Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind.— An Indiana law that keeps all child-protection records confidential except in cases of fatality or near fatality is out of date and prevents accountability when a child dies, some judges and lawmakers say.
"I have to make decisions based on the evidence before me," said St. Joseph Probate Judge Peter Nemeth, "and I'm not always sure that DCS is telling me everything."
The Indiana House has voted to create a legislative committee to review changes in how the state investigates reports of child abuse and neglect. Democratic legislators have questioned the Department of Child Services' spending and a new child abuse hotline that routes all reports to a centralized call center in Indianapolis
Republican legislators have defended the agency's performance, saying DCS has doubled the number of caseworkers and helped reduce the number of child abuse deaths since 2005.
But critics say there is a cloak of secrecy surrounding the agency and worry that failing to provide some information could have tragic consequences.
An Indiana child fatality review team studies and reports on deaths of Indiana children. Its public reports provide a general overview and broad recommendations but don't delve into specifics of what happened or did not happen, the South Bend Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/AirHoB).
Reports from a DCS ombudsman office established in 2010 to investigate complaints involving the department also contain only general trends and non-identifying information about specific cases.
DCS Director James Payne said he supports more openness.
"I'm not opposed to loosening up the confidentiality. I've said for years that `confidential' is really `secret,"' said Payne, a former juvenile court judge who opened his Marion County courtroom to cameras for a "Dateline" television special about the juvenile justice system. "The issue really is the degree of that."
Child protection officials say they worry that more openness could expose parents to unfounded tips and stigmatize children.
But others note that unsubstantiated reports of abuse or neglect are only kept for three months and say that has prevented child welfare workers from having all the information they need in some cases, including the beating death of Tramelle Sturgis, a 10-year-old South Bend boy, in November.
In that case, prosecutors learned that earlier reports to DCS about the boy and his family had been destroyed.
State Sen. John Broden, D-South Bend, introduced an amendment this session to change DCS record-keeping rules to store records of unsubstantiated reports for at least three years.
Broden, a former DCS attorney, advocates easing the system's confidentiality requirements so long as names of children and parents remain confidential.
"If the press wants to come and look at various cases and orders, I'd have no problem with that," he said.
Source http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-childservices-con,0,1108594.story
CPS corruption hurts and destroys families worldwide. Please use caution posting about CPS here or anyplace on the internet. For your protection, using your full, real name and precise location is not advised. CPS has eyes everywhere and CPS is notorious for taking what people say, twisting it, embellishing on it and then using it against them in CPS "investigations" and at court proceedings.
Showing posts with label accountability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accountability. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Los Angeles Juvenile Court plans to open proceedings to public
Presiding judge seeks transparency and solicits opinions; target date is the end of the month.
By Garrett Therolf
The presiding judge of Los Angeles County's Juvenile Court is preparing to open child dependency proceedings to the public in an effort to improve accountability and transparency in child abuse, neglect and foster care placement cases.
Currently, members of the media and the public are barred from entering dependency courtrooms without court permission. But Judge Michael Nash is proposing a blanket order that would make the hearings open unless someone objects and a judge decides to close the proceeding.
A similar effort to open juvenile courts in Sacramento failed earlier this year when some foster children and the union that represents social workers objected, citing privacy concerns. But Nash, an advocate of government transparency, believes the juvenile courts can be opened under current law.
There is a lot that is not good [in the dependency courts], and that's an understatement," Nash said earlier this year at a Sacramento hearing on the issue. "Too many families do not get reunified.... Too many children and families languish in the system for far too long. Someone might want to know why this is the case."
Nash is soliciting opinions from interested parties by the end of the month, before making his order final.
Janis Spire, executive director of the Alliance for Children's Rights, a nonprofit law firm that works on behalf of foster children, said her organization generally supports Nash's proposal but hopes it can be adjusted to restrict release of identifying information about children, including last names and Social Security numbers.
"The intention of this order and the law is about transparency of the system and the process, never transparency when it comes to the child," she said.
Spire said she also worried that the order will not carry the same weight as state law and might be vulnerable to being overturned.
Under the terms of the proposed order, members of the public would be able to enter any dependency courtroom. If an objection is then raised, the judicial officer will decide what is in the best interest of the child.
"The court will consider such factors as the age of each child, the nature of the allegations, the extent of the present or expected publicity and its effect, if any, on the children and on family reunification," according to the proposed order.
Attendees would not be able to make audio or visual recordings of the proceedings without seeking special court permission, and case records would remain confidential unless the court orders them opened.
Source http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1109-open-courts-20111108,0,3540017.story
By Garrett Therolf
The presiding judge of Los Angeles County's Juvenile Court is preparing to open child dependency proceedings to the public in an effort to improve accountability and transparency in child abuse, neglect and foster care placement cases.
Currently, members of the media and the public are barred from entering dependency courtrooms without court permission. But Judge Michael Nash is proposing a blanket order that would make the hearings open unless someone objects and a judge decides to close the proceeding.
A similar effort to open juvenile courts in Sacramento failed earlier this year when some foster children and the union that represents social workers objected, citing privacy concerns. But Nash, an advocate of government transparency, believes the juvenile courts can be opened under current law.
There is a lot that is not good [in the dependency courts], and that's an understatement," Nash said earlier this year at a Sacramento hearing on the issue. "Too many families do not get reunified.... Too many children and families languish in the system for far too long. Someone might want to know why this is the case."
Nash is soliciting opinions from interested parties by the end of the month, before making his order final.
Janis Spire, executive director of the Alliance for Children's Rights, a nonprofit law firm that works on behalf of foster children, said her organization generally supports Nash's proposal but hopes it can be adjusted to restrict release of identifying information about children, including last names and Social Security numbers.
"The intention of this order and the law is about transparency of the system and the process, never transparency when it comes to the child," she said.
Spire said she also worried that the order will not carry the same weight as state law and might be vulnerable to being overturned.
Under the terms of the proposed order, members of the public would be able to enter any dependency courtroom. If an objection is then raised, the judicial officer will decide what is in the best interest of the child.
"The court will consider such factors as the age of each child, the nature of the allegations, the extent of the present or expected publicity and its effect, if any, on the children and on family reunification," according to the proposed order.
Attendees would not be able to make audio or visual recordings of the proceedings without seeking special court permission, and case records would remain confidential unless the court orders them opened.
Source http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1109-open-courts-20111108,0,3540017.story
Monday, October 31, 2011
Title IV-D Federal Funding and ZERO Accountability
Blog authors note:
The below talks about federal money and divorcing parents. The same scenario accounts for IV-E funding involving children who are removed by CPS.
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Various Fathers, Mothers, and former father-PI's have told me that for every child placed in Foster Care, the States receive between $4,000-6,000 (per month) that the child remains under the State's foster care / Replacement Parent Protection Plan #1 (RPPP-1). The States also receive a similar amount for each child placed in adoption, or RPPP-2. And since the Majority of the Money that the State receives from the Feds does NOT go to the Replacement Parent, but rather to the State, there is a Financial Incentive for the States to place as many children as possible in one of their two Replacement Parent Protection Plans: and for this reason, THAT is exactly what is going on -- in Many cases -- with little or no justification.
My understanding is that the States receive from two-thirds to three-fourths of the Money, and the other 1/3 to 1/4 goes to RPPP-1 or RPPP-2. Therefore, the more children who are taken away from their parents, the More Money the States receive to feed their growing Monster.
See the Links below for more on how Title IV-D Federal Funding of Child Support Services, Child Protective Services, and Family Courts has turned a natural tendency to obtain More Money and Power and what it can purchase for me and my family, into a Nightmare for Divorcing Parents: and especially those who Don't Want to share the Kids, but instead to nitpick and lie about the other parent and seek Sole Legal Custody. This has given birth to Monster-Gov: with an insatiable appetite for More Children and Parents, and All their Assets: and a Free for All for state and private licensed "clinical" social workers, Family Law attorneys, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and last but not least, State and local budgets.
Go to this link, http://www.earthage.org/familycourtcrooks/title_iv-d-federal-funding.htm, and there are several other links that explain all of this very well.
The below talks about federal money and divorcing parents. The same scenario accounts for IV-E funding involving children who are removed by CPS.
-----
Various Fathers, Mothers, and former father-PI's have told me that for every child placed in Foster Care, the States receive between $4,000-6,000 (per month) that the child remains under the State's foster care / Replacement Parent Protection Plan #1 (RPPP-1). The States also receive a similar amount for each child placed in adoption, or RPPP-2. And since the Majority of the Money that the State receives from the Feds does NOT go to the Replacement Parent, but rather to the State, there is a Financial Incentive for the States to place as many children as possible in one of their two Replacement Parent Protection Plans: and for this reason, THAT is exactly what is going on -- in Many cases -- with little or no justification.
My understanding is that the States receive from two-thirds to three-fourths of the Money, and the other 1/3 to 1/4 goes to RPPP-1 or RPPP-2. Therefore, the more children who are taken away from their parents, the More Money the States receive to feed their growing Monster.
See the Links below for more on how Title IV-D Federal Funding of Child Support Services, Child Protective Services, and Family Courts has turned a natural tendency to obtain More Money and Power and what it can purchase for me and my family, into a Nightmare for Divorcing Parents: and especially those who Don't Want to share the Kids, but instead to nitpick and lie about the other parent and seek Sole Legal Custody. This has given birth to Monster-Gov: with an insatiable appetite for More Children and Parents, and All their Assets: and a Free for All for state and private licensed "clinical" social workers, Family Law attorneys, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and last but not least, State and local budgets.
Go to this link, http://www.earthage.org/familycourtcrooks/title_iv-d-federal-funding.htm, and there are several other links that explain all of this very well.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sen. Wyden Introduces Bill Promoting Accountability and Excellence in Child Welfare
Bill paves way for cost-saving collaboration and better lives for vulnerable children and families.
Washington, D.C. August 08, 2011
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and First Focus applaud Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden for his vision and commitment to improving the lives of those in the child welfare system.
“As a country, we cannot afford to let children fall through the cracks of the many systems that exist to serve them,” said Wyden. “By targeting our resources, improving collaboration, spurring innovation, and—above all—holding ourselves accountable, we can systemically serve the best interest of at-risk children, their families and communities, and the nation as a whole.”
The Promoting Accountability and Excellence in Child Welfare Act has the potential to save the federal government money (with current spending on foster care amounting to roughly 10 times more than that on prevention), establish concrete performance measures that emphasize significant results and encourage interagency and public/private collaboration - all to improve the well-being of children and youth. In addition, the bill provides strategies that maximize existing federal funding.
“It’s our nation’s responsibility to protect the best interest of our most vulnerable children. However, in today’s policymaking climate, solutions for addressing the challenges facing children in foster care are often missing from the conversations on Capitol Hill,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan advocacy group. “We applaud Senator Wyden for spearheading this much needed legislation that will promote the well-being of children and families in the child welfare system and spur broader reform of the current federal financing structure.”
The bill would help states continue their efforts to prevent youth from entering foster care and lessen a child’s time in the system, while also encouraging strengthened support services to children and youth so they do not fall behind their peers. The bill provides states with the flexibility to determine the specific methods through which improved outcomes for children and youth will be achieved, based on best practices and in collaboration with foster parents, biological parents, kinship caregivers and youth. These interventions not only protect a child, but they help contribute to their current and future well-being.
“The proposed legislation, among other things, would encourage and support states’ most innovative efforts to ensure that children in the child welfare system are healthy, successful in school and that their social and emotional health are attended to,” said Frank Farrow, director of CSSP. “It recognizes that child welfare agencies alone cannot provide everything a child and family need in order to thrive and creates incentives for partnerships between child welfare agencies and schools, housing and employment services and health and mental health agencies. And, it establishes strong performance measures so that successful innovations can serve as scalable models into the future.”
About The Center for the Study of Social Policy
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is a nonprofit public policy, research and technical assistance organization. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CSSP works with state and federal policymakers and with communities across the country. Its mission is to create new ideas and promote public policies that produce equal opportunities and better futures for all children and families, especially those most often left behind. Using data, extensive community experience and a focus on results, CSSP’s work covers several broad areas, including promoting public policies that strengthen vulnerable families; mobilizing a national network to prevent child abuse and promote optimal development for young children; assisting tough neighborhoods with the tools needed to help parents and their children succeed; educating residents to be effective consumers securing better goods and services and reforming child welfare systems. For more information on the Center for the Study of Social Policy, visit http://www.cssp.org.
About First Focus
First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. First Focus takes a unique approach to children’s advocacy, engaging both traditional and non-traditional partners in a broad range of efforts to increase federal investments in programs that address the needs of our nation’s children. In all of our work, we seek to raise awareness regarding public policies impacting children and families and to ensure that related programs have the resources necessary to help children grow up in a healthy and nurturing environment. For more information on First Focus visit http://www.firstfocus.net.
Washington, D.C. August 08, 2011
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and First Focus applaud Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden for his vision and commitment to improving the lives of those in the child welfare system.
“As a country, we cannot afford to let children fall through the cracks of the many systems that exist to serve them,” said Wyden. “By targeting our resources, improving collaboration, spurring innovation, and—above all—holding ourselves accountable, we can systemically serve the best interest of at-risk children, their families and communities, and the nation as a whole.”
The Promoting Accountability and Excellence in Child Welfare Act has the potential to save the federal government money (with current spending on foster care amounting to roughly 10 times more than that on prevention), establish concrete performance measures that emphasize significant results and encourage interagency and public/private collaboration - all to improve the well-being of children and youth. In addition, the bill provides strategies that maximize existing federal funding.
“It’s our nation’s responsibility to protect the best interest of our most vulnerable children. However, in today’s policymaking climate, solutions for addressing the challenges facing children in foster care are often missing from the conversations on Capitol Hill,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan advocacy group. “We applaud Senator Wyden for spearheading this much needed legislation that will promote the well-being of children and families in the child welfare system and spur broader reform of the current federal financing structure.”
The bill would help states continue their efforts to prevent youth from entering foster care and lessen a child’s time in the system, while also encouraging strengthened support services to children and youth so they do not fall behind their peers. The bill provides states with the flexibility to determine the specific methods through which improved outcomes for children and youth will be achieved, based on best practices and in collaboration with foster parents, biological parents, kinship caregivers and youth. These interventions not only protect a child, but they help contribute to their current and future well-being.
“The proposed legislation, among other things, would encourage and support states’ most innovative efforts to ensure that children in the child welfare system are healthy, successful in school and that their social and emotional health are attended to,” said Frank Farrow, director of CSSP. “It recognizes that child welfare agencies alone cannot provide everything a child and family need in order to thrive and creates incentives for partnerships between child welfare agencies and schools, housing and employment services and health and mental health agencies. And, it establishes strong performance measures so that successful innovations can serve as scalable models into the future.”
About The Center for the Study of Social Policy
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is a nonprofit public policy, research and technical assistance organization. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CSSP works with state and federal policymakers and with communities across the country. Its mission is to create new ideas and promote public policies that produce equal opportunities and better futures for all children and families, especially those most often left behind. Using data, extensive community experience and a focus on results, CSSP’s work covers several broad areas, including promoting public policies that strengthen vulnerable families; mobilizing a national network to prevent child abuse and promote optimal development for young children; assisting tough neighborhoods with the tools needed to help parents and their children succeed; educating residents to be effective consumers securing better goods and services and reforming child welfare systems. For more information on the Center for the Study of Social Policy, visit http://www.cssp.org.
About First Focus
First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. First Focus takes a unique approach to children’s advocacy, engaging both traditional and non-traditional partners in a broad range of efforts to increase federal investments in programs that address the needs of our nation’s children. In all of our work, we seek to raise awareness regarding public policies impacting children and families and to ensure that related programs have the resources necessary to help children grow up in a healthy and nurturing environment. For more information on First Focus visit http://www.firstfocus.net.
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