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lawsuit alleges that the Department of Children, Youth and Familieshas repeatedly placed children in dangerous situations...
Committee to convene on DCYF issues
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 By Katherine Gregg http://www.projo.com/news/content/DC...L.29d7267.html Journal State House Bureau PROVIDENCE — The Senate Health, Education and Welfare Committee has called a rare, but not unprecedented, midsummer hearing for next Wednesday on the degree to which “excessive caseloads” have endangered children in the state’s care and custody, as alleged in a lawsuit filed late last month by the state’s child advocate. The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Children, Youth and Families has repeatedly placed children in dangerous situations, failed to remove them promptly after abuse was revealed, and later failed to offer proper counseling and treatment. In hopes of hearing “both sides” of the dispute at one hearing, the Senate committee chaired by Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, has invited the child advocate, Jametta O. Alston, DCYF director Patricia Martinez, and Jane Hayward, secretary of Governor Carcieri’s Office of Health and Human Services. “We are gravely concerned for the children,” Perry said. “This is an opportunity to have both sides there and really be able to ask questions, hear responses and then follow-up with the other side.” Perry’s committee last met exclusively on DCYF issues last December, after an Oct. 31 status report by Alston came to light. Among the conclusions: that the DCYF had failed to make some of the most important changes that a review panel called for after a 3-year-old boy — Thomas J. “T.J.” Wright, of Woonsocket — was beaten to death while in state custody two years ago. The state also failed to hold caseloads to the recommended average of 14 families per caseworker, the report said. Then-caseworker Pamela McElroy told the senators that she planned on leaving the job soon because heavy caseloads had sapped her. “The reality is that as the situation stands now, even if one is good at this work, it is impossible to do well. When you cannot do this job well, children and their families suffer,” she said. Alston, the child advocate, told the senators back then: “The short answer is: hire the staff DCYF needs to do their job.” Members of the audience, which included many DCYF workers, applauded. In March, the Senate passed a resolution requiring monthly reports on the number of children in each family service worker’s assigned caseload, the extent to which the agency is relying on overtime and the pace at which the agency is evaluating, training and qualifying new foster homes. As of June 1, average caseloads stood at 17.9 in the Providence region; 19 in the East Bay; 16.3 in Kent and Washington counties; and 21.2 in north and Northwestern Rhode Island. And overtime still played a large role in keeping up. From July 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007, DCYF paid $1.8 million — an average of $19,422 per pay period — for 37,923 overtime hours. In May alone, the cost was $141,150 for 3,826.7 hours, with an explanation from Martinez that much of what social workers routinely need to do takes place outside their normal working hours. Examples from the reports submitted by director Martinez: “Social caseworkers need to meet with parents who are working” or “to see children who are in school during the social caseworkers’ normal work hours.” During a confirmation hearing last May, some legislators voiced concern about mounting caseloads in the face of three dozen vacancies that hiring restraints prevent Martinez from filling. In response, she said she hoped to transfer some of the more “tedious” work to some of the private agencies with which the DCYF interacts. An hour before the full Senate confirmed Martinez for another term as DCYF director, the governor’s office announced the ratification of a four-year contract with Local 580 Service Employees International Union, which represents the social workers and others in the DCYF. The contract promised the union’s 1,100 members 4-percent pay raises in each of the first two years, and 3-percent raises for the last two. It also requires members to pay a percentage of their health-care premiums. It was not clear then — or now — the extent to which the new contract ameliorated the long-running scheduling problems that have, for years, necessitated the overtime. Perry said she has wanted to ask — in the months since her committee began its inquiry — “how the department is progressing with the problems it had with overtime and the possibility of establishing flexible work schedules … with the cooperation of the union.” Next Wednesday’s hearing has tentatively been scheduled for 4 p.m. at the State House. 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... |
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lawsuit alleges that the Department of Children, Youth and Families has repeatedly placed children in dangerous situations...
On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:20:59 -0700, fx wrote:
Committee to convene on DCYF issues Thanks for providing evidence for the underfunding of CPS to be key to practice failures. 0:] Don't you read these, Michael? Or are you so busy you haven't the time. 0:] 01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 By Katherine Gregg http://www.projo.com/news/content/DC...L.29d7267.html Journal State House Bureau PROVIDENCE — The Senate Health, Education and Welfare Committee has called a rare, but not unprecedented, midsummer hearing for next Wednesday on the degree to which “excessive caseloads” have endangered children in the state’s care and custody, as alleged in a lawsuit filed late last month by the state’s child advocate. The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Children, Youth and Families has repeatedly placed children in dangerous situations, failed to remove them promptly after abuse was revealed, and later failed to offer proper counseling and treatment. In hopes of hearing “both sides” of the dispute at one hearing, the Senate committee chaired by Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, has invited the child advocate, Jametta O. Alston, DCYF director Patricia Martinez, and Jane Hayward, secretary of Governor Carcieri’s Office of Health and Human Services. “We are gravely concerned for the children,” Perry said. “This is an opportunity to have both sides there and really be able to ask questions, hear responses and then follow-up with the other side.” Perry’s committee last met exclusively on DCYF issues last December, after an Oct. 31 status report by Alston came to light. Among the conclusions: that the DCYF had failed to make some of the most important changes that a review panel called for after a 3-year-old boy — Thomas J. “T.J.” Wright, of Woonsocket — was beaten to death while in state custody two years ago. The state also failed to hold caseloads to the recommended average of 14 families per caseworker, the report said. Then-caseworker Pamela McElroy told the senators that she planned on leaving the job soon because heavy caseloads had sapped her. “The reality is that as the situation stands now, even if one is good at this work, it is impossible to do well. When you cannot do this job well, children and their families suffer,” she said. Alston, the child advocate, told the senators back then: “The short answer is: hire the staff DCYF needs to do their job.” Members of the audience, which included many DCYF workers, applauded. In March, the Senate passed a resolution requiring monthly reports on the number of children in each family service worker’s assigned caseload, the extent to which the agency is relying on overtime and the pace at which the agency is evaluating, training and qualifying new foster homes. As of June 1, average caseloads stood at 17.9 in the Providence region; 19 in the East Bay; 16.3 in Kent and Washington counties; and 21.2 in north and Northwestern Rhode Island. And overtime still played a large role in keeping up. From July 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007, DCYF paid $1.8 million — an average of $19,422 per pay period — for 37,923 overtime hours. In May alone, the cost was $141,150 for 3,826.7 hours, with an explanation from Martinez that much of what social workers routinely need to do takes place outside their normal working hours. Examples from the reports submitted by director Martinez: “Social caseworkers need to meet with parents who are working” or “to see children who are in school during the social caseworkers’ normal work hours.” During a confirmation hearing last May, some legislators voiced concern about mounting caseloads in the face of three dozen vacancies that hiring restraints prevent Martinez from filling. In response, she said she hoped to transfer some of the more “tedious” work to some of the private agencies with which the DCYF interacts. An hour before the full Senate confirmed Martinez for another term as DCYF director, the governor’s office announced the ratification of a four-year contract with Local 580 Service Employees International Union, which represents the social workers and others in the DCYF. The contract promised the union’s 1,100 members 4-percent pay raises in each of the first two years, and 3-percent raises for the last two. It also requires members to pay a percentage of their health-care premiums. It was not clear then — or now — the extent to which the new contract ameliorated the long-running scheduling problems that have, for years, necessitated the overtime. Perry said she has wanted to ask — in the months since her committee began its inquiry — “how the department is progressing with the problems it had with overtime and the possibility of establishing flexible work schedules … with the cooperation of the union.” Next Wednesday’s hearing has tentatively been scheduled for 4 p.m. at the State House. 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... |
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