Tucson, Arizona: Answers sought when children aren't protected, Releasingrecords provides insight into the workings of child welfare...

Answers sought when children aren't protected
Our view: Releasing records provides insight into the workings of child
welfare
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.25.2007

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193144

The Child Protective Services files of three Arizona children who were
killed, allegedly by their parents will likely be opened to the public
after the Pima County Attorney's Office dropped its objection to the
records release.
We look forward to the release of the records because we believe the
people of Arizona should know what happened in the brief lives of
Brandon Williams, 5, and of siblings Ariana Payne, 4, and Tyler Payne, 5.


Word of the possible release of the records came at a hearing in
Maricopa County Superior Court in the lawsuit the Arizona Daily Star and
the Arizona Republic filed to force CPS to release the files. CPS
officials said they were following state and federal confidentiality
laws by refusing to release the files. The privacy rules, CPS officials
and Gov. Janet Napolitano said, exist to protect other children and
innocent adults in the family.


After the children died, the County Attorney's Office said releasing the
CPS records would interfere with the prosecution of the criminal cases
filed against the children's parents and other adults. But CPS released
summary case files in the deaths last week and the County Attorney's
Office said the files would not hamper the prosecution.

Instead of arguing why the records should remain secret, the Arizona
Attorney General's Office, which represents CPS in court, gave Judge
Edward O. Burke the complete case files and a version with confidential
details redacted, according to a story by the Star's Josh Brodesky.
Burke said he will decide by next Monday how much information can be
released while protecting privacy.


As we've said on these pages before, the public needs to know what
actions CPS workers did, or did not, take on behalf of Brandon, Ariana
and Tyler. The case summary reports revealed the bare bones of the
agency's interaction with the kids' families, but serious questions went
unanswered.

Brandon, who was autistic, died of a skull fracture in March. The boy's
feet had been severely burned, ligature marks were found all over his
body and he had a large amount of over-the-counter cold medicine in his
system.

CPS workers had been trying to find his mother, Diane Marsh, to discuss
an abuse allegation in the family, but never made contact with her.
Marsh and a roommate, Flower Tompson, are charged with Brandon's murder.

Ariana's body was found in a storage locker in February. Despite several
landfill searches by police, Tyler's body has never been found. Their
father, Christopher Matthew Payne, and his girlfriend, Reina Gonzalez,
are charged in the children's murders.


No one who is arguing for a look at the complete case files wants to put
children or adults in danger. In these cases, the sad reality is that
the children are dead and the parents have been arrested. The argument
to release the records of the Payne children has been strengthened
because their mother, Jamie Hallam, has waived her confidentiality rights.


Releasing the records will give the public a better look at the inner
workings of child welfare. We need to see how the case workers do their
job to better understand what needs to be improved. Such information is
important because CPS investigates more than 35,000 allegations of abuse
or neglect each year.


Arizona Department of Economic Security Deputy Director Ken Deibert said
he hopes the public will be able to see that its perception of how CPS
works isn't always true.


The media has painted "an inaccurate picture of how we conduct
ourselves," he told Brodesky. "I believe the public at times has a
misconception of what child welfare does or doesn't do."
Arizonans may soon have a better understanding through these records
about that process.


The state then must come to terms with shortcomings in the system — too
few caseworkers and drug-treatment resources, for example — and do what
is necessary to make sure kids under the umbrella of CPS stay safe.





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...

Apparently Michael believes that CPS is underfunded in some
instances...this one in fact:

"The state then must come to terms with shortcomings in the system — too
few caseworkers and drug-treatment resources, for example — and do what
is necessary to make sure kids under the umbrella of CPS stay safe. "


Greg's cure, of course, would more likely include his claim that "they
didn't earn it," so cutting funding is the cure. That surely will
improve practice.

Logic and Greg are never far apart.

But one of them sleeps.




fx wrote:
Answers sought when children aren't protected
Our view: Releasing records provides insight into the workings of child
welfare
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.25.2007

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193144

The Child Protective Services files of three Arizona children who were
killed, allegedly by their parents will likely be opened to the public
after the Pima County Attorney's Office dropped its objection to the
records release.
We look forward to the release of the records because we believe the
people of Arizona should know what happened in the brief lives of
Brandon Williams, 5, and of siblings Ariana Payne, 4, and Tyler Payne, 5.


Word of the possible release of the records came at a hearing in
Maricopa County Superior Court in the lawsuit the Arizona Daily Star and
the Arizona Republic filed to force CPS to release the files. CPS
officials said they were following state and federal confidentiality
laws by refusing to release the files. The privacy rules, CPS officials
and Gov. Janet Napolitano said, exist to protect other children and
innocent adults in the family.


After the children died, the County Attorney's Office said releasing the
CPS records would interfere with the prosecution of the criminal cases
filed against the children's parents and other adults. But CPS released
summary case files in the deaths last week and the County Attorney's
Office said the files would not hamper the prosecution.

Instead of arguing why the records should remain secret, the Arizona
Attorney General's Office, which represents CPS in court, gave Judge
Edward O. Burke the complete case files and a version with confidential
details redacted, according to a story by the Star's Josh Brodesky.
Burke said he will decide by next Monday how much information can be
released while protecting privacy.


As we've said on these pages before, the public needs to know what
actions CPS workers did, or did not, take on behalf of Brandon, Ariana
and Tyler. The case summary reports revealed the bare bones of the
agency's interaction with the kids' families, but serious questions went
unanswered.

Brandon, who was autistic, died of a skull fracture in March. The boy's
feet had been severely burned, ligature marks were found all over his
body and he had a large amount of over-the-counter cold medicine in his
system.

CPS workers had been trying to find his mother, Diane Marsh, to discuss
an abuse allegation in the family, but never made contact with her.
Marsh and a roommate, Flower Tompson, are charged with Brandon's murder.

Ariana's body was found in a storage locker in February. Despite several
landfill searches by police, Tyler's body has never been found. Their
father, Christopher Matthew Payne, and his girlfriend, Reina Gonzalez,
are charged in the children's murders.


No one who is arguing for a look at the complete case files wants to put
children or adults in danger. In these cases, the sad reality is that
the children are dead and the parents have been arrested. The argument
to release the records of the Payne children has been strengthened
because their mother, Jamie Hallam, has waived her confidentiality rights.


Releasing the records will give the public a better look at the inner
workings of child welfare. We need to see how the case workers do their
job to better understand what needs to be improved. Such information is
important because CPS investigates more than 35,000 allegations of abuse
or neglect each year.


Arizona Department of Economic Security Deputy Director Ken Deibert said
he hopes the public will be able to see that its perception of how CPS
works isn't always true.


The media has painted "an inaccurate picture of how we conduct
ourselves," he told Brodesky. "I believe the public at times has a
misconception of what child welfare does or doesn't do."
Arizonans may soon have a better understanding through these records
about that process.


The state then must come to terms with shortcomings in the system — too
few caseworkers and drug-treatment resources, for example — and do what
is necessary to make sure kids under the umbrella of CPS stay safe.





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...