Allen has used the referrals “as payback” and to gain
custody of the two children he had with Robin Morgan.

“The injuries have nothing to do with Mr. Morgan,” Apple said. “I’ve
known these kids for 15 years. I know Daniel would never beat his kids.”

Since 2002, the state agency has received a “number of referrals related
to parental neglect of the children and alleged physical abuse of the
children by Mr. Morgan,” according to the court documents. A state
spokeswoman said she could not disclose how many of the complaints were
made by Allen.

A state ombudsman who reviewed the case recommended that the children be
removed from the home, according to court records. The agency said the
parents have refused to engage in services, including anger management.

“We make a decision to take a case to court, and the court has an
opportunity to review the evidence,” said Spears, the CPS spokeswoman.
“I think that is the strength of the child-welfare system: to have
different parts looking at what we are doing so that no one agency is
making decisions on their own.”

On Friday, Robin Morgan said she had been unable to work for the past
two months. Family members helped out at the couple’s car-detailing
business.

“I have been running back and forth between attorneys and visitations,”
she said. “I just hope that everybody can see that CPS is good, but
there are not good CPS workers out there. I’m really happy that my son
is home.”

For his part, Apple maintained his support wasn’t motivated by
friendship alone.

“I will do it for any citizen who contacts me,” he said.

Staff writer Benjamin Shors can be reached at (509) 459-5484, or by
e-mail at .








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...

It won't take long now.


On Jun 23, 10:33 am, fx wrote:
Apple puts spotlight on CPS

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/break...y.asp?ID=10419

Benjamin Shors
Staff writer
June 23, 2007

Amid the blue herringbone chairs in the waiting room of the county's
juvenile court, it's not uncommon to hear scathing critiques of the
Washington's child welfare system from disgruntled parents and their
families.

But this week, the criticism came from an unusual quarter: Spokane City
Councilman Bob Apple.

The outspoken, 51-year-old councilman waded waist-deep into a child
welfare case involving a former employee and campaign volunteer, Daniel
Morgan, 29.

Throughout several days of hearings, Apple could be heard variously
accusing a state social worker of submitting false court documents,
stating that an assistant attorney general should be jailed, and
repeatedly accusing Child Protective Services of kidnapping a 2-year-old
boy.

"It's a sham," Apple fumed in the waiting room, surrounded by the
Morgans and their relatives. "If this is how the court system operates,
then it's broken."

A spokeswoman for CPS called Apple's comments "absolutely ridiculous."

"None of these decisions are made in isolation," spokeswoman Kathy
Spears said. "There are checks and balances in this system. When we go
to court, we have to make the case that a child we are removing is at
risk of imminent harm."

Four years ago, Washington legislators opened the doors to the hearings
where the fate of hundreds of allegedly abused or neglected Spokane
County children are decided. The vast majority of the cases - on any
given day, about 10,000 children are in Washington's foster care - pass
unnoticed.

But the presence of Apple, an outspoken and blunt councilman, shined a
light on the Morgans' two-month legal battle - and into the
little-understood machinations of the child-welfare system.

At the center of the dispute are three boys and the familiar tale of a
family torn apart by divorce and competing allegations of child abuse
and neglect.

The Morgans, who own a car-detailing business, allege that an
overzealous CPS social worker relied heavily on the reports of Robin's
ex-husband, Derrick Allen. The 33-year-old is involved in a custody
dispute with Robin, with whom he had two older sons.

"We would submit that this is really nothing more than a custody
battle," said attorney Connie Powell, who defended Daniel Morgan against
an allegation that he threw his 8-year-old stepson to the ground and
kicked the boy in the buttocks.

Late Thursday night, a court commissioner sided with Morgan and his
wife, and ordered the state to return their 2-year-old son, who was
taken by police April 18.

Social worker Sheila Thorne, a 13-year veteran of the agency, declined
to comment.

"The department has made more than a reasonable effort to prevent the
removal of (the boy) from the family's home," said Kim McClain with the
state's Attorney General's office, which represents CPS in child-welfare
cases.

McClain said the two older boys in the home reported that Daniel Morgan
had physically abused them. She described the family as "chaotic."

In April, three days after he made the report to police and social
workers, Allen obtained a temporary change of custody to care for his
and Robin Morgan's two biological children. Allen could not be located
for comment.

"Unfortunately, in this field, when the custody of children is involved,
everyone involved is willing to lie," said Dave Wood, a lobbyist for
Washington Families United, a nonprofit group seeking reforms to the
child-welfare system. "You don't know what the truth is. Something has
to change."

The Morgans maintained the boy suffered injuries to his knee and head
during accidents with a toy car and a bike, respectively. According to
testimony, the boy told Allen that Daniel Morgan had caused the injuries.

The Morgans said Allen has used the referrals "as payback" and to gain
custody of the two children he had with Robin Morgan.

"The injuries have nothing to do with Mr. Morgan," Apple said. "I've
known these kids for 15 years. I know Daniel would never beat his kids."

Since 2002, the state agency has received a "number of referrals related
to parental neglect of the children and alleged physical abuse of the
children by Mr. Morgan," according to the court documents. A state
spokeswoman said she could not disclose how many of the complaints were
made by Allen.

A state ombudsman who reviewed the case recommended that the children be
removed from the home, according to court records. The agency said the
parents have refused to engage in services, including anger management.

"We make a decision to take a case to court, and the court has an
opportunity to review the evidence," said Spears, the CPS spokeswoman.
"I think that is the strength of the child-welfare system: to have
different parts looking at what we are doing so that no one agency is
making decisions on their own."

On Friday, Robin Morgan said she had been unable to work for the past
two months. Family members helped out at the couple's car-detailing
business.

"I have been running back and forth between attorneys and visitations,"
she said. "I just hope that everybody can see that CPS is good, but
there are not good CPS workers out there. I'm really happy that my son
is home."

For his part, Apple maintained his support wasn't motivated by
friendship alone.

"I will do it for any citizen who contacts me," he said.

Staff writer Benjamin Shors can be reached at (509) 459-5484, or by
e-mail at .

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...