DNA sampling? Be cautious about use for foster children

DNA sampling

Be cautious about use for foster children

http://www.news-journalonline.com/Ne...PN48111207.htm

When state protective-services workers make the decision to remove
children from abusive or neglectful homes, they expect the transition to
be traumatic. Even when children are living in horrific conditions --
even when the foster home is warm and nurturing -- it's a shock, one
that can resonate for the rest of those children's lives.

But state officials also know that children go missing from the foster
system. Statewide, around 470 children are currently missing from the
foster-care system, including 12 from Volusia and Flagler counties.

Looking for ways to track missing children, a statewide task force has
recommended taking DNA swabs of any child taken into state custody. The
DNA collection could replace the current practice of fingerprinting
children, and would be used in conjunction with photographs.

Advocates like Ron Zychowski, CEO of Community Partnership for Children
(the local non-profit group that runs foster care in Volusia and Flagler
counties) argue that DNA sampling could be too jarring for children
already wracked with anxiety. But task force member Alan Abramowitz, who
(like Zychowski) once served as the Department of Children and Families'
district administrator here, says he thinks DNA swabs would be less
traumatic for children than fingerprints -- and more accurate.
Fingerprints are often hard to read, especially for infants and small
children. And a quick swipe at the inside of a child's lower lip might
leave less of an impression than the laborious inking, pressing and
rolling of 10 tiny digits on a fingerprint card.

Both arguments are worth considering. But there are bigger issues at stake.

How would DNA samples be obtained, processed and banked? Compared to
fingerprints, DNA samples are expensive and require a high level of
scientific training to analyze.

And what happens to the DNA samples once a child leaves the foster-care
system? Are they destroyed -- or is that child forever linked to their
genetic code in government-operated databases?

Civil libertarians have long been concerned about the push to archive
genetic fingerprints of law-abiding citizens. Would the DNA data of
foster children be handed over to child-support authorities in an
attempt to track down absent fathers? Could samples be made available to
potential employers, who could look for markers signifying genetic
predispositions to diseases like alcoholism or obesity? Could DNA data
someday be combined with the massive consumer-behavior databases already
being compiled?

These concerns are too weighty for the shoulders of most children
entering the foster-care system, but they are issues that state leaders
should be concerned about. If they decide to collect DNA samples,
officials should adopt strict protocols that restrict the use of genetic
material to the foster-care system only. And any DNA swabs should be
destroyed, along with accompanying analyses, when a child is no longer
under state supervision.

State officials deserve credit for seeking out ways to track missing
children. However, the DNA proposal is one that deserves a great deal
more scrutiny before it becomes law.








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...