AZ, Gov. Janet Napolitano said the removal statistics are irrelevant:CPS removal of children from homes on rise...

CPS removal of children from homes on rise

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/sto...dest=STY-95635

Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
The number of children being removed from homes by Child Protective
Services is increasing at a rate 10 times faster than the number of new
cases. But Gov. Janet Napolitano said the statistics are irrelevant.

Figures analyzed by Capitol Media Services show that in the four years
ending this past March, the number of reports investigated and closed
was up just 4.7 percent.

At the same time, the number of child abuse and neglect reports actually
substantiated actually has declined.

But during the same period, the number of children removed from their
homes went up nearly 25 percent. And the number of youngsters currently
taken out of their homes because of CPS investigations has gone up more
than 43 percent in that same four-year period.

Napolitano said the change is no surprise.

She pointed out that a 2003 change in state law specifically requires
CPS workers to "promote the safety and protection of children.''

"Prior to that, child safety was not even a statutory criterion,'' the
governor said.

Napolitano declined to discuss the numbers themselves, saying they don't
really address the issue.

"You can look at overall statistics,'' she said. "But the key decision a
caseworker has to make is not where does a particular case fit in a
statistic but where does it fit in terms of child safety.''

"We want to make the system as good as it can be,'' she said. "But I
think taking isolated statistics out of thin air without attachment to
particular cases is not helpful.''

The role of CPS has been a perennial debate at the Capitol.

Prior to 2003, legislators spelled out that the agency was required to
give some deference to keeping family units together when deciding how
best to deal with allegations of abuse and neglect. That emphasis came
after lawmakers concluded the state was moving far too often to take
children from their homes.

That 2003 measure followed several high-profile incidents of children
who CPS left with their parents ending up injured or dead.

Now some lawmakers are questioning whether the pendulum has again swung
too far in favor of removal.

That discussion has been fueled, at least in part, by a recent study
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which showed that
children who were the victims of reported neglect did better long term
when left in their homes than those placed in foster care. Children left
in their homes were less likely to get pregnant or be declared
delinquent, and they were more prone to hold a job.

Napolitano acknowledged there are factors other than safety which
determine whether a caseworker will decide to take a child from a home.
One of those is whether there are sufficient support services to keep a
child with the family.

The governor would not commit to asking the Legislature to provide more
funds for these kinds of services. But Napolitano said that's a possibility.

"There's a good case to be made that we need more resources for things
like substance abuse treatment,'' she said, "be it drugs or alcohol that
really overlays a lot of these cases.''

Napolitano said she hopes some of those issues will be addressed as part
of legislative hearings set for next month to review the deaths of
several Tucson youngsters whose families had come to the attention of
CPS. She said lawmakers need to look at more than the individual deaths
and how caseworkers operate and extend that to "what needs to be around
CPS to help it do its job.''
Reader comments (5)

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Responsibility lies solely with the comment author.

My comment disappeared! What's going on?

Todd Stallion
"victims of reported neglect did better long term when left in their
homes than those placed in foster care."

This is absolutely correct because the CPS system is FILLED WITH CHILD
PREDATORS.

This is not my opinion this is a FACT.

The government wants to destroy the familly structure which is by far
the safest environment for children, even if some parents are abusive.

Remember this Big Government Liberal Governor HAS NO KIDS OF HER OWN.
WHAT DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT RAISING CHILDREN Suggest removal of this comment
August 22, 2007
PENINTENTARY CHANCES
So uh...
This special CPS government agency specializes in KIDnappings??? Just
when we have caseworkers who are becoming Pedophile monsters. Nooooo!!!!
Suggest removal of this comment
August 23, 2007
ZMan
I just saw an interview with Mark Lunsford. He is such a hypocrite. He's
been pushing for strong laws for ALL SEX OFFENDERS and now his son was
accused of a sex crime and DOES NOT have to be on the sex offender
registry, why? Because of who he is, period...

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...faces-sex.html


Also, his other son appears to be a criminal as well:

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...other-son.html


Mark Lunsford had child porn on his machine, why was he not prosecuted?

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...uey-trial.html


There is another man, who lost his daughter (CoralRose) and he had child
porn on his machine, guess where he is now? In prison, so why isn't Mark
Lunsford?

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...pleads-no.html


I am against abuse of any kind, but once someone is sentenced and does
their time, they should be able to integrate into society and live a
normal life, these sex offender registries do not allow that, they are
punished for life, even for small crimes like urinating in public in a
drunken stupor.

What about murderers, drug dealers/users, gang members, DUI offenders,
thieves, etc? Why don't we just have one CRIMINAL registry with ALL
criminals on it, regardless of their crime? It's only fair. Right now,
it's discrimination. So we can tell if our neighbors are murders, drug
dealers/users, gang members, etc?

You can read more of my thoughts (if you will) he

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...aw-issues.html


And what about these people? I don't recall any news about them, why not?

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...rime-Celebrity
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...ime-Government
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...%2FCrime-Judge
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...2FCrime-Lawyer
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...%2FCrime-Mayor
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...%2FCrime-Media
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...2FCrime-Police
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.co...rime-Probation


Why do we not see the FACTS in the news? To instill fear for ratings maybe?

Why do we not see all the above hypocrites on the news? These are the
people who are suppose to be protecting us, from what? Them raping and
molesting everyone?

These laws, IMO, are a pre-cursor to see what the government can get
away with, how many rights they can wipe out. And the sheeple are asleep
and not even seeing it. What class of people will be next? Maybe you?
Then I'm sure you will say "You know, that ZMan was right!" Suggest
removal of this comment
August 23, 2007
ACHILDLESSMOTHER
They took my child without telling me why for 4 Months then said
"because I didn't have enough furniture!" J.Nap's office wanted to go
over this with me finally but when I traveled across country to this
"meeting" I was told that there was none. Funny, everyone heard the
message on the answering machine!. No one showed up in court not even
the public pretender. Not even the caseworker! But the parent aide did
as the counselor, and of course the people who took her because my home
didn't have enough furniture!! All ANYONE HAD to do is look at my files.
But I am obviously invisible. Suggest removal of this comment
August 23, 2007
anotherchildlessmother
Once Upon a Time-
In the Land of CPS-
-Children became Money-
Parents became Distressed

These "Protectors of the Children"
With their Dirty Bag of Tricks-
Combined with the Power of a Twisted Politics-
Put All Us Parents on a modern-day Crucifix.

But CPS thought different-
Because they are sooo Blind-
And a Child became a Dollar Sign-
Just like Yours'- Just like Mine.

AND the Younger the Child-
The Fatter the Dollar-
Not Media, Lawyer, or Judge-
Would Stand UP to HOLLAR!

Soon Evil was Evident-
With it's Dollar Sign Eyes-
And Red Tape Entertwined -
With False Allegations, With Lies!

Then GOD came down-
LOUDER than THUNDER!
Then..Finally...CPS & Satan--
-From ALL the Families DID Asunder !!!
No One would listen to me...
But I Want to Say to You..
..Please keep fighting & Clearing the Way..
..So GOD'S SON Will Shine Thru For YOU !!
Suggest removal of this comment




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 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...