Archive for the ‘Corruption’ Category
Despicable Her: Jefferson Memorial Homes allows CEO 58% raise despite huge debt, missed payroll taxes, and a negative net worth.
Despicable Her
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
Dr. Cecilla Jefferson, the founder and executive director of Fred Jefferson Memorial Home for Boys, received almost a 58% pay raise from the years 2009 to 2010.
The inordinate pay raise took place despite large operating losses, huge tax liabilities and negative net assets. The most recent county audit suggests the agency may not have a way to pay back their debts.
The executive directors salary increased from $126,000 to $199,215 in 2010. An increase of over 58%. Cecilia Jefferson’s salary in 2011, is listed as $180,284.
Yet, during this time period, Jefferson Homes had operating losses amounting to $240,000 and $84,359 respectively.
More concerning, Jefferson Memorial Homes had $630,997 in delinquent taxes, penalties and interest, from unpaid payroll taxes in 2006, and 2010.
For good measure, county auditors also documented $48K in unallowable expenses, and negative net assets amounting to $582,971.
“Since FJM had negative net assets and no reserves, it is unclear how the Agency will repay its liabilities or offset future operating losses.”
A copy of the 2009 (990) tax filing, can be seen here. The 2010 tax filing is here.
(Pg. 7 for salaries), And the auditors review of Jefferson’s fiscal operations dated March 13, 2013 is here.
On her linkedin page, Dr. Jefferson lists herself as the owner and CEO of Fred Jefferson Memorial Homes since 1989, and she has a PhD. In Social Clinical Psychology.
The question is this. How long can Jefferson Memorial Homes continue operating, when total liabilities are almost double its net assets?
And why did board members, as well as the executive director, acquiesce to such a large pay raise? Especially when this non-profit is managed so incompetently?
A large pay raise, totaling almost 60% from one year to the next. Isn’t that the last thing one should expect, after mismanaging a place into the ground?
As the summary of findings notes:
“We initially advised DCFS of FJM’s financial issues on December 23, 2011, so that DCFS could monitor FJM, and ensure that service quality is maintained.”
The Financial Corrective Action Plan (FCAP), makes note of two fundraisers the agency plans, as well as an “…in depth cost analysis with potential downsizing in staff and services.” While, “…ensuring the agency continues with an “adequate level of care.”
Foster children can breathe a sigh of relief…It’s what they have always wanted in life, an “…adequate level of care.”
But does anyone find this a bit obscene? Don’t places usually cut back, when liabilities are so large? Doesn’t any business or non-profit cut back, when their ability to survive is seriously in doubt, as documented by the county audit?
And from this, they want a fundraiser?
It is like a sinking ship, with everyone trying to get as much gold and treasure to dry land, before the agency…err boat, plunges down to certain death.
When the county makes temptation this easy, when the bar is so low, shouldn’t we still expect more from our ethical leaders? Even if it is not illegal? You can’t make this stuff up.
This is money for abused and neglected children. It adds up to quite a bit. And since when can you owe the IRS big time money like this, and still give yourself almost a 60% raise?
What’s the rationale? It’s my turn now?
Let us imagine the fundraiser. Because a fundraiser is one of FJM’s proposals for paying off their debts. View the self-congratulating speeches: The pleas for cash, all for the benefit of the “children!”
Watch the, oh so moving, fundraising presentation, by the ‘model,’ foster-teen, who is brought on stage to elicit a few tears, as she extols the spiritual aspects of charitable giving. We have all seen it.
Left unsaid at this fundraiser, the extra $193,000 paid over just 3 years, which went to the boss, (instead of the abused and neglected children), in the form of a raise.
And left unsaid at this fundraiser, the unpaid payroll taxes, penalties, unallowable expenses, and fines, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, which, according to the county, the agency “seems to have no way to pay back.”
That is, unless, you want to donate the extra half-million plus you may have gathering dust somewhere, in the back of your sock drawer?
Should you want to contribute, you may donate here, or here.
So please, oh please, do it for the children. They are so desperately in need of our help.
Because it’s all about the children.
Or not.
Dr. Jefferson
Teens Happy Homes contract terminated.
Teens Happy Homes contract terminated.
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
The county supervisors have voted to terminate the contract of Teens Happy Homes. The closure of the corrupt agency, has been inevitable since the first Times article appeared weeks ago.
The highlight from the Times investigation were the transcripts, and actual audio excerpts,which were secretly recorded 3 years earlier, in 2010, by Askari Moyenda. The recordings, memorandum of understanding, and links to the audit, have previously been posted.
What is new, and which will be linked here, is a copy of the deposition of Beautina Robinson by Mr. Moyenda.
The deposition, which took place on August 28, 2012, is a bit tedious, especially since Ms. Robinson seems to be the only one represented by counsel.
But it does open a window into the type of individual written about here, and elsewhere, which sully the image of foster care in Los Angeles.
In the deposition, we learn that Ms. Robinson didn’t know if the county prohibited solicitations for personal gain,. Also, she doesn’t recall if she received nearly $10k personally.
She can’t recall when she got a check for almost $10k? … Huh?
Actually, Ms. Robinson says, “I don’t recall,” so frequently throughout the deposition, that one wonders what she actually did remember.
Robinson couldn’t recall for example, when she was asked what the qualifications were, when she became an executive director of a foster agency.
On another question, Ms. Robinson noted, that she learned that selling a non-profit was illegal, “During the process of this.”
Other enlightening tidbits, have to do with the qualifications of sitting board members, (presumably proof of life).
Near the end of the deposition, there is a long, twisted and rambling question and answer session, about what Ms. Robinson considers to be fraudulent, lying, misleading and misrepresentative, when she is communicating with board members.
Finally, towards the end of this confusing repartee, Mr. Moyenda asks:
Question: “Okay. Would you consider it fraud if you –if an administrator –if an executive –chief executive officer misled the board on the amount of donation that was given, would you consider that fraudulent?”
Answer: “I refuse to answer that.”
We found it a bit more confusing (if that is possible), when Ms. Robinson was asked about her education. She went to Oakwood Academy College, …”went to Indiana University and took some classes,” and has an “honorary doctorate degree.”
Then, the following questions and answers ensues:
Question: “Slow down. So you have what? I’m sorry?”
Answer: “An honorary doctorate degree.”
Question: “What does that mean?”
Answer: “Just what I said.”
Question: “I don’t know what that means.”
Answer: “Well I don’t either.”
Question: “Is that related to any education? Is the honorary degree related to any education?”
Answer: “Humanities. I have a doctorate in humanities.”
At this point, Mr. Moyenda seems to be trying to get Ms. Robinson to state the honorary degree is useless. Things ramble a bit, until he asks…
Question: “Okay. So there was no educational attachment to that honorary degree? Yes or no?”
Answer: “I don’t recall.”
Not exactly the Supreme court, or even Matlock, but one hopes the gist comes through.
There is a lot more, and it is a worthwhile read, if for no other reason then to highlight the lack of professionalism and utter incompetence we allow, by the people who run these places. For that alone, the plaintiff has clearly done us a service.
One doubts however, the “pound of flesh,’ even when served cold, will bring much peace.
It is ironic that a foster child, whose entire life fits inside a plastic garbage bag, could shoplift a $50 IPOD, and get booked, fingerprinted, photographed, and tossed into jail.
Yet when previous corruption was exposed, similar, and in some cases much worse than the goings on at Teens Happy Homes, there was nothing more than a slap on the wrist to the perpetrators.
Currently, there are agencies in Los Angeles County, with similar proclivities. Should there be no legal consequences for perpetrators, then crooked executives from other agencies, will know the only thing risked, is to be shut down.
Monies need not be paid back or returned, and there will be no incarceration, regardless of the extent of the malfeasence.
Money meant for abused and neglected children has been siphoned. This requires justice. For the children, and for us, the taxpayers. Such malfeasance is a bit more rare these days, but still not unusual with foster care agencies.
A couple agencies come to mind immediately.
Financial corruption invites mistreatment, in one form or another, towards foster children. Such corruption, over time, often ends with a foster child dying.
There is a correlation.
It has happened time, and time again – and shall coninue to happen all too frequently, unless we make changes with honest appraisal.
Joshuaallenonline.com
Teens R Us – Foster Children for Sale
Teens R Us – Foster Children for Sale
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
For the second time in as many weeks, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors will attempt to close Teens Happy Homes.
The vote had been originally scheduled for the previous week. However supervisor Ridley Thomas tabled the vote, and had a closed-door session, apparently discussing legal ramifications should the Board of Supervisors close the agency.
Such a concern is not without merit. Teens has learned a lot over the years. There is George Gutierrez, who is the management consultant heard on the secret recordings of the board meeting in 2010. He brought considerable expertise, and knowledge to Teens management.
Years ago, Gutierrez was involved with an agency El Camino.
The county wants to avoid closing down Teens in a way that would leave the county legally exposed. Wishing to avoid a potential county payout, should the county make a mistake, the Board of Supervisors is apparently taking their time, ensuring all T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted.
There may have been other reasons for the delay, which can’t be particularly satisfactory to the abused and neglected children, who are waiting to see if they will be transferred to a wonderful new foster home, remain with the same loving and kind foster parents, or end up staying in the same crappy foster home – take your pick.
During this time, Teens has remained open. Teens, is no doubt dying on the vine, as this is what happens when an agency is on a ‘do not refer list.’
As, no new children can be placed with the agency, Teens will continue to shrink, as other children leave to go to different homes, or reunify with birth families.
The entire process is extremely dramatic for all involved. If history is any guide, each one of Teens original foster homes will be scrutinized with a fine tooth comb. The homes will be checked and rechecked.
And foster children who may have wished to remain in those homes will have been transferred, on the off chance there was something the County missed, while overlooking years of apparent corruption.
Some children who may have been in Teens homes for years will be forced to relocate to a different foster home, many miles away. These children will have no recourse to return to foster parents they have come to know, and love. It will all depend on the County Social Workers (CSW’s) and their supervisors, who won’t be in much of a mood to take any risks.
Some foster parents will never be allowed to take in children again, as violations which were previously thought to have been minor, will suddenly become significant in the eyes of the County. Other foster parents will transfer to new agencies, but only with difficulty, and soul-searching.
Agencies in search of revenue will try to take as many families as they can together with the children in the home, as a family of four can be worth over $100,000 to an agency.
Knowing this, some social workers will use this lucrative endeavor to secure contract employment for themselves, with a new agency.
This does not have to be a bad thing, as some foster parents over time form excellent working relationships with a contract social worker. However, there is always the risk of the lack of objectivity, or collusion between the social worker, and the foster parent.
Further, the world of contract social work is rife with minor corruption and rules violations. Social workers will get around the rules governing the amount of cases they may have, by taking jobs in two counties.
One worker, who has left our geographic area, had so many cases, the county concluded that signatures from foster parents on home visit forms had to be forged. And the investigators were well on their way to proving it.
Agencies if they like the worker, will tend to overlook this, and or, have them sign some meaningless piece of paper stating that they will not engage in this practice.
It is well known that foster care has more meaningless signatures on pieces of paper, than just about any other job in the entire world.
This would almost be funny, until one considers the dozens of abused and neglected children, who failed to get appropriate services, or help from those entrusted to do just that.
It must be asked, as in the case of Teens Happy Homes; Do other agencies have current board members, or employees, with criminal backgrounds, fraud or other sexual harassment charges in their past?
Tell us, are their other sleazy felons who are board members, like there are at Teens?
A promised crackdown by the Board of Supervisors, and Wendy Watanabe, of agencies that have board members who are also contractors with their agencies, or have some other type of conflict of interest, means that somebody is in store for quite of bit of work.
Because until now, this has been a typical practice. Conflict of interests are the rule, not the exception.
And finally, will anyone ever be prosecuted for fraud or malfeasance? After millions of dollars allowed to go any which way, we have yet to see a single conviction of a CEO or board member.
Because in Big Government Foster Care, nothing really happens, until a child dies.
Joshua Allen
Teens Happy Homes sinking fast.
The second shoe has begun to drop, and it now appears that Teens Happy Homes will soon be closed. You can read about it here.
Garett Therolf continues to do stellar work on this story, and it is nice to see the media take an interest in the subject, and do the good investigative work necessary, to bring about a bit of improvement in the lives of the foster children, attached to this agency. This is important stuff.
However, as usual, at other suspect agencies, malfeasance alone, is not enough to warrant many words on the subject, or action by regulators. Or for that matter, action by law enforcement.
Malfeasance, must be accompanied by child deaths or significant injuries, before any action is taken, to bring some culprits to moderate justice.
An example of this can be seen with United Care, which was closed a few years ago. In one of the below recordings given to the Times, consultant Jorge Gutierrez, when speaking about Craig Woods and United Care, pointed out that it wasn’t the death of Viola Vanclief that caused United Care to be closed.
Rather it was Craig’s “stubbornness” in not paying back the bulk of the money, which the county said, had been illegally siphoned by a former employee. (Almost $250,000).
At United Care, an innocent toddler was murdered, before malfeasance warranted a heavy hand by the county, which shut down the agency.
Similarly, another agency was shut, fairly recently, accompanied by similar financial wreckage, payments to felons, and encompassed a plethora of creepy individuals, enough to turn one’s stomach.
However, in the case of this other agency, there wasn’t a lot of child welfare violations. This circumstance warranted minimal media attention, despite missing funds amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Not sexy enough?
Things are different with Teens, but why did it take so long?
Part of the real story, is that Teens fiscal audit is not yet completed, after 3 years! Much of the information should have been acted upon, much earlier.
Sincere kudos, to Ms. Watanabe, who admitted county auditors dropped the ball with Teens. And yet, officials, and media, were warned, by this author and others, in 2010, regarding many similar allegations.
Malfeasance, as well as child welfare issues, at Teens, were continuously ignored.
But why?
Surely this garbage dump was an open secret. Social workers, current and previous staff members, must have stiff necks from looking the other way all the time.
Obviously at Teens, and quite clearly, one dare says, at other agencies, payment for minimal or nonexistent work, occurs with willful blindness, by staff, and regulaters. In some places, it is blatant.
Ask away! An arrow shall be pointed, (as continues to be done here), to obvious culprits. Yet, under these circumstances, how could child welfare not suffer?
There are good agencies. There are hard working social workers, who do such work with nobel intentions. There are wonderful foster parents, who save children’s lives.
All are tainted, by too many greedy, bad apples.
The warnings, are a broken record. And the guilty, attack the sources, who are afraid for their jobs, and have learned the hard way, that nothing will be done.
There will be no justice. Either for the cheated children, or the crooks. Nobody will face criminal charges, let alone be banned from working with abused and neglected children.
Are things different now? Can they be?
Joshua Allen
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
Foster Cares Golden Rule: As Usual it’s The Children Who Suffer
As Usual, It’s the Children Who Suffer
By Joshua Allen
Calls to a few agencies have confirmed what we suspected upon first hearing about America Care closing. Many foster parents are having difficulties transferring to whatever new foster care agency has won their business. Previous overlooked violations, or waivers from things such as unsubstantiated allegations or difficulties on backround checks are suddenly in play.
Therefore it is by no means certain that some families will be allowed to continue to be foster parents. That the foster parents may have already dealt with the violations to the satisfaction of the county and state may not matter. A previous waiver will probably need to be investigated all over by the county, and this will certainly cause a significant delay.
Some abused and neglected children who lived with foster parents for months or years may end up being transferred ( IE: Torn, ripped from ect…) to other homes, while the county seeks to judge the fitness of particular foster parents previously in good standing at America Care.
Some parents aren’t making the cut at all and their days of working with the system are apparently over.
The loser in all of this, of course, remains the abused and neglected children who have to leave foster parents they cared about and had bonded with. Yet one can’t always blame the county, in some cases, for taking extra care that families remain fit to be foster parents from this now tainted agency.
The culpability for all this, of course, remains the former executives whose alleged misdeeds caused this huge disruption to children who have already suffered and probably don’t want to leave.
Try explaining to a 5-year-old that they must leave a home they lived in for a year because of something that happened months or years earlier. Try to cheer a little girl up as she cries in the car while being driven to a new home. Make the best of a situation as you carry a toddlers belongings in a trash bag to the front door of a new foster home. Chat with the new foster parents for awhile, have them sign some paperwork, give a final assuring farewell to the child, and then leave and get on with your life.
Nice work if you can get it.
This remains a very tricky problem since the county rightly fears leaving any child in a home with previous violations, despite any remedy or solution the agency or even the county or state had imposed. This will often not be in the best interest of the child, but the county rear end shall be covered. (The Golden Rule) And our thinking on this matter has evolved since there are no easy answers, (such as appropriate relatives) which can accept the child.
So in the case of foster families on the fringe, and requiring a judgement call from the county regarding past issues, we can only urge the county and state to act as rapidly as possible before such foster child bouncing needs occur.
Please.
The Business of Child Abuse
Joshuaallenonline.com
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
America Care Raided by the FBI? Served with a Warrant.
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
A source close to America Care management has told us that the America Care main office in San Dimas was Raided by the FBI and served with a Search Warrant for accounting information and computers. Reportedly, computers were removed from the premises by authorities. The source also reported continued contact and inquiries with Homeland Security.
The FBI is involved because tax revenues for America Care, as such revenues are to all foster care agencies, are paid through federal money. Homeland Security apparently continues to be interested in the Ghost employee or employees. And yet we still shake our heads. Is any of this real?
It has gotten so bad for America Care executives that when they have any questions or concerns, and wish to contact the Department of Children and Family Services, they are referred to county council or basically, the lawyers representing the interests of DCFS. Nobody else from the county is apparently allowed to speak with anyone from America Care. Jeepers!
And that, is how serious this emerging scandal appears to be. We were told by our source that she/he expects indictments of some of the main players in the near future. That leads us to believe it will be for some type of yet to be determined financial malfeasance, (such as money laundering?) or as Gomer Pyle used to say… “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
We would love to verify this with the county and or get the official side of things, but we can’t. Like America Care, all auditing inquires are being referred to the same county lawyer.
That a public taxpayer supported agency can hide behind lawyers and inapplicable confidentiality laws remains a travesty and mocks all of us. The secrecy on this and other issues has become so bad that the Los Angeles Times has initiated a lawsuit to obtain information illegally withheld from us by the county.
You can read about the suit here, although it is not particularly related to America Care. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0915-death-records-20110915,0,5104863.story It is indicative of the their attitude towards the release of information that may be embarrassing to DCFS and or other county employees.
Also:
The past week the administrator Alicia Ciriani (who we don’t believe had much to do with the actual finances beyond looking the other way) sent a letter to America Care foster parents telling them a contract has been signed and that America Care will now be merging with Masada foster agency.
This is beginning to be a pathetic pattern. Originally the agency was merging with Alliance, then we heard Child Net, and now it’s Masada. It reminds me of Groucho Marx saying he would never join a club that would let him in.
And we would like to know how an agency such as America Care which will cease to exist in a few weeks can sign any type of contract?
Further, foster parents are free to go wherever they want and many of them are accepting the direct and indirect financial enticements (such as a $1000 from Homes of Hope being offered to social workers) who are turning around and making their own arrangements with foster parents. Homes of Hope recently got off a do-not-refer list and are especially hungry according to our source. Eggelston is also actively involved with ‘recruitment,’ if you could call it that.
Oh, and Futuro Infantil Hispano continues to pay their top two executives Oma Velasquez-Rodriguez and Oliver Castelleno more than a half million dollars a year in salary and benefits. https://joshuaallenonline.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/corruption-at-its-finest2.png And we continue to have serious questions about how many hours per week Castelleno worked since many employees seemed to think he was mostly retired.
This “poaching,” of foster families by agencies is about one thing only. Money. And while this is not a particularly astute observation, it is a pathetic one when considering this is all about the treatment and care of Abused and Neglected children.
We believe the only enticement a Foster Care Agency should be allowed when it comes to recruiting/stealing foster families from other agencies is a informational pitch or presentation to the foster parents showing them what a good job the new perspective agency does in helping Abused and Neglected children and the type of caring and diligent support they can offer the foster parents in helping the children.
You’ll excuse me if I leave to wash my hands.
* * *
We’ll keep trying to nail this down. And thanks to all for your support. We are deeply grateful.
Joshuaallenonline.com
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
We Now Know the Value of an Abused Child; $1000 dollars: Homes of Hope and America Care Foster Agency
We Now Know the Value of an Abused Child: $1000 dollars: Homes of Hope and America Care
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
Some America Care foster parents have received an interesting call from a social worker looking to leave and who hopes to bring the foster family over to Homes of Hope/West Covina Foster family agencies.
Homes of Hope/West Covina Foster agencies are essentially the same, featuring the same 6 figure salaried double dipping CEO Sukhwinder Singh. We will have more to say about Homes of Hope and Ms. Singh soon, as well as their financials.
But back to the interesting calls:
Briefly, America Care foster family agency is losing their contract by the end of October, and the mostly absent and highly paid executives are doing everything they can to salvage their jobs and a large portion of their salaries by joining or merging with another agency rumored to be a place called Child Net foster agency.
One can only wonder what deals our mostly absent executives are trying to negotiate which would entice Child Net to maintain the nefarious trio in the lifestyle ‘to which they have become accustomed.’
Any agency will have to balance the dynamic trio soiled reputations, and decide if the embarrassing odor is worth the positive balance sheet, since as we know, embarrassing odor attracts flies, or in this case, county auditors. (Are you listening Child Net)?
Uh…But back to the interesting calls.
What the America Care foster parent has told us is that Homes of Hope/West Covina Foster Agency has offered social workers $1000 dollars if they could get the foster families (including the abused children) to come to the new agency, and this particular foster care social worker has offered to split this money with the foster parent who contacted us.
$500 dollars each!
Not a bad deal. Heck, what’s one agency over another? Suki (Homes of Hope) must really be feeling the satisfaction since others report that America Care and Homes of Hope originally had some type of family blood connection until the Caine and Able split.
So we ask as before, where is the county in this unseemly trash heap? Because when it comes to the care of abused and neglected children, the free market has only one role period.
And that is to help repair the lives of the abused children; to repair their damaged world; to somehow make it more livable. And this is clearly not the case.
But it’s all good, and it’s not about money of course. Homes of Hope is said to be offering financial incentives to social workers, to bring foster parents to them, because of their abundance of love and assistance they can offer the children.
You see it’s all about the children.
* * * *
Authors Note:
We are still trying to find out exactly what precipitated the Counties decision to pull the contract from America Care. What we cannot understand or abide is that this appears to be a secret.
It is our money, and as near as we can tell there are no applicable rules of confidentiality that must protect children.
We suspect it may have something to do with the Ghost employee. We really must wonder if we were too quick to dismiss the link with Homeland Security as dumbstruck as this seems.
Bankruptcy, loans and promissory notes, the invisible man – is any of this stuff real?
The County clearly is afraid they will be sued so we are left to our own devices, which, for want of a better word – stinks. And this is the one constant. They don’t want a misstep. They don’t want to be sued.
Maybe it’s the simplest thing, simple cruddy malfeasance. If that is the case, tell us … Just tell us.
We remind the County, this is a public contract, using public monies, it’s our money.
And neither the County nor America Care are exempt from public transparency and audit. And we want to know, we demand quite frankly, how come this agency is being forced to close? And who is hiding what?
And why?
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America Care Closing (MORE)
This was published a bit over a year ago and we probably should have included it with the previous post. The link and brief commentary below refers to the 2009 County Audit of America Care and as always we will try to find out more information and keep you informed. You can find the complete audit at the link.
The case of America Care:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b6c6vF_mLLGUjfE2UAOvo1tXKOT4YKZ8H2NoMwvdF8w/edit?hl=en_US
“A 2009 fiscal review found over $234,000 in unsupported or inadequately supported expenditures and over $86,000 in excessive salary payments to 3 individuals. Now admittedly the former has a lot to do with lousy paperwork (but not all by any means), and the latter…well, let’s see, over 86 grand in excessive salary to 3 people for one year for this single agency. Extrapolate this by 5 years again and you have close to a half a million dollars! Money meant for abused children. And from a single agency for 3 well-connected individuals. Sadly, whatever excessive salary the county can coerce them to return is apparently for that single year. Now don’t forget, These people couldn’t even document their gas receipts! (But thank heavens they were responsible for children who were victims of crime, sexual abuse and parental neglect). America Cares a bit too much if you ask me, but for what?…”
Oh, and we are still trying to find out more on the Invisible Man…
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Joshua Allen Online 
