Archive for the ‘foster care’ Category
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.
Emancipated Teens – a Profitable Business when you Get the Contract. The Politics of Child Abuse
The Politics of Child Abuse: Emancipated Teens – a Profitable Business when you Get the Contract.
By Joshua Allen
Apparently the county has a difficult time monitoring the 12 contractors who administer the Transitional Housing Program for foster teens that remain in the system, and are emancipated after graduating high school. You can read the Daily News article (including the list of contractors) here: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_20249268/help-ex-foster-children-often-fails but the gist is this.
Auditor Controller Wendy Watanabe reported that half of the contractors, who were paid almost 25 grand a year per young adult, didn’t even bother to make the necessary reports to the county, let alone meet the educational and or vocational target goals for each individual.
Goals are a county obsession of late. DCFS has an entire department called Quality Control that monitors reports to ensure they are written with requisite goals and include documented steps towards these goals attainment.
The formats on paper are very important. Agencies will agonize before any county or state audit to ensure that the correct sentences are written, in the correct way, and that the reports (on paper) meet compliance issues. The reports are scrutinized closely by auditors and written goals monitored step by step, just like an algebraic proof.
And occasionally the foster children and teens are even interviewed by the county or state auditor.
But back to the first paragraph. Half of these guys didn’t even turn in the paperwork! Something such places are usually very adept at. Paperwork for some social workers is what they do best.
Transitional Housing is actually a pretty sweet deal. You buy an apartment building, have an employee kind of, sort of, monitor the young adults – maybe find them a shrink or something if they ask…What the heck, they all have MediCal right? Then you get something like a hundred grand or so for four people per year.
It’s really hard to get the foster youth into the program too, since there are so few spots (about 80 or so). The foster teens must be in good standing, on the way towards a job or enrolled in college of some type. But after that it’s up to them, the adult-youths-still-in-the-system really need to make a go of it, no problems with the law, continued employment or school enrollment…it’s a good deal and can last a couple years or a bit more while they land on their feet.
As stated, it’s a good program, and issue is not taken with the failure to meet unrealistic performance goals. Social workers learn the hard way that it is not to their advantage to write about unmet goals in their reports since the aftermath entails a whole passel full of unanswerable questions. G-d forbid! And this unrealistic goal requirement is alluded to in the article.
12 contractors and half of them didn’t turn in reports. Hmmm…Our County Supervisors and semi annual DCFS head don’t like this at all.
So the issue as I see it is this. (Excuse the run on sentence but it works for me). Where are all these non-reports for half of these kids, and how long has this non-reporting been going on, and why has this non-reporting been allowed to go on for so long, and who actually dropped the ball?
And if the County couldn’t monitor 80 or so people, what else in foster care don’t they monitor?
Joshua Allen
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?
Joshuaallenonline.com
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
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…
Joshuaallenonline.com
As They Say; You Can’t Always Describe What is Obscene, but You Know it When You See It.
The Business of Child Abuse Can Pay Very Well
Take a look at this image. It is page 7 from the 2009 tax returns from a modest sized foster agency called Futuro Infantil Hispano located in West Covina California. You will notice the salary of one person earning as much or more than the head of the entire Child Protective System. The salary of another, apparently goes to a man who is mostly retired but still earns close to $200,000 per year. Monies meant for the care of abused and neglected children. It is wrong, it is unethical, and it continues. What else will we allow if we let this continue year after year?
The entire 2009 tax return can be seen here: We will post some of the more egregious examples from various agencies in the coming days.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15PD_1yCJVIvcsxOLKB-w3-Jznlv1RSc7yxEJHlE0PSo/edit?hl=en_US
There are several things terribly wrong here:
1. The first is that we cannot find a single person (and believe me we asked) who can say that they saw Oliver Castellanos in either of the two Futuro Infantil Offices for more than a few hours per week during the time outlined by this tax return. Indeed, the employee consensus seems to be that he has been semi-retired for the past several years. I guess Mr. Castellanos works a lot from home to earn close to 2 hundred grand when everything is added up. ($200,000)
2. Total salaries based on revenue for a non-profit should not be more than about 1. 5%. However, this is close to what Oma Velasco-Rodriguez earns individually, or something close to a quarter million dollars (plus considerable benefits) is almost 5%! Are we missing something here? Remember this is all about the care and treatment of abused and neglected children. At this agency, we have well over a half million dollars per year for just 3 individuals. And other years are pretty much the same thing which add up fast.
3. An agency the size of Futuro Infantil should have about $20,000 to $30,000 of mileage expenses based on average travel of Foster Care Social Workers to and from foster homes. Therefore I am very curious what the estimated $109,000 for travel expenses is all about. A good agency will further have one or at most 2 company cars (usually vans) to assist with various transportation needs. However, this is a one time expense and still raises troubling questions since travel expenses year to year seem fairly consistent and frankly, out of whack.
4. Here is a link for an agency called Serenity, which we believe is being administered properly and takes to heart the best interests of the children. It is an interesting study in contrast with tax return of Futuro Infantil Hispano, and although Serenity represents revenues of only about a third of Futuro, they boast a salary structure for top administrators, as well as for overall expenses, which is appropriately well in line with non-profit norms and best practices. And it is important to note that just because Serenity has about one-third the revenue of Futuro Infantil, that doesn’t mean that salaries at Futuro should be triple those you see here. And basically, they are.
This is the link: Oh, and should you be inclined, which agency would you donate too?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1auwmrcsW6Qy4gkwkFOWQbqqoPj7eTgQeCvhNFLMenqY/edit?hl=en_U
5: Salaries at Foster Family Agencies are determined by board members. At least two of the above individuals at Futuro Infantil Hispano sit on the very board which determines their annual pay. Cronies and Employees together, as members of the Board setting salaries, setting policy, getting wealthy.
All at the expense of Abused and Neglected Children. Does anybody really care?
Joshuaallenonline.com
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
On Child Abuse, Therapy and “Blood to a Vampire.”
On Child Abuse, Therapy, and “Blood to a Vampire.”
The Business of Child Abuse
By Joshua Allen
To misquote WC Fields; “Therapy to a Social Worker is like Blood to a Vampire.”
Therapy is the number one tool that Social Workers use to assist Abused and Neglected children through the continuing crisis of past and future thoughts, behaviors and feelings that make up the lousy world of a foster child.
It is not always the birth parents that can cause emotional trauma. Even the best intentions of all involved workers and foster parents can and do lead to further anguish as the stricken child is led through the maze of Social Workers, Therapists, Lawyers, Judges, Foster Parents, Birth Parents, Medi-Cal restrictions, indifferent public school teachers and assorted fools and well-meaning dunces to whom they come into contact.
It is the very desperation to help these children that lead to the referral of therapists as one of the first things a Social Worker will do when a new child is put on his or her caseload.
Often, one of the first difficulties to arise concerns the scarcity of Bilingual therapists who can speak the language of the foster child and for that matter the foster parent. The majority of foster children in Los Angeles are of Hispanic parents.
Therapists are frequently interns (Post educational counselors working on their hours to satisfy licensing requirements). These “interns,” are supervised by licensed therapists who hopefully ensure time is well spent while the intern learns their new trade treating foster children.
The quality of these interns varies, and it is in the clinics or individual therapists’ economic interest to keep these children in therapy as long as possible. That does not mean therapists are acting unethically, it only means there is a financial incentive involved, and there are times Medi-Cal is billed for unneeded therapy. A foster child will need to have a minimal diagnosis (such as oppositional defiant disorder) before the government may be billed and such treatment is justified. Some therapists become quite expert in doing just that.
However (and the author can only speak anecdotally), few interns or for that matter therapists have had any significant amount of therapy themselves, and so they are minimally aware of what it is like to sit on the other side of the couch, beyond some of their graduating requirements.
Many would claim that this is not a limitation on the intern’s ability to do good work. Therapy after all is time consuming and expensive and significant results (without the use of psychotropic medications) can take a great deal of time.
The efficacy of therapy for foster children then is something not often discussed, since there are few if any real alternatives or substitutes that can partially make up for why a child is placed in foster care in the first place.
Some children go through so many therapists over the years that they seem to be immune to any of the tools a therapist brings to the table. Abused and Neglected Children may continue with failing grades, dangerous sex, drug use and petty crime until they emancipate or return home to their birth family where things are worse.
This game of “musical therapists,” is something seen with foster children who are in the system for a few years often being placed into half dozen or more homes during that time.
Psychotropic medication often works to help a child but is controversial and many therapists and social workers don’t like them as they believe:
1. The use of psychotropic medications only masks symptoms and fails to deal with the underlying problem; or is too toxic for young livers.
2. Psychotropic medications are used too much as a sort of economical behavior modifying agent.
3. Social workers and therapists may have a societal or cultural influenced prejudice against the use medications in general whenever a child is involved.
Tricky indeed.
Ignorance in this area is not unprecedented within the community of therapists, case workers, politicians and media organizations. The half hour, impossible to get, infrequent appointments with a government psychiatrist doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
The charge of “Over Medicating,” is so over used and self-satisfying that it often precludes any real discussion regarding pros and cons and becomes a lazy rejoinder to such a complex issue.
Of course, a foster child will always do better in a foster home that is loving, kind, and nurturing.
And that’s not complex at all.
Joshuaallenonline.com
Return to Business as Normal
The Business of Child Abuse
We have been away for a while taking care of some business overseas. We are back now. And despite threats of violence (which is very annoying), we plan on continuing the good fight. The Business of Child Abuse working hand in hand with corruption continues unabated and apparently without significant investigation by those we entrust to do just that. We have several finished articles that will be published in various places including here.
The publishers of this blog want to thank everyone for their support and well wishes. We could not have done this the past year without you. Articles written and viewed here have been republished elsewhere and read many thousands of times all over the world. We can hope and pray that somewhere those in power hear the voices of these children we try with humility to speak for.
I received this letter awhile back and have permission to reprint. The author wishes to remain anonymous. I have removed references to the authors identity and made a few cosmetic changes to clarify things a bit. The writer points are cogent and certainly true. The author references something called Wraparound Services which is another service by the county made in the spirit of good intentions. Like Family Preservation it leaves much to be desired but does do some good.
Again, we want to thank everyone for their support and good will. And just a short message to those who make threats and oppose for obvious reasons our continuing to write the truth. We’re baaack…
Joshua Allen
Joshuaallenonline@gmail.com
“Dear Joshua,
“…I worked for Refugio Para Ninos and United Care as a FCSW, (Foster Care Social Worker) and believe me, you are 100% right. Some FFA (Foster Family Agencies) directors know each other very well because they worked together as FCSW’s, and eventually got their own FFA’s. They know how to run their business, and advise each other. They also know Senior DCFS supervisors for years, and can get away with inappropriate placements. The FCSW is just another piece on the chess board which they move at their convenience, and when the FCSW is not willing to go along with their game, well, they just fire them. Several times I had to take children away from abusive foster homes, but (The Director) could do nothing about it because he knew that I would move heaven and earth to make sure these kids were safe, so he just let me do the move.
I am no longer in foster care, but I worked for a while in Wraparound, and believe me, this is another gold mine for “non-profit” organizations. The philosophy is to do anything it takes to maintain the family intact, but the name of the game is to bill as many contact hours with the family as possible to get the money. A part of the program funds is supposedly for the family, but agencies make it (extremely difficult) for the family to get the money, so most of it goes to workers’ salaries, and who know where else?
This agency I was working for advised the workers to speak as little as possible during county, DMH, (Department of Mental Health) and parole meetings about the work they were doing with the families, and to never volunteer information for fear that these agencies (DMH, county, and parole) find out the poor job they were doing with these families.
Frustrated by the pressure to bill hours, I once told my supervisor that I had gone to school to serve families, not to accumulate billing hours. The following week I was called into the office, and was fired due to “not working within expected standards”. The saddest thing of all is that these people are making a huge business with our children and families.
Thank you for telling it like it is.”
DCFS FAIL: You Can’t Handle the Truth
DCFS FAIL: You Can’t Handle the Truth
The Business of Child Abuse:
By Joshua Allen
Can’t we all just tell the Truth?
DCFS is now investigating who is leaking information to the LA Times regarding fatalities of children who had contact with the department during the past year. The department lays out their circled wagons, and obviously the Times feel a bit differently. You can read about it here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-child-services-20100816,0,869235.story
So where to begin?
Leaks!??? What are we talking about here? National Security? Industrial Espionage? Medical records? What exactly was leaked? As far as I can tell, no names of offending Social Workers or administrators were released. The names of children in foster care remain private, and once a child is killed or murdered his name becomes public record.
No; What DCFS is concerned about is the how, why and what, with regard to these fatalities. Not the “who.” Six figure DCFS deputies must be quaking in their boots.
It seems to me that they don’t want us to know what happened.
They don’t want us to know about the screw ups. They don’t want us to know how they could have prevented the deaths. They don’t want us to know anything that could shed a negative light on the department. Basically, what other conclusion is there? That is of course, the conclusion beyond the party line.
And DCFS does this by hiding behind laws designed to protect the privacy of children, abusive parents and the identities and locations of foster parents?
Don’t get me wrong, this is a Good law. It protects children. But you see, the children whom the Times are trying to find out about are DEAD!
We don’t want to know the names of children in foster care. We don’t want to know the names of their parents. We don’t want to know the names of Social Workers and Administrators who may have screwed up.
We want to know what happened.
Why did the children die? What were the results of the internal self-serving investigation? You know, the stuff they are hiding from us the public, the people who pay them.
Are they so afraid of lawyers and getting sued? …. Oops, uhh I guess that was a stupid question. Are they so afraid of an outside investigation they cannot control? Are they so afraid of public outrage? Another stupid question – I’m on a roll.
We have the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors who shriek “What about the Children?” whenever it suits their political needs.
It is not black and white of course. Deep inside Supervisors must really want to help abused children. Just like they wanted the patients in MLK Hospital to get better for 2 decades as it became a political football to all and any who needed a brief rise in poll numbers or an easy demonstration of faux outrage.
Jorge Tarin hangs himself http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_15613328 immediately after speaking to several teachers, mental health workers and county social workers. He is living improperly in proximity to a felon and treated like a second class Cinderella in his own home, begging anyone who would listen about his troubles at home and bullies at school.
He is dead and what is the response? Investigate the leaks?
Technology which may have saved his life lay rotting in storage. Investigate the leaks?
Viola Vanclief is a victim of homicide while living in a home with a convicted felon and a substantiated child abuser, both associated with an agency known for its greed, and incompetent administrator who told their own worker to visit the child at the office so she wouldn’t have cause to complain about the unsafe living conditions.
And what is the response?
Disgraced CEO Craig Woods is free to change the name of his organization and continue to profit in one way or another in the business of child abuse. Oh and don’t forget the little matter of the two hundred grand that United Care still needs to return.
And what is the response?…
Double and triple dipping agency CEO’s are paid to work full time in separate counties, consulting psychiatrists are paid $300,000 for 20 hours of weekly work, serial sexual harassers continue to be associated with a foster agency, and what is their response?
There is no response.
Believe me I’ve asked. Maybe someone else should contact Gloria Molina-Aviles the Supervisors person on point, or Ridley Thomas. Or perhaps Nishith Bhat who is the department spokesperson.
Around 2 dozen children who had contact one way or another with DCFS die each year and the department hides and attempts to obfuscate the truth and their own possible culpability after promising a new era of openness and clarity. Where have I heard this before?
Our police force under federal mandate, receives a top to bottom overview and reorganization not once but several times during the past decade, and yet DCFS, perhaps 2 thirds the size must be satisfied with locally and incompetently done audits by politicians, Unions and Apparatchiks with a personal and political agenda in keeping things the same.
DCFS is a department of over 6,500 people with a budget of billions of dollars. Yet, unlike our police force, there is no consent decree, no Christopher Commission, no real outside watch beyond a couple of excellent investigative reporters who write about them.
DCFS runs a program “Family Preservation,” that doesn’t really preserve much but continues to be a means of lucrative income to anyone smart enough to obtain a contract with the proper community imprimatur. The program continues year after year with little audit (as to its effectiveness) to its stated purpose beyond good intentions.
Where are the statistics that prove this wrong? That show that after a decade the billions spent have worked? That there is something, anything beyond the inertia of the program itself that demonstrates it should continue beyond the cause of making work for moonlighting “Para- professionals.”
But I digress.
Stop making work for the lawyers and tell us about the fatalities. We’ll understand that you’re human, that screw ups happen despite the sincere intentions of most who simply want to rescue children. Because in the end, we know that is what the good and decent people from DCFS are mostly about. This is a noble profession they have chosen.
Leaks?
What’s next, an Enemies List?
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