Broken promises, broken kids: Another grim headline, another multimillion-dollar verdict against the state, No matter what CPS promises, it is stillnot protecting foster kids.

Broken promises, broken kids

By Nicole Brodeur

Seattle Times staff columnist


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...rodeur08m.html

Another grim headline, another multimillion- dollar verdict against the
state.

Another clutch of vulnerable lives ravaged, so badly that money alone
can't repair the hurt. Another reason to believe that the state
Department of Social and Health Services is far from fixed.

The agency was ordered by a jury Tuesday to pay $6.2 million to four
foster children for failing to detect or prevent more than five years of
physical and sexual abuse.

The verdict for the Williams siblings shows that juries — people like
you and me — clearly see what DSHS can't seem to master: No matter what
it promises, it is still not protecting foster kids.

DSHS committed to doing that in 2004, in the settlement of a
class-action suit on behalf of foster children. At that time, the state
agreed to meet a set of benchmarks to overhaul the system, and to be
monitored by the Braam Panel — named for Jessica Braam, the lead
plaintiff in the suit, who lived in 34 foster homes while in the state's
care.

The Braam benchmarks are fundamental: Don't bounce foster kids around,
for example. Check on them regularly.

May I add one more? Learn from the Williams case.

The kids were placed in foster care because their mother had a drug
problem. Their foster mother, Pearl Hall, began beating them within a
day. Her son, Paul, sexually abused them for years. Horrific acts.

State workers visited the home just three times in the first 2 ½ years
in Hall's care, despite DSHS rules at the time requiring monthly visits.

"This underscores why it is so critical that people visit kids in care,"
said Casey Trupin, an attorney in the Braam case. "This puts a very real
face on something that people have been treating as academic."
advertising

The state says it's meeting many of the Braam benchmarks, so surely we
won't have to pay out these huge settlements in the future, right?

Gov. Christine Gregoire spoke at the Children's Alliance annual awards
luncheon Thursday. The theme? "Keeping Our Promises to Kids."

Gregoire, a former DSHS case worker, outlined recent agency
improvements: The funding and hiring of 92 more social workers over the
next two years. Kids reunited with their parents (but still under state
care) are now visited every 30 days. Reports of kids at high risk of
abuse or neglect are responded to within 24 hours, instead of 10 days.

But "we've got a lot of distance to go," Gregoire told me.

House Speaker Frank Chopp, also at the luncheon, said improving DSHS
means more than just spending more money. It begs for better organization.

One idea, Chopp said, is to professionalize foster parenting by offering
full-time pay. "We don't ask volunteers to do any number of things,"
Chopp said. "Why this?"

And if they were unionized, foster parents would be better-organized and
represented, he said. "We have to take it to the next level."

The Williams case shows what will happen if we don't. Not only will it
cost us money, but lives.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at
206-464-2334 or .

Promises are meant to be kept.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company








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.

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...

Has anybody ever considered that the level and counts of
abuse that take place in state care are actually more
hard core than what takes place even in the worst
cases where parents and associates are perpetrators?

For over 5 years these kids were sexually abused AT WILL
by the bio son and physically beaten by the foster Mom.




On Jun 8, 11:45 am, "0:-]" wrote:
On Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:34:00 -0700, fx wrote:

... what do you think of the solutions proposed in this article?

That someone was just lobbying for more funding?

0:]



Broken promises, broken kids

By Nicole Brodeur

Seattle Times staff columnist

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...270_brodeur08m...

Another grim headline, another multimillion- dollar verdict against the
state.

Another clutch of vulnerable lives ravaged, so badly that money alone
can't repair the hurt. Another reason to believe that the state
Department of Social and Health Services is far from fixed.

The agency was ordered by a jury Tuesday to pay $6.2 million to four
foster children for failing to detect or prevent more than five years of
physical and sexual abuse.

The verdict for the Williams siblings shows that juries - people like
you and me - clearly see what DSHS can't seem to master: No matter what
it promises, it is still not protecting foster kids.

DSHS committed to doing that in 2004, in the settlement of a
class-action suit on behalf of foster children. At that time, the state
agreed to meet a set of benchmarks to overhaul the system, and to be
monitored by the Braam Panel - named for Jessica Braam, the lead
plaintiff in the suit, who lived in 34 foster homes while in the state's
care.

The Braam benchmarks are fundamental: Don't bounce foster kids around,
for example. Check on them regularly.

May I add one more? Learn from the Williams case.

The kids were placed in foster care because their mother had a drug
problem. Their foster mother, Pearl Hall, began beating them within a
day. Her son, Paul, sexually abused them for years. Horrific acts.

State workers visited the home just three times in the first 2 ½ years
in Hall's care, despite DSHS rules at the time requiring monthly visits.

"This underscores why it is so critical that people visit kids in care,"
said Casey Trupin, an attorney in the Braam case. "This puts a very real
face on something that people have been treating as academic."
advertising

The state says it's meeting many of the Braam benchmarks, so surely we
won't have to pay out these huge settlements in the future, right?

Gov. Christine Gregoire spoke at the Children's Alliance annual awards
luncheon Thursday. The theme? "Keeping Our Promises to Kids."

Gregoire, a former DSHS case worker, outlined recent agency
improvements: The funding and hiring of 92 more social workers over the
next two years. Kids reunited with their parents (but still under state
care) are now visited every 30 days. Reports of kids at high risk of
abuse or neglect are responded to within 24 hours, instead of 10 days.

But "we've got a lot of distance to go," Gregoire told me.

House Speaker Frank Chopp, also at the luncheon, said improving DSHS
means more than just spending more money. It begs for better organization.

One idea, Chopp said, is to professionalize foster parenting by offering
full-time pay. "We don't ask volunteers to do any number of things,"
Chopp said. "Why this?"

And if they were unionized, foster parents would be better-organized and
represented, he said. "We have to take it to the next level."

The Williams case shows what will happen if we don't. Not only will it
cost us money, but lives.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at
206-464-2334 or .

Promises are meant to be kept.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

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.

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...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"Greegor" wrote in message
ups.com...

Gregg wrote:
Has anybody ever considered that the level and counts of
abuse that take place in state care are actually more
hard core than what takes place even in the worst
cases where parents and associates are perpetrators?

Ron Writes:

No gregg, we have never considered it. Its not our fantisy, its yours.

Ron