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Toughen public scrutiny of private foster care...
Toughen public scrutiny of private foster care
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion..._DCF_0727.html Palm Beach Post Editorial Friday, July 27, 2007 With a $3 million deficit, more children in shelters and repeated violations of state requirements, the private agency in charge of foster care in Palm Beach County has become the latest example of the state's failed privatization venture. During the past three years, private foster care has not worked in the districts covering Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Lake, Citrus, Marion and surrounding counties. Several agencies, including Palm Beach County's Child and Family Connections, remain under "corrective action plans." If the Legislature insists on keeping foster care private, the Legislature should stop rewarding private agencies for removing children from homes even though the state's goal is to reunite families. in Palm Beach County, 2,000 children are relying on new leaders to turn around Child and Family Connections. Alan Abramowitz, the state Department of Children and Families' acting administrator in the county, says the transformation in Volusia and Flagler counties proves that turnaround is possible. In late 2004, DCF threatened to take over in those counties after investigation records were falsified, children languished in foster care and kids in dangerous homes weren't being visited. The recent resignation of Child and Family Connections CEO John McCarthy, effective in September, gives the agency's board a chance to hire a leader more concerned with the needs of foster children, not agencies providing services. The deficit Mr. McCarthy allowed to grow from $50,000 in September to about $3 million also should wake up the board, which has neither reviewed contracts nor scrutinized the budget. A DCF report showed that the agency only this spring began tracking how day-to-day expenses compared with its budget. Yet board Chairman Howard Olshansky said last week: "I don't think the board's going to look at every expenditure going to providers. That's micromanaging, and that's the responsibility of the staff." No wonder the state had to spend $1.7 million to bail out the agency. Nor did DCF pay attention. This month, the fifth administrator for the county in five years resigned. Said Mr. Abramowitz, "We should have been on this sooner." Today, DCF will discuss with the board how to improve the agency. Child and Family Connections has increased adoptions. But on eight "best practice measures," the agency ties with two others for 15th out of 22 statewide. Attempting to defend his poor record on the number of children in out-of-home care for more than 12 months (nearly 50''percent), Mr. McCarthy pointed out that the state average is about the same. "That doesn't make it good," Mr. McCarthy said, "but it does make it equal." Actually, it makes it average - the unacceptable result of the state "outsourcing" its responsibility for abused, neglected and abandoned children. 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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