CA -- Privacy lifted in fatal child-abuse cases under new law

Privacy lifted in fatal child-abuse cases under new law
By John Simerman

TIMES STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 10/11/2007 05:20:26 PM PDT

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7150865

The public will gain access to detailed information about children who
are killed in cases of suspected abuse or neglect under a bill that Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Thursday.

Up to now, state privacy law has kept hidden much of the story
surrounding the deaths of children in foster care and of children who
died after social workers fielded reports of abuse.

Medical records, risk assessments on families, details on foster
parents, logs of earlier reports of abuse and how county welfare
agencies handled them remain largely shielded from public view.

SB 39, which the governor signed along with five other child welfare
bills, takes effect Jan. 1 and will give the public the right to much of
that information without a costly, drawn out court fight.

"We hope and expect it will be a very powerful tool to find out what's
going on and to advocate for reforms, if reforms will help save the
lives of children," said Ed Howard of the Children's Advocacy Institute.

In Contra Costa County, child welfare officials cited privacy laws in
withholding key information in the high-profile deaths of two children:
2-year-old Deonna Green, who died after eating baking soda at her
Pittsburg foster home in December, and 8-year-old Raijon Daniels of
Richmond, who died a year ago this month after years of suspected abuse
by his mother.

The state Department of Social Services has required only that county
agencies offer a sparse public summary of contacts with those children.
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In the summaries, the names of the dead children are blacked out.

In 2002, 140 children reportedly died in California from abuse or
neglect, although experts say the actual number is likely higher.

Similar bills languished for years under opposition from the union that
represents social workers and from child welfare agency officials. The
bill was rewritten in part to address their concerns, including the
privacy of siblings.

The social workers' union withdrew its opposition and the County Welfare
Directors Association of California lent the bill its support,
acknowledging that the veil of secrecy around child deaths created an
appearance that the agencies were hiding deadly mistakes.

"They were unable to defend themselves even if they were doing things
that were in the best interest of the child, for the best interest of
the family," said Jim Ewert of the California Newspaper Publishers
Association, which supported the bill.

Among the other child welfare bills that Schwarzenegger signed Thursday
is legislation by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, creating a
pilot program to streamline the approval process for foster homes and
adoptive families.

Reach John Simerman at 925-943-8072 or e-mail
.



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...