Some child advocates critical of custody law

Some child advocates critical of custody law
BY BRENT D. WISTROM
The Wichita Eagle

http://www.kansas.com/living/family/story/250131.html


Child protection reform advocates Saturday said Sedgwick County
shouldn't put children in foster care as often as it does.

That criticism stems from a 2006 revision to state law that requires a
hearing within 72 hours of when authorities take a child into protective
custody.

Sedgwick County had faced criticism for its interpretation, which gave
it 72 hours to investigate and another 72 hours to have a hearing.

Sedgwick County Juvenile Judge James Burgess and others have said that
72 hours isn't long enough to investigate and resolve problems, and it
is leading to an increase in the number of children in foster care.

But Suzanne Shell, director of the American Family Advocacy Center, said
the county should be able to investigate properly without unnecessarily
sending children to foster homes.

She said more efforts should be made to offer services, such as drug
treatment, instead of trying to punish parents by taking their kids away.

"The law does not require that we be perfect parents," she said at the
Citizens for Change public forum, which was attended by about 45 people.

Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child
Protection Reform, said judges should err on the side of keeping
families together rather than sending children into foster care as a
precaution.

Many people don't understand how traumatic it can be for a child to be
placed in foster care, he said.

"How do you explain to a child that 'this is for your own good' when, to
the child, it may be more akin to kidnapping?" he asked.

Burgess could not be reached Saturday afternoon.

But he has said previously that the county faces complex issues with
parents, including poverty, crime and substance abuse.

There isn't enough time to sort through those problems with so many
cases, he has said.

With 144 hours to investigate police protective custody cases, 80
percent of cases were resolved without the need for children to go into
custody, he has said.

Reach Brent D. Wistrom at .





Drug treatment is fine and all.... if the parent is willing to comply
and really get clean... what about the in between time or when they say
they will get clean and don't, we are supposed to leave a child there in
hopes that it will get better - how the heck to you think kids grow up
into drugs, etc... they see it at home -

Keeping families together is one thing, but keeping a child in a
dangerous situation is not the answer - I was lucky that my mother had
enough sense to get away from my biological father and for a long time,
I resented her for taking me away and hated her for a long time, I have
come to realize though that my life would have been horrible, poverty,
drugs, who knows what else had we stayed --- the kids will understand
and see, why make them suffer in the end.



Comments


*
Posted by:
*
* 12/9/2007 1:13 AM
* 16954.1 Report as Violation



*
Average: 0 — Votes: 0
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If anyone would know about drug treatment and abuse Suzanne Shell,
director of the American Family Advocacy Center would. Her being a drug
user/abuser herself. This lady is a couple of bubbles off plumb and
thinks she is the only one that knows anything about the system. She
abused and beat her own children and had them taken away. She and her
accomplices attack people on the internet and then she claims ?she
didn?t do it? someone else did it called the ?EDITORS? Well let me tell
you something they are one in the same. This lady, Suzanne Shell,
director of the American Family Advocacy Center, and her followers give
a good name to psychiatry and the reason for drugging people?

*
Posted by: concerned citizen
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* 12/9/2007 8:35 AM
* 16954.2 Report as Violation



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I'm surprised why something wasn't written about the young mother's
story about having to giveup up her son or "either she gives the boy to
them or they would take the rest of the children" This is after asking
SRS for help for the boy.
SRS is missing what they were created for - helping families and
children - not taking them for money.

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Posted by:
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* 12/9/2007 8:54 AM
* 16954.3 Report as Violation



*
Average: 5 — Votes: 4
Avg 5.00, 4 votes

CPS was there taking down names and what was said - get ready for
retaliation - it's like Gremany and the Nazis all over again - we live
in a third world country people - and our legislators have allowed this
power over the citizens of Kansas.

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Posted by:
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* 12/9/2007 8:56 AM
* 16954.4 Report as Violation



*
Average: 5 — Votes: 2
Avg 5.00, 2 votes

I's not germany and the Nazis - It's like a communist country with the
government ruling your lives and your childrens lives - and you're right
it is the fault of our part time legislators for allowing SRS's power
over citizens.

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Posted by: time for a change
*
* 12/9/2007 9:00 AM
* 16954.5 Report as Violation



*
Average: 5 — Votes: 3
Avg 5.00, 3 votes

Concerned Citizen
Where is your proof? Copy it in to the comments or are you one of the
same CPS workers that goes into court with false information to remove
the children?

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Posted by: taxpayer
*
* 12/9/2007 9:02 AM
* 16954.6 Report as Violation




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...