ELIZABETHTOWN — Statewide problems with child services

Statewide problems with child services
By BOB WHITE
Sunday, December 23, 2007 6:33 PM CST

http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/...ews/news02.txt

ELIZABETHTOWN — When news of problems involving child protection and
permanency services of Hardin County broke nearly two years ago, a key
fighter for family rights warned the issue was not isolated.

Parents throughout the state were losing children after unfounded
allegations of abuse and neglect, said David Richart, executive director
of the National Institute on Children, Youth and Families.

In recent weeks, the widespread problems Richart warned of have made
headlines from Louisville to Lexington.

He credits the light shone on abuses of power within Hardin County’s
Department for Community Based Services for bringing problems within
other state child protection and permanency offices to the forefront.

“Though it was certainly worse in Hardin County,� Richart said.

A state representative from Louisville pre-filed a bill in Frankfort
last week calling for legislative discussion on mandating court
representation for all families and children involved in parental rights
and custody issues.

More recently, Lexington’s Southern Bluegrass regional office was
described in a Cabinet for Families and Health Services report as a “hot
spot� for complaints against social workers, with more than 60
legitimate complaints being filed by families against social workers
serving the 10-county area around Lexington.

The complaints are based around claims that children were improperly
removed from homes n the same types of complaints Richart’s group
brought attention to in its report “The Other Kentucky Lottery.�

That report brought the attention of the Office of Inspector General to
child welfare services.

Richart said Lexington’s office now is facing what the Hardin County
DCBS office experienced months ago. While menial disciplinary measures
were taken against some social workers and supervisors who formerly
worked at the Hardin County DCBS, no criminal charges or terminations
from employment resulted from a year-long investigation of the Hardin
County DCBS by the OIG.

That investigation revealed more than a dozen examples of official
misconduct within the office.

CHFS Commissioner Mark Washington said steps are being taken to address
problems within child protection, foster-parenting and termination of
parental rights by making significantly more front-end services
available to parents accused of neglecting children.

Richart commended Washington’s efforts and prays whomever Gov. Steve
Beshear appoints as cabinet secretary will continue the positive steps
Washington and Secretary Mark Birdwhistell initiated.

“Most of these cases involve neglect, not abuse,� Richart said.
“Tackling these issues on the front end is a big breakthrough.�

Offering counseling and drug and alcohol dependency prevention programs,
along with tending to families’ basic needs for food, shelter and work
pays off far better for all involved than does removing children from
homes and placing them in costly state care facilities, Washington said.

Now, Richart says the “hurdle� will be to change attitudes of some
social workers and their supervisors who brandish their power more as
law enforcement than agents of family services.

“We need to have experts to come in and help change the culture in these
offices,� Richart said. “There’s a tremendous need for them to be
supportive of the families they’re serving.�

Along with that, Richart said legislators and judges need to question
social workers’ recommendations to remove children from homes more than
they have been n especially in Hardin County.

Richart said the end result of petty disciplinary measures being taken
and no criminal charges being brought against former Hardin County DCBS
social workers accused by the OIG of wrongdoing was a casualty of
graduated sanctions and the state’s merit system, which makes it
difficult to terminate employees.

Most employees investigated by the OIG were shuffled to other state
offices and put into different roles.

The Cabinet does not comment on specific cases or whether any families
have been reunited as a result of the OIG’s investigation into alleged
wrongdoing by former employees, but Richart said some children have been
reunited with their parents because of the spotlight cast on the Hardin
County DCBS problems.

He said it’s too big a risk for those families who have been reunited to
tell their stories.

“These situations will make most sane people very defensive,� Richart
said. “It’s a surprise to me that more social workers aren’t getting
hurt in the line of duty.�

Bob White can be reached at 505-1750, or

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CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAMS....

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...