CPS wrks refuse to talk Grand Jury parents should NOT talk to them

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...al/7712930.htm

Although CPS workers often intimidate and frighten good parents into speaking
with them, look at how they RUN from any investigations into their work.

Shut the door. Politely. Calmly. Make sure you have relatives you can send
your kids to.

DESCRIPTORS; CHILD PROTECTIVE, DYFS, CHILD ABUSE, DSS, FIA, DHR, DHS, CYFS,
CYS,CYF, SRS, SCF, ILDCFS, ACS, TDPRS, PRS, DFS, DCYF, DFYS,GRAND JURY, DCS,
DHR, SCF, SOSCF, DSS, CSB, ACF, DSHS, DCFS, DFCS, DCF

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...al/7712930.htm

Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2004
Agency workers refuse to testify in starvation case By Mitch Lipka
Philadelphia Inquirer Trenton Bureau

CAMDEN NEW JERSEY - All 11 child-welfare workers involved in the
Collingswood starvation case claimed their Fifth Amendment right and
refused to testify when called before a grand jury yesterday, their
attorneys said.

None of the workers - eight of whom were suspended pending termination
hearings - are considered targets in the criminal investigation, the
lawyers said. But they said the workers could still face criminal
charges.

A ninth suspended worker has cooperated with the Camden County
Prosecutor's Office.

The lawyers said they did not know why prosecutors had subpoenaed
their clients.

"I'm not comfortable at all with the prospect of a dedicated group of
workers being subjected to a criminal investigation," said Alan Zegas,
who represents four of the workers.

Because none was granted immunity from prosecution, none made
statements that could be used in the state's case against Raymond and
Vanessa Jackson, who are accused of starving four adopted sons. The
Jacksons, who have denied the allegations, are the only people charged
in the case.

Athough the Prosecutor's Office would not comment on the grand jury
proceedings, spokesman Bill Shralow did say: "We had interacted with
the attorneys for these folks, and we had hoped to avoid bringing this
matter before a grand jury. It turned out to not be possible in this
case."

Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi said in a statement: "It should be noted
that the DYFS caseworker with the most direct involvement in this
matter cooperated with our investigation."

The investigation into both the Jacksons and the workers from the
state Division of Youth and Family Services continues, Shralow said.

"We haven't closed the book, that's for sure," he said.

Bruce Jackson, the eldest of the four brothers, who range in age from
9 to 19, was found scavenging for food in a neighbor's trash in
October. That led police to the Jackson home, where the others were
found.

The four weighed a combined 136 pounds. All have since had significant
weight gains and are in foster care, authorities said.

Because the Jacksons also had foster children, DYFS workers had
visited the Collingswood home numerous times. They did not raise a red
flag over the health of the four adopted brothers, state officials
said. Child-welfare workers are required by law to report abuse and
neglect.

Representatives of the Communications Workers of America, the union
that covers seven suspended DYFS workers (two others are managers),
said the proceedings yesterday cast a pall over child-welfare workers
statewide. The criminal probe, they said, puts all DYFS workers at
risk of investigation for doing their job as they have been trained to
do.

Union leaders said the problems in the case had more to do with the
overall failure of DYFS than any worker. A worker at a demonstration
outside Camden's City Hall yesterday said her colleagues were deeply
concerned about the implications of the case.

"It's a tragedy that we could be held criminally liable for the work
we do on a daily basis," said Denise Greene, an intake worker in DYFS'
Camden district office.

A union lawyer, Steven Weissman, asserted that prosecutors did not
have enough evidence to bring charges, and that the state did not even
have a case to fire them.

He contended that Gwendolyn Harris' resignation last month as
commissioner of the state Department of Human Services and Colleen
Maguire's resignation last week as the deputy commissioner overseeing
DYFS could change the outcome. Harris and Maguire had called for
firing the nine workers.

DYFS spokesman Andy Williams said he could not comment on personnel
matters.

About 200 DYFS workers from throughout the state picketed outside
Camden City Hall, where the grand jury proceedings were conducted,
during the lunch hour. The workers said they were there to show
support for their colleagues and to protest.

"It will be a cold day in hell before we let them do this to our
members," Paul Alexander, assistant to the president of CWA Local
1034, said on the frigid steps of City Hall. "What's taking place
today is a total travesty."

Fern5827 wrote:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...al/7712930.htm

Although CPS workers often intimidate and frighten good parents into speaking
with them, look at how they RUN from any investigations into their work.

So you hate CPS when they intervene. And you blame CPS when they do not
intervene. Interesting position you have.

Shut the door. Politely. Calmly. Make sure you have relatives you can send
your kids to.

Sending children to a relative is not going to automatically solve
abuse/neglect. There are times when this is a great solution, and
relatives can receive foster care support for raising the children.
Other times, relatives may be as dysfunctional as the birth parents.

You seem to care that children are legally executed in some states, yet
post a blanket recommendation to all parents to hide their children
should a CPS worker show up at their door investigating suspected abuse
or neglect. How very interesting.

LaVonne



DESCRIPTORS; CHILD PROTECTIVE, DYFS, CHILD ABUSE, DSS, FIA, DHR, DHS, CYFS,
CYS,CYF, SRS, SCF, ILDCFS, ACS, TDPRS, PRS, DFS, DCYF, DFYS,GRAND JURY, DCS,
DHR, SCF, SOSCF, DSS, CSB, ACF, DSHS, DCFS, DFCS, DCF

Carlson LaVonne wrote in message ...
Fern5827 wrote:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...al/7712930.htm

Although CPS workers often intimidate and frighten good parents into speaking
with them, look at how they RUN from any investigations into their work.

So you hate CPS when they intervene. And you blame CPS when they do not
intervene. Interesting position you have.

And you LaVonne, love CPS when they intervene at every opportunity to
steal children from good homes.


Shut the door. Politely. Calmly. Make sure you have relatives you can send
your kids to.

Sending children to a relative is not going to automatically solve
abuse/neglect. There are times when this is a great solution, and
relatives can receive foster care support for raising the children.
Other times, relatives may be as dysfunctional as the birth parents.

You seem to care that children are legally executed in some states, yet
post a blanket recommendation to all parents to hide their children
should a CPS worker show up at their door investigating suspected abuse
or neglect. How very interesting.

LaVonne



DESCRIPTORS; CHILD PROTECTIVE, DYFS, CHILD ABUSE, DSS, FIA, DHR, DHS, CYFS,
CYS,CYF, SRS, SCF, ILDCFS, ACS, TDPRS, PRS, DFS, DCYF, DFYS,GRAND JURY, DCS,
DHR, SCF, SOSCF, DSS, CSB, ACF, DSHS, DCFS, DFCS, DCF