SPOKANE --Washington State officials answer to latest foster childdeath

State officials answer to latest foster child death

Melissa Luck / KXLY4 Executive Producer
Last updated: Friday, August 10th, 2007 07:47:23 PM

http://www.kxly.com/news/?sect_rank=...story_id=13519

SPOKANE -- On Thursday, Avery Sam became the latest person chosen by the
state of Washington to care for a child who was later charged with the
child’s death.

Which is something that gives the Department of Social and Health
Services an awful lot to answer to.

“I know that the system failed and I’m sorry for that, and I take
responsibility for that,” DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams said
Thursday in Tacoma.

Avery Sam was convicted Thursday of second degree murder and first
degree manslaughter in shaking his adopted son, 20-month-old Devon
Miller, to death. Sadly, that’s not the first time in recent memory that
a child has died in foster care that the state had provided them with.

Tyler Deleon was placed with a foster mother who had a history of
abusing kids, and pleas from neighbors and teachers complaining about
the ongoing neglect were repeatedly ignored by the State.

Tyler died in 2005. His adoptive mother Carole is now heading to prison,
however no one from DSHS was disciplined.

In 2003, Rafael Gomez died at the hands of his biological mother after
the State gave Raffy back to her despite the woman's history of abuse.

Then Avery Sam was pronounced guilty on Thursday for shaking a child to
death. The State placed the child with Sam even though he had an
extensive criminal history.

“I think we moved too fast to move that child,” Arnold-Williams said.
“We didn't do a completely adequate background check on the home and on
the relatives. I think we could have done better."

DSHS is once again promising sweeping changes, however there’s no
evidence that anybody in the agency has been punished in any of these cases.

While acknowledging fault and claiming responsibility in these
incidents, Arnold-Williams still defends the changes she’s made to DSHS,
saying repeat abuse has decreased by 25 percent under her watch.

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...