Repeating mistakes: the fundamental question: Why does the stateand its stable of privately run providers keep making the same mistakes thathave plagued the child welfare system for years?

Repeating mistakes

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published June 30, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/30/Op...mistakes.shtml

Bob Butterworth, secretary of Florida's Department of Children and
Families, has said and done the right things in the aftermath of the
botched handling of Courtney Clark, the 2-year-old former Pinellas
County girl who went missing for months from state care before turning
up in Wisconsin. His candor in accepting responsibility and moving to
publicly air the record will help the agency learn and regain public
trust in the months ahead.

But here's the fundamental question: Why does the state and its stable
of privately run providers keep making the same mistakes that have
plagued the child welfare system for years? It was almost preordained
that the state's internal review would blame inattention by caseworkers
and bureaucrats for the toddler going missing.

According to Butterworth, a caseworker waited four months to report
Clark missing to local law enforcement, and officials at the agency and
the Sarasota Family YMCA, its subcontractor, did little follow-up.
"There was no sense of urgency, " Butterworth said. Workers failed to
follow rules, overlooked abuse, relied on e-mail and succumbed to
interagency bureaucratic barriers.

Fixing the system is one thing. DCF needs a tighter rein on the 20
community agencies that administer child welfare services. The fact that
Clark bounced around from place to place should have raised red flags at
DCF, which bears ultimate responsibility, long before the girl was
reported missing in January. More than a dozen mistakes officials cite
point to deficiencies in computer-held data sharing and communications
between providers, DCF and law enforcement. The process for tracking
these children needs to be seamless, whether across bureaucratic
jurisdictions or state lines. The state's internal review called for
several of these steps, including speedier reporting to law enforcement,
which should raise the profile of missing cases and bring about a needed
dose of accountability.

But some mistakes are with people, not the process, and they seem the
most enduring. Poor judgment, laziness and an unwillingness to bump bad
news up the line can undermine any reform put into place. A broader
review by the agency's inspector general, expected this month, should
help Butterworth form a long-range strategy. A Pinellas-Pasco judge can
help this week by agreeing to a joint request by DCF and the St.
Petersburg Times to open the records in this case.

The state and private providers must be held accountable. Neglect is
what brings kids into the system; it should not be a continuing feature
of the system itself.

[Last modified June 29, 2007, 22:17:54]











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...

CPS agencies have contracted out heavily for MANY years.
Only recently, as caseworkers lose some UNION jobs to
outsourcing has the Child Protection industry been
upset about the CONTRACTING.
Even worse, the very people whose JOBS are threatened
by outsourcing are involved in part of the contracts and
supervision of the contractors.


On Jun 30, 2:26 am, fx wrote:
Repeating mistakes

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published June 30, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/30/Op...mistakes.shtml

Bob Butterworth, secretary of Florida's Department of Children and
Families, has said and done the right things in the aftermath of the
botched handling of Courtney Clark, the 2-year-old former Pinellas
County girl who went missing for months from state care before turning
up in Wisconsin. His candor in accepting responsibility and moving to
publicly air the record will help the agency learn and regain public
trust in the months ahead.

But here's the fundamental question: Why does the state and its stable
of privately run providers keep making the same mistakes that have
plagued the child welfare system for years? It was almost preordained
that the state's internal review would blame inattention by caseworkers
and bureaucrats for the toddler going missing.

According to Butterworth, a caseworker waited four months to report
Clark missing to local law enforcement, and officials at the agency and
the Sarasota Family YMCA, its subcontractor, did little follow-up.
"There was no sense of urgency, " Butterworth said. Workers failed to
follow rules, overlooked abuse, relied on e-mail and succumbed to
interagency bureaucratic barriers.

Fixing the system is one thing. DCF needs a tighter rein on the 20
community agencies that administer child welfare services. The fact that
Clark bounced around from place to place should have raised red flags at
DCF, which bears ultimate responsibility, long before the girl was
reported missing in January. More than a dozen mistakes officials cite
point to deficiencies in computer-held data sharing and communications
between providers, DCF and law enforcement. The process for tracking
these children needs to be seamless, whether across bureaucratic
jurisdictions or state lines. The state's internal review called for
several of these steps, including speedier reporting to law enforcement,
which should raise the profile of missing cases and bring about a needed
dose of accountability.

But some mistakes are with people, not the process, and they seem the
most enduring. Poor judgment, laziness and an unwillingness to bump bad
news up the line can undermine any reform put into place. A broader
review by the agency's inspector general, expected this month, should
help Butterworth form a long-range strategy. A Pinellas-Pasco judge can
help this week by agreeing to a joint request by DCF and the St.
Petersburg Times to open the records in this case.

The state and private providers must be held accountable. Neglect is
what brings kids into the system; it should not be a continuing feature
of the system itself.

[Last modified June 29, 2007, 22:17:54]

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...

On Jun 30, 8:50 pm, Greegor wrote:
CPS agencies have contracted out heavily for MANY years.

Which CPS agencies specifically?

Contracts for what specifically?

Only recently, as caseworkers lose some UNION jobs to
outsourcing has the Child Protection industry been
upset about the CONTRACTING.

Where can I see the information you based that statement on?

Citations?

Even worse, the very people whose JOBS are threatened
by outsourcing are involved in part of the contracts and
supervision of the contractors.

Plaes post the citations for the facts you based that statement on.

On Jun 30, 8:05 pm, Dan Sullivan wrote:
On Jun 30, 8:50 pm, Greegor wrote:

CPS agencies have contracted out heavily for MANY years.

Which CPS agencies specifically?

Contracts for what specifically?

Only recently, as caseworkers lose some UNION jobs to
outsourcing has the Child Protection industry been
upset about the CONTRACTING.

Where can I see the information you based that statement on?

Citations?

Even worse, the very people whose JOBS are threatened
by outsourcing are involved in part of the contracts and
supervision of the contractors.

Plaes post the citations for the facts you based that statement on.

Do you think the statements are not true, Dan?
Take a stand please.

On Jul 1, 7:55 am, Greegor wrote:
On Jun 30, 8:05 pm, Dan Sullivan wrote:





On Jun 30, 8:50 pm, Greegor wrote:

CPS agencies have contracted out heavily for MANY years.

Which CPS agencies specifically?

Contracts for what specifically?

Only recently, as caseworkers lose some UNION jobs to
outsourcing has the Child Protection industry been
upset about the CONTRACTING.

Where can I see the information you based that statement on?

Citations?

Even worse, the very people whose JOBS are threatened
by outsourcing are involved in part of the contracts and
supervision of the contractors.

Plaes post the citations for the facts you based that statement on.

Do you think the statements are not true, Dan?

I think anything you say is questionable if not an outright falsehood,
Greg.

Take a stand please.

That is my position.

On Jul 2, 1:23 am, "0:-]" wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:50:58 -0700, Greegor
wrote:

CPS agencies have contracted out heavily for MANY years.

What do you mean by heavily? Most states do not do so.

Only recently, as caseworkers lose some UNION jobs to
outsourcing has the Child Protection industry been
upset about the CONTRACTING.

Completely inverted convoluted thinking Greg. CPS is NOT the workers.
CPS would be upset about the contracting for entirely different
reasons than the workers would be.

What both DO agree on, in the end, or will, is that failure to perform
is sufficiently bad with contractors that the money would be better
spent to hire more workers and take back the contracted jobs.

As if that is up to them!
They've had 35 years to get it right, now it's not up to them anymore.

Even worse, the very people whose JOBS are threatened
by outsourcing are involved in part of the contracts and
supervision of the contractors.

It's apparent you do not know what you are talking about.

Too bad.

CPS management would not be threatened by outsourcing if they are
supervising.

Are you referring to something specific?

I read it, and interestingly enough, after I thought about what might
be happening to the children, moved on to other matters discussed.

I knew immediately I had a fool for an author.

Take this, as my prime example of stupidity and someone writing for
effect rather than for facts.

This is supposed to be one of the system "problems."
... "relied on e-mail"

What would it be about e-mail that would make it more likely to be
overlooked than a written message?

I know, all concerns should require a face-to-face.

Yes, I keep seeing that, and I keep remembering my own adventures in
"efficiency" and the measure of time and productivity in actual
practice.

Mine was in industry, but I know for a fact that you do NOT make more
efficient your enterprise by making the flow of information stream
more difficult to access.

And face to face meetings take HUGE amounts more time than e-mail or
other written correspondence.

Dingbat author.
0:]





On Jun 30, 2:26 am, fx wrote:
Repeating mistakes

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published June 30, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/30/Op...mistakes.shtml

Bob Butterworth, secretary of Florida's Department of Children and
Families, has said and done the right things in the aftermath of the
botched handling of Courtney Clark, the 2-year-old former Pinellas
County girl who went missing for months from state care before turning
up in Wisconsin. His candor in accepting responsibility and moving to
publicly air the record will help the agency learn and regain public
trust in the months ahead.

But here's the fundamental question: Why does the state and its stable
of privately run providers keep making the same mistakes that have
plagued the child welfare system for years? It was almost preordained
that the state's internal review would blame inattention by caseworkers
and bureaucrats for the toddler going missing.

According to Butterworth, a caseworker waited four months to report
Clark missing to local law enforcement, and officials at the agency and
the Sarasota Family YMCA, its subcontractor, did little follow-up.
"There was no sense of urgency, " Butterworth said. Workers failed to
follow rules, overlooked abuse, relied on e-mail and succumbed to
interagency bureaucratic barriers.

Fixing the system is one thing. DCF needs a tighter rein on the 20
community agencies that administer child welfare services. The fact that
Clark bounced around from place to place should have raised red flags at
DCF, which bears ultimate responsibility, long before the girl was
reported missing in January. More than a dozen mistakes officials cite
point to deficiencies in computer-held data sharing and communications
between providers, DCF and law enforcement. The process for tracking
these children needs to be seamless, whether across bureaucratic
jurisdictions or state lines. The state's internal review called for
several of these steps, including speedier reporting to law enforcement,
which should raise the profile of missing cases and bring about a needed
dose of accountability.

But some mistakes are with people, not the process, and they seem the
most enduring. Poor judgment, laziness and an unwillingness to bump bad
news up the line can undermine any reform put into place. A broader
review by the agency's inspector general, expected this month, should
help Butterworth form a long-range strategy. A Pinellas-Pasco judge can
help this week by agreeing to a joint request by DCF and the St.
Petersburg Times to open the records in this case.

The state and private providers must be held accountable. Neglect is
what brings kids into the system; it should not be a continuing feature
of the system itself.

[Last modified June 29, 2007, 22:17:54]

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...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -