CA, LA -- DCFS money frittered, supervisor charged: Notified thatthe agency charged with overseeing the county's children has a $32 millionbudget shortfall...

DCFS money frittered, supervisor charged
BY TROY ANDERSON
Article Last Updated: 09/26/2007 11:16:19 AM PDT

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7004966

Notified that the agency charged with overseeing the county's children
has a $32 million budget shortfall, the Board of Supervisors blasted
managers for frittering away funds earmarked for an innovative federal
waiver designed to fix problems in the long-troubled department.

"This is the second year in a row we've had budgetary problems or
surprises in this department," board Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky said.

"The (waiver) was sold to us on the premise that we were going to save a
lot of money and that we would have a lot of flexibility. That
flexibility has been frittered away."

Supervisor Don Knabe said the $32 million hole in the Department of
Children and Family Services' budget reflects the staff's failure to
factor in the cost of hiring hundreds of new social workers and
overstating DCFS revenues.

"These recent developments have only further exacerbated concerns I have
raised on numerous occasions that we are pouring county funds into DCFS
at a rate that far exceeds any match we are required to provide to cover
the significant number of additional staff," Knabe said.

In July, DCFS rolled out an innovative program designed to reform the
child protective system. Officials originally said this federal waiver would


allow DCFS to use $369 million of its $1.5 billion budget to help
thousands of children live safely with their parents.

But they subsequently admitted the amount shrank to $5 million as funds
were diverted to pay for raises for DCFS workers, a rate increase for
foster family agencies and group homes and to help settle a federal lawsuit.

Last month, the supervisors voted to spend $90 million to improve mental
health services for children in danger of being removed from their homes.

"We used some of the future projected waiver savings to ensure that we
had sufficient funding for this year," DCFS Director Trish Ploehn said.
"So we've got $2.5 million we're spending this year (on the waiver) and
that leaves us $5 million for future years.

"While this has taken a hit on the waiver and has caused us to not be
able to roll things out as quickly, we are still moving ahead full force
with the waiver."





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

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS 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...