Child Protective Services and Racism: Employee, employer claim racismfueled DCYF complaint....

Employee, employer claim racism fueled DCYF complaint

http://www.eastbayri.com/story/289526925499471.php

Musa Saine works in the main office of the House of Little People on
Maple Avenue.

BARRINGTON - Meg Natale, owner of the House of Little People on Maple
Avenue, didn't mind that an agent from the Rhode Island Department of
Children, Youth & Families visited her childcare center last month to
investigate a complaint made against one of her employees. What
infuriated her was that it seemed as though the only thing the employee
was guilty of was being black.

"I wouldn't have a problem if they had a good reason," she said. "But it
was because he was African that they were concerned."

Brenda Almeida of the DCYF's Administrative Review Unit confirmed that
the complainant, whose identity was not revealed, had called her office
to accuse Musa Saine, a new bookkeeper at the House of Little People, of
not having the proper documentation to work there. Mr. Saine, 47, a
native of the West African country of Gambia, in fact not only had his
citizenship but had been living in the U.S. for 12 years.

Ms. Almeida said that complaints to the DCYF don't have to have evidence
or even a reason to believe the employee could be a threat to children,
however.

"They just have to tell us someone is working there who hasn't been
screened," she said.

As a result, Ms. Almeida went to Barrington to follow up on the
complaint. She discovered that Mr. Saine, as an employee who had "no
disciplinary control over children and is not around children," was
already being allowed to work through his ongoing DCYF screening.
Finding that the allegation against Mr. Saine was "not true," Ms.
Almeida closed the investigation promptly.

But according to Mr. Saine and Ms. Natale, the damage had already been done.

"I am a victim," Mr. Saine said. "I felt it was very discriminative — it
was very hard for me."

With 17 years of experience in the field of education, including a
position as principal of a school in Gambia, and with five children of
his own, Mr. Saine said he had "nothing to be afraid of."

"I've never been in trouble ever in my life — not in Gambia, not in the
U.S.," he said. "Some people just don't want to see you in a certain
position if you're from a different country, which is very sad."

Though Mr. Saine said that he has had a "very nice experience" overall
in Barrington, he is not unfamiliar with prejudice.

While working at a bank prior to joining the House of Little People this
summer, Mr. Saine recalled the time a southern white man questioned how
he had even gotten his position as a black man.

"Right to my face," he said. "It offends me, but I try to seize to the
opportunity to educate more people."

Mr. Saine said he made it a point to treat the customer nicely despite
the insult, but even then the man would only concede that "he had more
respect for people" because he was an African.

Racial tension

Ms. Natale added that the unfounded accusation against Mr. Saine has
cast a pall over her business, as well.

"It's bringing my school down," she said. "It is insulting me to even
claim that I would have people here that were inappropriate to have
around children."

According to Ms. Natale, in 30 years of operation her center had not
received one complaint to the DCYF. In addition to the DCYF screening,
she said her employees go through a Background International Check, a TB
background check and other screening procedures.

She also questioned why someone would target Mr. Saine, one of only two
black men working at the center, and not question the credentials of the
four other white male employees.

"He is the nicest person you could meet in the world," she said. "It's
unfortunate, but prejudice still exists in this area."

Ms. Natale claimed that Barrington's racist side first revealed itself
in 1999, when the House of Little People invited 64 students from the
John Hope Day Care Center in Providence to come to Barrington as part of
a benefit event. The day the predominantly black John Hope class came
down, Ms. Natale said her center had 26 absentees — and lots of
criticism from parents.

"They wanted metal detectors at the gate for those children," she said.
"They said that their children were taught enough culture in school
through textbooks."

Ms. Natale said she believed that attitude still persists today.

She claimed that a friend attending a local parade on July 4 overheard
two white parents questioning the safety of having two black men working
with children, for example.

Despite the incident, Musa said he appreciates the support Ms. Natale
has shown him and other people from different cultures and orientations
that make up the House of Little People community.

"If she has the guts to do what she's doing here, as far as bringing
people together, I have to commend her," he said. "It's high time we
came together."

By Scott O'Connell






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...