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Source: N.J. Child Welfare Suit Settled



 
 
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Old June 24th 03, 05:24 PM
Wex Wimpy
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Default Source: N.J. Child Welfare Suit Settled

Source: N.J. Child Welfare Suit Settled
Tue Jun 24, 5:03 AM ET

By TOM BELL, Associated Press Writer

TRENTON, N.J. - A children's advocacy group and state officials
reached a settlement on a class-action lawsuit that was filed in an
effort to force reforms at New Jersey's Division of Youth and Family
Services, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Details of the settlement were scheduled to be announced Tuesday at a
news conference with Gov. James E. McGreevey and officials from
Children's Rights Inc., the New York-based group that filed the
lawsuit. A Children's Rights spokeswoman declined to comment on the
settlement Monday.

Children's Rights sued the state in August 1999, accusing the division
of violating foster children's civil rights with a care system that
failed to plan for their future and left them at risk for abuse and
neglect.

The division has been criticized for years and came under intense
pressure for reform in January, when the decomposed body of
7-year-old Faheem Williams was discovered in a storage bin in a home
in Newark. His twin brother, Raheem, and their 4-year-old half
brother, Tyrone Hill, were found alive but emaciated in an adjoining
basement room.

The state child services agency had investigated complaints of abuse
involving the children since 1992, but never sought to remove the boys
from the home. The agency then said it could not locate more than 100
children it was supposed to be monitoring.

Children's Rights released a series of reports in the last two months
that were critical of agency managers and workers. It said a look at
129 cases involving 195 children in foster care found that state
investigators repeatedly made bad decisions.

The latest report released last week said children placed in group
homes, shelters and detention centers around the state were sexually
assaulted and physically abused. Another group of findings released
earlier this month said state officials knew about problems at DYFS
for years but never took action to correct them.

DYFS officials said reform is under way at the agency, including an
18-member panel formed by McGreevey to oversee the process.
Legislation is also pending for creating an Office of Child Advocate,
requiring criminal background checks of residential supervisors used
by DYFS, and providing financial aid to foster children for college.

In Trenton on Monday, more than 200 DYFS workers lashed out at the
McGreevey administration during a rally at the Statehouse, saying the
agency's problems aren't their fault.

Workers chanted "Less paperwork, more social work!" and "Cap our
caseloads, save our children!" They said the real problem is a lack of
funding, which means not enough workers, caseloads that are too big
and antiquated equipment.

"I feel emotionally castrated, humiliated and ashamed of something
that up until now I was proud of," said Dominick Antonicello, a
27-year DYFS employee. "I have spent my entire life saving children
from unspeakable horror and I'm being labeled as incompetent."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...hild_welfare_2
___

On the Net:

Children's Rights Inc.: http://www.childrensrights.org

New Jersey: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dyfs/index.html

 




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