Fatal failings at ACS: ditorial,,Eleven abused youngsters who diedunder the noses of their child-protective caseworkers were victims of a dysfunctionalsystem far worse than anyone imagined.

Fatal failings at ACS

Sunday, August 12th 2007, 4:00 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...gs_at_acs.html


Editorial

Eleven abused youngsters who died under the noses of their
child-protective caseworkers were victims of a dysfunctional system far
worse than anyone imagined. Such are the findings of a report by city
Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn and Administration for
Children's Services Commissioner John Mattingly, which showed, in
painful detail, just how dismally the city failed its most vulnerable
citizens. Now that we know how widespread the problem is, the solutions
must be equally broad-based.

The probe, ordered by Mayor Bloomberg after Nixzmary Brown's horrific
death in January 2006, found lax casework and poor supervision were
epidemic. The 11 deaths and one near-death from October 2005 to July
2006 documented in the report followed a shocking pattern of
incompetence and carelessness. Caseworkers accepted parents'
transparently false explanations for children's injuries, didn't talk to
witnesses or check records. Some cases were marked "closed" even when
there was substantiated abuse. At least twice, after youngsters died,
ACS personnel falsified records to cover up slipshod work.

After every death, an ACS panel investigated, caseworkers were retrained
and supervisors were reassigned or fired. Then all was quiet, until the
next child died and the cycle was repeated.

This time, Bloomberg had DOI, not an internal panel, conduct the
investigation. The broad look at nine months of horror revealed
deep-seated failures far beyond one caseworker or one field office.

It's encouraging that Mattingly had already made some changes - hiring
20 expert investigators, reducing caseloads, analyzing data -
recommended in the report. Hiring even more investigators, as the report
also suggests, should help further.

Yet, we've heard much of this before. Unless Mattingly ensures a
dramatic overhaul of the entire system, the same questions will be
raised yet again. After still another youngster's tragic death.





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

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS 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...