Deaths prompt foster care reform legislation....

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/0304...0070304030.php


Deaths prompt foster care reform legislation

By JEFF CARLTON
Associated Press

DALLAS - In the violent moments that led to her death, 6-year-old
Katherine Frances never stood a chance.

She suffered a fatal brain injury, police say, when the 14-year-old
biological son of her suburban southern Dallas County foster parents
repeatedly body slammed her.

Her death in DeSoto last year, linked by lawmakers to the recent deaths
in foster homes of a 3-year-old girl in Arlington and a 1-year-old boy
in Corsicana, has prompted a new round of foster care reform measures in
the Legislature.

Two years after lawmakers overhauled and privatized the system, they are
looking to redefine the rights of foster children and beef up the state
Department of Family and Protective Services' management role. At least
13 children in foster care have died from abuse or neglect by foster
caregivers since 2003, according to state figures.

"The oversight that should be taking place has broken down in our foster
system," Sen. Jane Nelson said. "We have had some horrible, preventable
tragedies."

Katherine died Dec. 5, after her foster brother slammed her to the
ground several times, apparently upset that she had wet her bed, police
said.

His mother, Joyce Burks, faces a charge of injury to a child. She did
not seek medical attention for Katherine for at least four hours,
instead washing a comforter and pillow the girl vomited on after
suffering her injuries, police Capt. Ron Smith said.

The Department of Family and Protective Services has blamed private
agency Therapeutic Family Life for mismanaging Katherine's foster care.
In a Dec. 21 letter to Therapeutic, a state licensing supervisor wrote
that the company's mistakes "directly contributed to ... a foster child
dying at the hands of that 14 year old."

A Jan. 22 letter to Therapeutic notified the company that state
investigators in other cases had also found inadequate criminal
background checks and "little to no support or training for foster
parents" who spoke limited English.

As a result of Katherine's death, lawmakers are calling for tougher
state oversight and more rigorous background checks of foster families.

Under current law, placement agencies must examine criminal backgrounds,
but they don't have to check whether police have visited a home on
disturbance calls.

Rep. Helen Giddings said she is drafting a bill that would require
foster parents to disclose police visits. It would also create a
database by which state workers could track police visits to foster
homes, Giddings said.

In addition to better background checks, Nelson's bill broadens the
authority of police to remove children from homes in which there are drugs.

The current law allows police to turn children over to the state "no
questions asked" when methamphetamine is involved, Nelson said. Her bill
would add crack, cocaine and heroin to that list.

Another provision would require the state to make unannounced
inspections of every foster home, Nelson said. Currently, state
officials inspect about one-third of all foster homes each year.

A bill, sponsored by Sen. Carlos Uresti and Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, would
create a foster children's bill of rights. That includes the right to an
allowance, to attend religious services of the child's choosing and "to
not be locked or otherwise confined in any room."

Critics, while welcoming the attention being paid to foster care reform,
say the lawmakers' efforts are belated.

"The state tends to be reactive instead of proactive," said Roy Block,
president of the Texas Foster Family Association. "They never give these
items attention until there is an issue, and right now that's a child's
death."

Block said the biggest problem facing the state is a lack of resources.
Whereas private agencies typically aim to have fewer than 20 foster
children assigned to a caseworker, state conservatorship caseworkers are
overwhelmed with at least twice that many cases, he said.

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:10:15 -0700, fx wrote:

This is a horror story, fx. That 14 year old should spend many years
on prison.

I regret that this highlights my own long time (most often in this
newsgroup -- MORE than any other poster, by a very high factor of MANY
by me, NONE by anyone else -- indictment of the system for contracting
out services that should be performed by CPS workers and supervisors.
Not only do they cost less, in the long run, but they do a far better
job.

Thanks again for posting this...

The Department of Family and Protective Services has blamed private
agency Therapeutic Family Life for mismanaging Katherine's foster care.
In a Dec. 21 letter to Therapeutic, a state licensing supervisor wrote
that the company's mistakes "directly contributed to ... a foster child
dying at the hands of that 14 year old."

You declare yourself vindicated for your defense of internal UNION
jobs?
Convenient don't you think?

You have never explained why handling it IN HOUSE is
any better than handling it by way of SUPERVISED contractors.

In house supervision also resulted in numbers of deaths.

If you were a UNION worker supervising non-union contractors
and bitter about that, wouldn't you either supervise them
so much as to make it painful, or else supervise so minimally
that you were passive-aggressive about letting them fail miserably?

And if contracted work is so bad, then what about all of
the OTHER contracted work they've been using for YEARS?

Will all of the OTHER contracting cease?

On 7 Mar 2007 09:07:11 -0800, "Greegor" wrote:

You declare yourself vindicated for your defense of internal UNION
jobs?
Convenient don't you think?

Convenient for what?

You have never explained why handling it IN HOUSE is
any better than handling it by way of SUPERVISED contractors.

Because supervision of foster homes is direct. No middle man.


In house supervision also resulted in numbers of deaths.


Data showing that the rate was the same or higher would be of some
help in supporting you claim.

The data from the USDHHS sources is very sketchy on how and by what
cause a child died in foster care, Greg.

I can find some but it's very low compared to parent caused deaths
percentage wise.

Would you care to produce some support for your claim?

If you were a UNION worker supervising non-union contractors
and bitter about that, wouldn't you either supervise them
so much as to make it painful, or else supervise so minimally
that you were passive-aggressive about letting them fail miserably?

Well, I don't have problems with passive-aggressiveness, Greg.

So no, I'd supervise them professionally and expect of them
considerably more than "minimal acceptable standards" that bio parents
are held to.

In fact I'd make them sign the agreements and abide by them, as to
allowed and disallowed discipline. One of the items is to not use
punishment of any kind concerning either toileting, or food.

0:]

Foster parents don't get to send kids to bed without their supper as a
punishment, nor can they force the child to take cold showers as an
aversive training punishment for soiling or wetting themselves.

Amazing, no?

And if contracted work is so bad, then what about all of
the OTHER contracted work they've been using for YEARS?

I don't think you've ever seen me say unequivocally I approve of it,
but if you are referring to things like health and mental health
vendors.....that would require a huge in-house staff to deliver the
same services.

Doctors and mental health practitioners can spread out the low
remuneration common to both vendor contract payments so that they can
also practice their professions and their normal rate levels.

Also states are notorious for paying such vendors very late...as late
as possible, because of the funding cycle pressures.

Will all of the OTHER contracting cease?

I can't answer that, as I don't know of many people that have my view
on contracting at all. So I can't gauge how much political pressure to
change to an all agency system.

I do know that some health and mental health services are indeed
contracted to county health departments. I know a County Health
director quite well. Used to date her back in my single days when she
was just the head of public health nursing services for a county.

And they were much more tightly monitored by themselves than the
private non-profits seem to be policing themselves.

Thank you for the series of questions and an opportunity to educate.

Will you answer a question for me then? Out of reasonable personal
expectations?

How many weeks or months will go by, like they have this time, before
you ask essentially the same questions that I or others have answer
here before in ascps.

And can you explain your memory lapses in terms other than what your
questions seem to be, deliberate asking of the same questions over and
over to simply harass?

Kane

G You declare yourself vindicated for your
G defense of internal UNION jobs?
G Convenient don't you think?

K Convenient for what?

You willingly engage in a conflict of interest?

G You have never explained why handling it IN HOUSE is
G any better than handling it by way of SUPERVISED contractors.

K Because supervision of foster homes is direct. No middle man.

Kids DIED under this ""direct"" supervision also!

Who was sued or incarcerated BEFORE?

Who will be sued or incarcerated under contractors?

In house supervision also resulted in numbers of deaths.

Data showing that the rate was the same or higher would be of some
help in supporting you claim.

The data from the USDHHS sources is very sketchy on how and by what
cause a child died in foster care, Greg.

WHY would THAT be?
Damn them! They're your ENEMY, right!
A veritable model of ethics in government??

I can find some but it's very low compared to parent caused deaths
percentage wise.

I submit that DHHS has it's OWN conflict of interest!
US DHHS is just too cozy and benefits from the
increased flow of funding to state agencies.

Some watchdog.

Would you care to produce some support for your claim?

Can you show me where some yahoo in a state agency who
"neglected" children and "failed to protect" children got
criminally charged?

Hell, those doctors who wrote prescriptions for psychotropics
without actually seeing the kid haven't been incarcerated have they?

Just to make it clear, people are getting really irked off
about how white collar criminals are not getting punished.

Do you think (late) Ken Lay's WIFE will have to hand over
the stolen loot?

And the others who were at the top of Enron?

Lutheran Social Services/Lutheran Services in America?

Jerry Regier, hired to clean up FL DCYF but JOINED THE CORRUPTION??
Was he SUED?? He got to keep all of his loot?

If you were a UNION worker supervising non-union contractors
and bitter about that, wouldn't you either supervise them
so much as to make it painful, or else supervise so minimally
that you were passive-aggressive about letting them fail miserably?

Well, I don't have problems with passive-aggressiveness, Greg.

So no, I'd supervise them professionally and expect of them
considerably more than "minimal acceptable standards" that bio parents
are held to.

In fact I'd make them sign the agreements and abide by them, as to
allowed and disallowed discipline. One of the items is to not use
punishment of any kind concerning either toileting, or food.

0:]

Foster parents don't get to send kids to bed without their supper as a
punishment, nor can they force the child to take cold showers as an
aversive training punishment for soiling or wetting themselves.

Amazing, no?

And if contracted work is so bad, then what about all of
the OTHER contracted work they've been using for YEARS?

I don't think you've ever seen me say unequivocally I approve of it,
but if you are referring to things like health and mental health
vendors.....that would require a huge in-house staff to deliver the
same services.

Doctors and mental health practitioners can spread out the low
remuneration common to both vendor contract payments so that they can
also practice their professions and their normal rate levels.

Also states are notorious for paying such vendors very late...as late
as possible, because of the funding cycle pressures.



Will all of the OTHER contracting cease?

I can't answer that, as I don't know of many people that have my view
on contracting at all. So I can't gauge how much political pressure to
change to an all agency system.

I do know that some health and mental health services are indeed
contracted to county health departments. I know a County Health
director quite well. Used to date her back in my single days when she
was just the head of public health nursing services for a county.

And they were much more tightly monitored by themselves than the
private non-profits seem to be policing themselves.

Thank you for the series of questions and an opportunity to educate.

Will you answer a question for me then? Out of reasonable personal
expectations?

How many weeks or months will go by, like they have this time, before
you ask essentially the same questions that I or others have answer
here before in ascps.

And can you explain your memory lapses in terms other than what your
questions seem to be, deliberate asking of the same questions over and
over to simply harass?

Kane

On 7 Mar 2007 14:32:06 -0800, "Greegor" wrote:

G You declare yourself vindicated for your
G defense of internal UNION jobs?
G Convenient don't you think?

K Convenient for what?

You willingly engage in a conflict of interest?

Non sequitur. Quite a trick in a question, but not for a rhetorical
insinuation.

What ARE you babbling about?

G You have never explained why handling it IN HOUSE is
G any better than handling it by way of SUPERVISED contractors.

K Because supervision of foster homes is direct. No middle man.

Kids DIED under this ""direct"" supervision also!

I believe I mentioned, asked, for some data?

There are many situations, including residence, where kids have died.
Is there something better about private agencies than state supervised
foster homes.

You seem to think so. Now prove it.


Who was sued or incarcerated BEFORE?

Irrelevant to your argument.

We have two circumstance. One of which I disapprove of most
vehemently...contracted out foster placement and supervision services.

You are attacking state run programs, but seem unwilling to notice
that would put you in favor of the contracted out ones.

At least comparatively.

My actual comments appear in this post, which you have conveniently
avoided including, and which I will henceforth note is deliberate
harassment rather than reasoned debate:

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:10:15 -0700, fx wrote:

This is a horror story, fx. That 14 year old should spend many years
on prison.

I regret that this highlights my own long time (most often in this
newsgroup -- MORE than any other poster, by a very high factor of MANY
by me, NONE by anyone else -- indictment of the system for contracting
out services that should be performed by CPS workers and supervisors.
Not only do they cost less, in the long run, but they do a far better
job.

Thanks again for posting this...

Who will be sued or incarcerated under contractors?

What has this to do with my comments?


In house supervision also resulted in numbers of deaths.

Data showing that the rate was the same or higher would be of some
help in supporting you claim.

The data from the USDHHS sources is very sketchy on how and by what
cause a child died in foster care, Greg.

WHY would THAT be?

Because the data is very difficult to collect and verify.

Damn them! They're your ENEMY, right!

USDHHS? I don't think so.

A veritable model of ethics in government??

I don't usually judge them one way or the other. Now and then I'll see
something I question as being less than precise, and sometimes less
than useful because it lacks needed information.

I, in fact, have complained about the lack of clarity on WHO actually
killed the child when "in foster care deaths" are tabulated.

I can find some but it's very low compared to parent caused deaths
percentage wise.

I submit that DHHS has it's OWN conflict of interest!

The DHHS is not the subject. It's the reporting part that is. Sorry if
I confused you by not giving greater detail. I keep forgetting about
your memory.

This subject has been endlessly discussed....how and were data is
reported and published.

Is there a form of government agency that you think would be less
corruptible?

US DHHS is just too cozy and benefits from the
increased flow of funding to state agencies.

Does it? How?

They portion I refer to is simply an information gathering instrument.
And of course, publishing.

It's been under various acronyms, and the funding stream comes
through, most likely, USDHHS, but we are discussing the keeping of
records. You asked, I provided. Now you don't like the source.

Name a better one.


Some watchdog.

That's not their role at the record keeping agencies.

Would you care to produce some support for your claim?

Can you show me where some yahoo in a state agency who
"neglected" children and "failed to protect" children got
criminally charged?

How rude. Not my question.

Would you care to produce some support for your claim?

Hell, those doctors who wrote prescriptions for psychotropics
without actually seeing the kid haven't been incarcerated have they?

How would I know?

Just to make it clear, people are getting really irked off
about how white collar criminals are not getting punished.

Some people?

Since the beginning of time, Greg. So?

What are YOU going to do about it other than whine in asp,adru,aspcps,
and asfp?

Do you think (late) Ken Lay's WIFE will have to hand over
the stolen loot?

That is far too obvious a diversion. Get back to being Doan's
Grasshopper, child. You've a lot to learn about harassment and
misleading diversions.


And the others who were at the top of Enron?

Lutheran Social Services/Lutheran Services in America?

Jerry Regier, hired to clean up FL DCYF but JOINED THE CORRUPTION??
Was he SUED?? He got to keep all of his loot?

This is YOUR direction to drag this conversation, not mine.

What IS it you are trying to avoid dealing with? I can always spot
this ploy (like it's hard to do, when you forget to abort the
attributions 0;] )..and SEE what you refused to respond to.

It's below.

So actually you didn't want to have a discussion with me, you simply
wanted to rant.

Anything below that takes your fancy and you wish to discuss?

0:-]


If you were a UNION worker supervising non-union contractors
and bitter about that, wouldn't you either supervise them
so much as to make it painful, or else supervise so minimally
that you were passive-aggressive about letting them fail miserably?

Well, I don't have problems with passive-aggressiveness, Greg.

So no, I'd supervise them professionally and expect of them
considerably more than "minimal acceptable standards" that bio parents
are held to.

In fact I'd make them sign the agreements and abide by them, as to
allowed and disallowed discipline. One of the items is to not use
punishment of any kind concerning either toileting, or food.

0:]

Foster parents don't get to send kids to bed without their supper as a
punishment, nor can they force the child to take cold showers as an
aversive training punishment for soiling or wetting themselves.

Amazing, no?

And if contracted work is so bad, then what about all of
the OTHER contracted work they've been using for YEARS?

I don't think you've ever seen me say unequivocally I approve of it,
but if you are referring to things like health and mental health
vendors.....that would require a huge in-house staff to deliver the
same services.

Doctors and mental health practitioners can spread out the low
remuneration common to both vendor contract payments so that they can
also practice their professions and their normal rate levels.

Also states are notorious for paying such vendors very late...as late
as possible, because of the funding cycle pressures.



Will all of the OTHER contracting cease?

I can't answer that, as I don't know of many people that have my view
on contracting at all. So I can't gauge how much political pressure to
change to an all agency system.

I do know that some health and mental health services are indeed
contracted to county health departments. I know a County Health
director quite well. Used to date her back in my single days when she
was just the head of public health nursing services for a county.

And they were much more tightly monitored by themselves than the
private non-profits seem to be policing themselves.

Thank you for the series of questions and an opportunity to educate.

Will you answer a question for me then? Out of reasonable personal
expectations?

How many weeks or months will go by, like they have this time, before
you ask essentially the same questions that I or others have answer
here before in ascps.

And can you explain your memory lapses in terms other than what your
questions seem to be, deliberate asking of the same questions over and
over to simply harass?

Kane