Archive for June 2012
The Village Speaks For Itself
The Village Speaks For Itself or, (It Takes A Village to Take…)
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
We have long advocated for a cap on executive compensation in foster care. After all, one chooses to work in a non-profit which cares and nurtures abused and neglected children. If you want to be in the so called ‘one percent,’ maybe you should sell widgets, or become a lawyer. Nothing wrong with that…
Our question is this. How much is too much for individuals who choose to work with children whom have been beaten, raped, neglected and abused in a thousand other ways?
These are the toughest of economic times. Cut backs everywhere but here apparently. Now these guys do other stuff such as Wrap Around and some mental health stuff, but ..please lets’ not get started on Wrap Around!
And don’t forget, the below figures for 2 separate years don’t include the monetary value of benefits which must substantially add to the total. Therefore, should salaries and other compensation be reflective of an increase in revenue, as they often are in for-profit businesses?
We think not.
We believe things have gotten out of hand when almost a half million dollars (plus benefits) are paid to just 2 individuals. Exactly what do board members do beyond rubber stamp? This is a charity for heavens sake.
Suppose for example, you lopped off a couple hundred grand from this total and paid two other highly competent and ethical executives $300,000? I imagine that extra $200,000 per year would do a lot of good if applied towards such things such as tutors, mentors, dance and karate lessons, back packs, better Christmas gifts, and many, many things that could help abused and neglected children.
But what do I know.
Joshua Allen
* The complete tax forms can be found here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7lNozEv6JIEVGJtUlV1OFVWSms/edit and here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15PD_1yCJVIvcsxOLKB-w3-Jznlv1RSc7yxEJHlE0PSo/edit
Taxes
Dear Judge: This Time I’ll Do it Right! The Business of Child Abuse
Dear Judge: This Time I’ll do it right!
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
Dear Judge,
Hey I know it wasn’t your fault for taking my kids away. That damn social worker lady what’s her name – she’s the real criminal. What’s a little tweaking anyways? I’m a good parent, the kids love me don’t they? They always say it when that dumb social worker asks.
And that first judge! Who the hell is that SOB to tell me that I need to be drug tested? The hell with dirty tests! It’s the damn system that destroyed my family. That judge is paid a big hunk of change to rip families apart. They all make money from us, from all of us. But I know you’re different from that other guy.
And that mother-of-all-fights we had last night. G-d was that a bitch of a fight or what! We were both messed up good I know…sorry? But hey, at least I gave as good as I got!
But why is the county so uptight? The kids weren’t touched, so what’s the big deal? Damn neighbors snitchin to cops, I bet I know which one too. Always so nosy, asking about the kids. Who the hell are they to offer to take care of them? Why can’t people just mind their own business! Lots of people do worse things to kids than I did, and they still have them. It’s not fair.
Why don’t the cops go after the real criminals. You know the freaks that do those unspeakable things to their kids? We never did nothin like that. It was all lies. Why did they make my kids lie?
What did those county nutheads say? The allegation was substantiated? Unsubstantiated? What the heck is that?
Their father should be getting out of the joint soon anyways. And yeah, he’s got to stay away but they can’t check that all the time, can they? Anyways, just like you said, he won’t be around.
I love my kids, why can’t you see that? Okay I shouldn’t have missed those visits. Especially the youngest ones birthday. Anyways she’s just 3 so she doesn’t really care. But yeah, I’ll make it up to her I always do. Just ask her.
But maybe you can tell my why is my oldest so angry all the time? He shouldn’t be taking stuff from the store. What are they paying that foster parent for anyways? You should check that out.
And who the hell is she to say I can’t talk to my kids any time, day or night. She’s poisoning them against me! That’s why they’re so angry. They’d probably be back with me by now if that lady hadn’t been speaking smack to that lazy CSW. You should check her too.
She never even returns my calls! Okay, it probably wasn’t too smart to yell at her those times, especially when I need my kids, I admit it, that wasn’t smart. But can’t they see how much the kids love me? How they cry when it’s time for me to leave the one hour weekly visit at McDonald’s?
What’s the foster parent so mad about anyways, so I missed a few visits when I were supposed to be there – the kids ate real good didn’t they? They love McDonald’s. I took them there almost every day when I still had money before losing that job for tweaking.
And yeah it was uncool to use before the baby was born. But I know better now. Next time I’m pregnant I’ll do it right. They need their mommy. Especially the baby. She’s got all sorts of problems but I’ll take her to the best doctors. I still got the Medi-Cal card, I never lost it. Doesn’t that prove something?
Anyways all that’s behind me. I’m barely using these days, not for a couple of days anyways. And I’m taking those parenting classes. Haven’t missed a single one and I have the papers to prove it.
That other judge said I’d get the kids back soon if I could just string together a few clean tests and my grandmother gets a bigger place. That’s what mom did when I was a kid. We all came home real fast after the county took us. Why’s it so different now?
Look, when my babies come home it will be different this time. We’ll do it right. No more partying. No more tweaking. And we’ll just be a happy family this time. I’ll put them back in school, I’ll be there for them you’ll see…
Or not.
Joshuaallenonline.com The Politics of Child Abuse
Joshuaallenonling@gmail.com
When a Foster Child Dies: Rules for Radicals
When a Foster Child Dies
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
When a Foster Child Dies, The Scientific term “Butt Covering,” comes into full play. The needs of the family of the victim move down to last on the list.
The list begins with a plethora of lawyers, agency officials, bureaucrats, doctors, social workers, psychologists, intern therapists, supervisors, government hacks, crappy news media, social work investigators, deputy administrators, chief administrators, peon dcfs social workers, teachers, foster parents and finally the birth parents of the dead child.
Then, things go something like this…
First on the list is the Group home or agency affiliated with a national organization, a religious organization or some other deep pockets – it doesn’t matter really – just that they have enough people on staff to have a really interesting top secret staff meeting where many of the above mentioned will review the case of the dead foster child.
The meeting is to examine individuals role as the people in charge of the child, and primarily, to prove everyone did their job magnificently and in no way contributed to the death of the abused and neglected child.
That fault lay somewhere else. The death, while tragic was no way because of the actions of the people at this table and could not have been prevented.
Reports are reviewed, checked and re-reviewed, by everyone at the table which will be led by a team leader. The irony is that by this time, everything has been checked, rewritten, redone, and reviewed and re-saved before the first nervous social worker and stern supervisor crosses their arms in the board room.
Did you write all the correct things you did and procedures you followed?…Check
Did you rewrite your notes to reflect this? … Check What computer did you use?…Check
Do you have the dates with the therapist?…Check
Did you notate your phone calls?…Check
Did you notate that you told the victim X Y and Z?… Check
Do you have the dates of the doctor visits, verification that medications were approved and properly administered?… Check. Have the medication logs been redone to comply with regulations?… Check
Were staff properly trained, retrained and trained again…wasn’t that meeting we had last month also training?… Check
What computer did you write your notes on?…Check (Computer time stamps are only checked on ‘Law and Order).
Okay, so we’re all covered here right? We’ll meet again in two days to review this all over again. Oh, and after we have all our ducks in a row we’ll inform the…(put group – organization – county agency here)
Okay, you can all leave; we’ll be taking a meeting with the lawyers. Have funds been released for the funeral yet? …Check… Such a tragedy…poor thing. It’s not your fault, you did your best.
Anyways you get the idea. Sausage making.
Because in LA Foster Care; not many will hear you die.
Joshua Allen
The Politics of Child Abuse
Teen Suicide in Transitional house.
The suicide of a teen living in transitional housing several weeks ago forces us to consider some unanswered questions, but profoundly, one main question. This teen female had recently given birth and was living with her child under the care of a group home.
1. Why has this not been reported in any media accounts? This is not simply a tragedy, this girl and her baby were under the care of contracted county officials.
2. She was described as lively, cheerful even. She loved her daughter deeply. She had access to therapy, social workers, a job…
3. We have no idea if there was any negligence of care whatsoever. We are not implying there was. But basically, we have this one question, and one question only…
Did anybody associated with the group home, or the (transitional house) tell this young mother that she was going to lose her baby? Did anyone say to her that her baby was going to be placed into foster care, with a foster family separate from where the teen mother lived, in an attempt to influence the teen mothers behavior?
Deaths in foster care happen. Failure to thrive, stupid accidents, murder…It’s horrible, just horrible.
And we ask the question here, since nobody has asked this question in public, and it must be asked in public, if for no other reason then to teach helping professionals what not to do, let alone accountability.
Our heart goes out to all those involved. *
Joshua Allen
The Business of Child Abuse
* We have intentionally not used any names, and will not do so at this time out of consideration for the family and because of the dearth of information regarding the circumstances of her death.
Joshua Allen Online 