Archive for the ‘Child Abuse’ Category
Who Failed Jacqueline Charlotte Castillo?
Jacqueline Castillo committed suicide over a year ago on March 20, 2012. Jacqueline had lived on and off in foster care for years, and was currently residing in a transitional living facility run by a local Catholic entity.
Transitional Living, helps teens adjust to leaving the foster care system, instead of just throwing them in the street. The latter happens all too often, especially if the foster teen is a bit troublesome and difficult to place because of negative behaviors. In that case, they system often just gives up on them and these teens are quickly emancipated at 18.
However, this was not the case with Jacqueline, who was a young mother, raising her infant child. She was connected to various private non-profit, and public agencies, designed to assist her with young motherhood, and a productive life in the private sector.
To this end, Jacqueline had a job in retail. She continued to receive social services from various entities, all of which provided social workers, and presumably, some type of mental health therapy.
We use the term “Presumably,” because, when contacted, the religious based entity which controlled her living arrangements, refused to answer any questions, despite privacy no longer being an issue, because she is deceased.
Our main question has always been this:
Before her death, did a social worker or therapist, threaten Jacqueline, that her baby was going to be placed into foster care, or the “system,” if she didn’t behave in a way they (the therapist, the social workers, the transitional house, the religious entity), found acceptable?
Did Jacqueline believe she was going to lose her baby, after a conversation with someone associated with one of the above, like a social worker or therapist?
Who Failed Jacqueline Charlotte Castillo?
There Are Children who Play to be Invisible
Powerful Video
Disturbing of course. The scary parent. We get the message.
However, in Los Angeles County, there are a few different messages:
In Los Angeles County; Child Abuse does cut across all class and economic stratus. But, the children placed in Foster Care, do not.
In Los Angeles County; Victims of Child Abuse, do come from all races and religions. But, those children whom are placed in Foster Care, do not.
The vast, vast – majority of children living in foster care, in Los Angeles County, are Hispanic, and African American.
One can argue about the reasons for this, but what is not up for discussion, are the demographics of foster care. The statistics one this are quite clear, and easily available.
In Los Angeles County, the Business of Child Abuse, begins, and ends, with the Politics of Poverty, and Color. And while this debate isn’t forgotten, it is ignored.
As if Big Government Foster Care was colorblind.
Joshua Allen Online
If I Wanted Foster Care To Fail:
Big Government Foster Care: If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail.
The Politics of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
I saw a viral video awhile back. The video has several million hits by now. You can see the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-4gnNz0vc
We were inspired a bit, and borrowed the format to our focus on Child Abuse and Foster Care issues. So with credit and due appropriately proffered, here is our take.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would create an “Academy,” where new County Social Worker (CSW) applicants train, before working with abused and neglected children. In this academy, not one applicant would ever flunk out. Never. Every applicant would pass, and become a CSW, despite idiocy, incompetence and mental illness.
Strange, angry, ignorant, or slow social workers would be mixed in with the competent, stellar, and dedicated. Thus the entire department would be tainted, and appear foolish, because of a few (too many) individuals.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would make it almost impossible to fire http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/29/local/la-me-child-abuse-20101029 any county social worker. Incompetent, or mentally challenged workers, would be transferred to departments and locations where they did minimal harm – for a while.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would provide as few educational benefits as possible for abused and neglected children. Then foster teens could return home, or age out of the system, with minimal tools and skills. Numerous foster teens would be homeless or incarcerated. http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/children-aging-out-of-the-foster/
Donations would be solicited from the community , with minimal financial oversight. Monies set aside for educational purposes would be misspent by unscrupulous executives. Executives who, with minimal work and even less education, want to be rich overnight.
At rubber chicken affairs, I would trumpet educational achievements of a few hand-picked foster teens that did well, despite horrific adversity. http://www.nyc.gov/html/acs/html/pr_archives/pr26_07_12.shtml
However, at the same time, I would ignore thousands of foster teens who fail to graduate, can barely read, and are almost 4 times more likely to need Special Education. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v2t5_QanRAIhCX97XIK1tUfRbE5cRrYCLxaGtlw_Hww/edit
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
There would be no accountability for foster agency executives to account for their working day. Auditors would examine time cards as if they were recorded by Mother Teresa. Underlings, or coworkers, would never be questioned to determine if executives actually did anything .
Executives from agencies would be Board Members of their own agency. Board of Directors would include friends and family, who would evaluate their own job performances. Executives would set their own salary, authorize their own bonuses, and dole out contract caseloads to friends and family. Conflicts of interest would be ignored by county politicians, who with a shrug would say, “There was nothing they could do.”
Gross mismanagement would never be grounds for an executive being removed, or board members being held to account. Never. Taxpayer money would be considered grains of sand.
Not one board member would ever suffer consequences when they knowingly allow a director to mismanage, steal from, or damage foster children.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
Social workers would spend the majority of their time on paperwork, documenting the 10% of their time they actually spent helping abused and neglected children.
In reports, social workers would learn to document fake percentages and goals, to demonstrate statistical success. Measurements, and goals documenting progress, would be obsessed over. A typical observation would read like this:
“Baby Johnny’ will scream and throw objects once per day rather than 3 times daily, Showing a 75% improvement by the end of this quarter.”
Hundreds of regulations, rules, policies and procedures would be created, which only a retired-in-place bureaucrat could understand. And policy makers would believe every new rule and bit of paperwork, actually improved the well being of abused and neglected children.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
County lawyers would be responsible for a caseload of 200 abused and neglected foster children. Therefore, many attorneys would do a mediocre job protecting abused and neglected children.
At Children’s Court, hearings would last 5 minutes. Birth Parents would meet their lawyers for the first time a few minutes before their hearing. Lawyers for foster children would be paid the lowest hourly rate for any attorney in the county, creating a weak incentive for highly skilled attorneys to engage in child welfare.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
Caseloads of Contract Social Workers would not be cross checked across county lines. Contract social workers will have many cases beyond what is allowed. Abused and neglected children would then receive minimal contact, or assistance from their social worker. Those entrusted to monitor such things would turn a blind eye.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would move abused and neglected children to 4 or more homes during their time in foster care. The norm would be minimal stability, bonding, or nurturing at this horrible time in their lives.
Foster children would be given minimal information regarding their cases or dispositions. Anxiety and depression, caused by bad policies and apathy, would be typical.
Concepts such as “Fast Tracking,” would be ignored by judges and social workers alike, who give birth parents 3rd, 4th, 5th, even 6th chances over several years. Frequent delays, all in the name of “keeping the family together,” would do exactly the opposite.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would believe politicians when they say we are well on the way to fixing things, even though they said the same thing year after year, while hiring 5 new heads of Children’s Services during the past decade, http://californiaschildren.typepad.com/californias-children/2011/08/trish-ploehn-56-chief-of-the-los-angeles-county-department-of-children-and-family-services-is-expected-to-be-reassigned-to.html while repeating the same old promises we call lies.
I would accept as gospel, policy decisions originating from university and communications think tanks, from ‘scholars’ and ‘experts,’ who live as far away from MLK Blvd, Korea Town and Santa Ana as class and money provide.
A professor or Esteemed Professional who adopted a foster child cared for by nannies, would be a consecrated expert. Yet the foster parent from Santa Ana, who raised 3 children to productive adulthood, would be locked out of any discussion, because of difficulty with English fluency, problems negotiating a prominent universities map, and difficulty arranging child care for 12 hours.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
In a huge county like Los Angeles I would assign 1 or 2 newspaper reporters, to occasionally cover events regarding foster care, child abuse, and family court.
Foundation publicists, and sideways talking politicos, would control the conversation. Investigative journalism would be minimized as non-news worthy, ‘solution based journalism’ (Foundation Speak), would rule the Huffingtons.
If I wanted Foster Care to Fail:
Not one birth parent would ever be held legally accountable, for making false accusations against the foster parents who care for their child. The damage such false accusations cause to children, would be considered a normal part of the business of child abuse. Lying, and false accusations by a birth parent, would be met by a slight admonishment and lecture, without consequences, or other measures of deterrence.
If I Wanted Foster Care to Fail:
I would teach Foster Children, Foster Parents, and Social Workers to ignore hypocrisy, and accept lies, stupidity, and deceit as a normal part of Children Services, something impossible to change. I would teach that the only way an idealistic worker could survive and continue, is by accepting defeat.
Pathetic money wasting programs such as “Wrap Around,” and poorly run programs like “Family Preservation,” would never be challenged, or improved. An alliance of vested financial interests, along with government monitors, who fear answering for their failures, would continue year after year.
Such programs and agencies would provide owners, a top 1% income, and lifestyle, which the typical foster child, will never know, and only dream of ; “ …from just across the bay.”
So Basically, it’s this.
If I Want Foster Care to Fail:
I Would Do Nothing at All. I Would Do Nothing at All. I Would Do Nothing at All.
Joshua Allen Online
The Business of Child Abuse
Big Government Foster Care: A Toddler’s Case at Children’s Court
Big Goverment Foster Care: A Toddler’s Case at Children’s Court
Exposing a world where few reporters, judges or lawyers dare talk about.
The Business of Child Abuse.
By Joshua Allen
(First Published at the American Thinker)
It is the late afternoon, and foster parent Jeanette Ledesma sits in the waiting room at the Ed Edelman’s Children’s Court in Los Angeles. This morning, concerned about being late, Jeanette had left her Lancaster home at 6:00 AM for the two-hour trip. She was relieved to be on time, and to have found a scarce parking place nearby.
Jeanette is the foster parent of a little girl named Patricia. Jeanette is in court today because she wants to tell the judge how infrequently Patricia’s birth mother visits. The birth mother has seen Patricia five times in the past year. Patricia has lived with Jeanette since birth, and Jeanette wants to adopt her before she turns three years old in a few months.
The waiting area is large and noisy. It is packed with children at play, shouting bailiffs, chatting grandparents, whispering lawyers, and the sounds of electronic toys.
Foster children, transported here by bus, are confined to a small play area. They play with beat-up toys as they wait for their hearings. The children are cared for by ladies who wear a special T-shirt, designating them as room monitors who watch over foster children.
The children are here today in case they are required to testify or make a statement. Frequently, however, the foster children will simply play in the area, take a break for lunch with the monitors, and be transported back to the foster home late in the day. Many of the kids will return to the foster home with little knowledge of the proceedings or of what is to happen to them.
Court-appointed lawyers, the lowest-taxpayer-remunerated attorneys in the county, sit across from clients. Some of them are dressed casually. Many sit at tiny tables meant for children, as there are not enough proper tables or chairs to go around.
The lawyers glance, perhaps for the first time, at files regarding the accused birth parents’ cases. The attorneys will confer for ten or fifteen minutes with their birth parent clients. They will then represent the birth parents in the brief five- or ten-minute hearing, which will decide the immediate future of the family.
Birth parents and extended families seem to occupy every chair along the sides of the waiting area. The families patiently wait for their names to be called remind the author of the DMV, or even of a county emergency room on a Saturday night.
The crowds at children’s court are thickest in the morning; they thin out considerably by late afternoon. The wait can be six or even eight hours, but most cases are disposed of after three or four. A case name can be called at any time up until 3:00 or 4:00 PM.
There is a cafeteria downstairs, but many families are afraid to use it. The birth families don’t want to miss the cattle call (and that’s what it is, really) and wait months for the next hearing. So the families wait, often with quiet desperation, apparent by tapping feet and paying sharp attention when the bailiff calls out a new name.
A missed or postponed hearing may mean that children stay in foster care much longer. Not always a bad thing when one considers the alternative. Yet if you ask the abused and neglected children what they want, the majority will tell you they want to return home, no matter what parents have done. And some parents have done horrible things to their children.
There was a movement from some journalists and politicians to open up hearings to press and other interested media. But children’s court hearings are still generally closed, ostensibly for the protection of the abuse victims who are entitled to confidentiality.
Even when the hearing is open, however, some frightened attorneys have requested a postponement, knowing full well that there are few reporters or other media available to do a proper vetting when the hearing is rescheduled.
Without daylight, there is no public check or audit on county incompetence, mediocrity, or malfeasance. And without transparency, bad things may happen. A child may be returned to Frankenstein or kept apart from a Mother Teresa. And nobody beyond the immediate players will ever know.
Sometimes cover-ups under the guise of confidentiality occur.
One of the most egregious instances of neglect and ineptitude by a county official only became known when CSW (County Social Worker) Rocia La Voie tried to contest a two-week suspension she earned by allowing a child to be tortured for years.
Ms. La Voie failed to investigate obvious signs of abuse which her own department believed she should have noted. La Voie barely visited the horrible home, and she overlooked obvious indications that something was unconscionably wrong.
Like teachers here in California, it is harder to fire a county social worker than it is to send a man to the moon. It was only La Voie’s protest of a minor two-week suspension that allowed us a tiny window into internal DCFS machinations.
Finally, after over six hours, the bailiff shouts the last name of Patricia, Jeanette’s foster child. Jeanette wants the birth parents’ rights cut. She wants to finally be allowed to adopt the child who has lived in her home since birth over two years ago.
Anything may happen at the hearing. Patricia’s birth parent may be reunified with her daughter. Or contrarily, the abusive birth parent may have her rights cut, leaving Jeanette free to adopt Patricia.
For accused birth parents, the process goes something like this:
You will have seven to ten minutes to make your case…maybe. Actually, much of the time, you won’t be allowed to speak. Rather, your modestly paid lawyer will speak for you.
The attorney probably reviewed your file earlier that day, and the two of you may have spoken for a few minutes about your case in the noisy waiting area, surrounded by children and families.
At the hearing, the judge will glance at your file, often for the first time, while listening to attorneys. The files include reports written by county social workers (with input by therapists, teachers, and foster parents), who describe your child’s progress in foster care. The reports also include your own progress and efforts toward becoming a fit parent.
Often the birth parent will need to complete some type of parenting education, or turn in a series of clean drug tests. The birth parent may also need to show proof of counseling, which includes family therapy, anger management, domestic violence, or participation in a chemical dependency program. She may have completed many of these programs while incarcerated.
Or perhaps, like many, this birth parent did not have to bother with any such programs. She kept tweaking, barely visited her child, and somehow had the wherewithal to remember the time and address of her child’s court appointment. In which case, maybe she gets her child back anyway, in spite of everything.
To be fair, though, some parents will have done everything the court and the county social worker has asked. In such cases, the birth parent may or may not be allowed to reunify with their child. It can seem like a crap shoot.
Like good people everywhere, some birth parents will move mountains and walk through fire to reunify with their children. Birth parents will have formed bonds with the foster parent and worked as a team with the county and others to become good parents.
In some cases, the birth parent may have removed themselves from any person or environmental influences which caused their children to be taken. All of the above happens (especially in training videos), but not nearly enough. Unfortunately, some birth parents will make the choice to live with a perpetrator instead of with their own children. And this is not uncommon.
As Patricia’s foster parent, Jeanette has no standing in court. Jeanette has waited several hours to tell the judge about the birth mother’s missed appointments and infrequent visits.
Patricia’s appointed lawyer has spoken little to Jeanette and hasn’t returned phone calls. Patricia’s CSW communicated much better, but Jeanette remains frustrated by the lack of information.
The hearing begins, and Jeanette watches the birth mother enter the court room. Jeanette speaks with the sympathetic bailiff, who tells her to quietly raise her hand during proceedings. The judge may allow her to speak.
Jeanette and the writer enter the room and sit quietly. The judge glances at the reports and asks to hear from the attorneys.
The birth mother’s attorney speaks first. He asks that the status quo of foster care be continued. The lawyer notes that the birth mother will do her best to stay sober and attend parenting classes. He asks the court to delay until the birth mother can reunify with her daughter.
Then Patricia’s attorney speaks. He notes it has been close to two and a half years, and that the toddler has been with the same foster parent since birth. It is time to sever parental rights.
Jeanette tentatively raises her hand to speak. At one point the judge glances in her direction. He sees the raised hand but does not acknowledge it. However, within five minutes from the start of the hearing, the judge tells both attorneys that the birth mother’s parental rights will be cut.
This is the result Jeanette had hoped for. It means that she may begin the formal adoption, hopefully within the next year.
On the way out of the court room, Jeanette tries to speak with Patricia’s attorney, who listens only for less than a minute. Then the attorney politely gestures for Jeanette to leave the court room. The attorney has another hearing with a different child in a couple of minutes.
Outside, Patricia’s birth mother approaches Jeanette, who has left Patricia with her adult daughter. The several-hour wait would have been too difficult for a toddler.
The birth mother is sad, and there are tears in her eyes. She wanted to see Patricia, perhaps for the last time.
The birth mother approaches Jeanette and whispers quietly for a few seconds. After years of missed visits, lies, and dirty drug tests, Jeanette has little patience. She quickly walks away.
The writer asks Jeanette what the birth mother had said to her. Jeanette shakes her head, obviously frustrated and angry.
The birth mother had asked Jeanette if Patricia could keep the birth mother’s last name after Patricia is adopted.
“Not in a million years,” says Jeanette.
Joshuaallenonline.com
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
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.
Teens Happy Homes…”a Heightened Sense of Scrutiny.”
Teens Happy Homes…”a Heightened Sense of Scrutiny.”
Foster Teen Connected to USC Murders
By Joshua Allen
The Business of Child Abuse
Below is page 7 of the 2010 tax form for Teens Happy Homes, notably the salary of Beautina Robinson. You will note that she has a salary of $112,312. This is a large raise from 2 years earlier in 2008 forms, when her salary is listed as $89,133.
This basically works out to a 26% increase in salary from 2 years earlier during these tough economic times. And of course, there are all the other little things such as benefits et al…
Many of us would like such a raise in taxpayer funded work. I would have loved to have been privy to the meetings of the compensation committee during meetings of the board of directors at Teens Happy Homes. May we see the minutes? Yes indeed, a happy place I’m sure. Just saying…
The entire 2010 form can be seen here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15yF0unBx1mBKw4tSB3zBdYzCT4r4GjxzShQeA09TClA/edit?pli=1 And if people want I will put up a couple more years.
However, of more interest today…
** ** ** ** **
Teens Happy Homes was recently mentioned in the news http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-usc-killings-20120523,0,3433137.story because one of the alleged perpetrators of the murder of two Chinese graduate students at USC was found to be living in a Teens Happy Home foster home in Palmdale. The alleged perpetrator Javier Bolden was arrested at a home in Victorville which the LA Times reports is owned by a social worker on staff at Teens.
We find this odd, and wonder if Bolden 19, went there (the Victorville home) to be near somebody he trusted while being arrested, or if he had gone to this social workers home with any frequency? If it’s the former, it at least makes a little bit of sense, but if it’s the latter then we have a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions. Well, to tell the truth, we have a passel full of questions.
In a superb example of Bureaucratic Government Speak, DCFS Director Philip Browning noted, that Teens Happy Homes undergoes regular reviews, and then promised that, “we’ll have to look at that with a heightened sense of scrutiny.” Is that like a ‘Whiter shade of Pale?” Uh sorry, you know the song right?
These days, what the county means by saying there are “regular reviews” is that the agency will often be told in advance:
1.What case files will be audited, what homes will be looked at, (with days to prepare). And,
2. The teens and foster parents will be prepped on how to respond to questions, especially if their workers are well liked. And,
3. The auditor will have little incentive to find serious defects since they will have to explain to their betters why they didn’t find this junk in the first place when they’ve already been to the home several times during the past few years and the place was visited supposedly a few times a month by one worker or another.
Of course, and we mean this without irony, there may be nothing wrong with the home or foster parent, and it is just the case of an adult still in the system, choosing to commit horribly evil murders. But then his probation report noted intensive therapy!
We’d love to chat with this therapist, who until yesterday probably looked at the Bolden’s case as a success story, what with him holding a full time job and going to community college. Believe me, we don’t see such a thing too often in foster care. If convicted he’ll probably end up getting a Masters in counseling while behind bars but it appears he will first be mastering theories of ballistics and criminology during the forseeable future.
DCFS Director Browning (speaking of ballistics) may wish to ask Beautina Robinson, as well as past and present administrators about all this. I know I would. What did they know, and when did they know it? Jeepers, are the abused and neglected children being well served by this particular agencies county contract? I sense a home by home review in their future. Just saying…no reason to blame the messenger.
And if this is the case, foster homes affiliated and connected with this agency better get out the good china and put plastics on the carpets, ’cause there’s gonna be some professionals of one type or another tramping around the nooks and crannies of their homes checking for Lord knows what.
Joshua Allen Online
The Politics of Child Abuse
* Youtube Video ” Bryan NoRespect Barnes” as linked on his Facebook page; Bryan “NoRespect” Barnes is the alleged partner of foster teen Javier Bolden, both are alleged to have taken part in the murder of the Chinese Grad Students at USC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niu2J_FbSAA&feature=share and from the same Youtube account:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuIgF8ypS3k&feature=autoplay&list=ULC2XXyz4dN9g&playnext=2
Bryan NoRespect Barnes: Facebook Comments Regarding Video #1 Sucker Punch:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ejEzHW9JtcA90oPUFuyHyS-W5RVQb634JK4hyOCDrGo/edit
Beautina Robinson Salary
Futuro Infantil Hispano
The Business of Child Abuse
This is page 7 of the most recent tax filing of Futuro Infantil Hispano. You can see the entire form here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1phxj2SmT2Mc0ecmkSZghqKBc66ZL-TbN9fG20QnzDUc/edit
Some of you may notice a smaller “take,” for the main players from the previous year. You may draw your own conclusions… we have written about these guys before. We couldn’t keep up with all the hot and cold running contract social workers that we have spoken to over the years from this place. There has been little media attention paid to Futuro and places like it, and the salaries as well as other finances as a percentage of non-profit gross should be looked at by those media types who reach a lot more folks then we do. But as one equally frustrated attorney sadly told us on an unrelated matter;
“I suppose it’s small potatoes.”
We disagree, especially when considering year after year after year… We can only hope that somewhere, someplace, in a hidden lair far far away, the overlords are paying attention. Stir baby stir… Oh, you are listening?
Remember the very people in county and state government assigned to check on these places have a conflict of interest since finding anything too devastating (either financially or with child care issues) brings there very own competence into play since their elders will probably ask why they didn’t find the stuff earlier. Anyways, I’m sure they are doing what they think best. There are some things we just can’t understand, right?
Not that there is necessarily anything untoward in this example…
The Politics of Child Abuse
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
Joshua Allen Online 