Legislators Want Answers To Ongoing Failures At DHS:

“Oklahoma’s Children Deserve Immediate And Absolute Protection…They Deserve Better

(Oklahoma City, OK ) With headlines and statistics telling the tale of failures to provide adequate protection for those children placed in their care and custody, state Rep. Mike Sanders, District 59 (R-Kingfisher) and Rep.Richard Morrissette, District 92 (D-OKC) are demanding an immediate halt to business as usual by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

“This morning we awoke to yet another headline in the Oklahoman that tells of ongoing failures at the department resulting in the death of yet another Oklahoma child.” stated Sanders and Morrissette.

Fifty children - on average - continue to die annually under the care of the Department of Human Services. Oklahoma is one of four states that have had an increase in child deaths.




Rep. Mike Sanders

 “How long do they, the Commission, and Director Hendricks, expect us to abide this issue which is now clearly systemic within the department to the extent that we can predict with certainty a future tragedy?” asked  Rep. Sanders.

Rep. Mike Sanders serves as Vice Chairman of the House Human Services Committee which oversees the formation of policy and necessary statutory changes required to provide direction for the Department of Human Services.

“In 2008, I brought HB2596 with the intention of reducing the burden upon child welfare case workers and those who administer these cases on behalf of Oklahoma children taken into custody by the department because of abuse and neglect within the home. That legislation involved breaking the department into the three manageable divisions. The bill was not allowed to be heard in committee and children keep dyeing.” stated Rep. Morrissette in frustration.

The House of Representatives under Speaker Chris Benge did allow for a performance audit of the agency, which came with a price tag of more than $430,000. The audit report made suggestions for significant policy changes, but, to date, only a handful of those have been implemented and many others in only partial compliance.




Chris Benge


The Department of Human Services Commission, whose task is to oversee the workings at the agency, have openly admitted to not even having read the report.

“We now demand that these commissioners come before the legislature to answer directly as to why they continue to neglect their responsibilities and to ignore the needs of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable resulting in the deaths of so many innocent children.” stated Sanders.

DHS Commissioners admit openly to failing to read the in-depth performance audit prepared by Hornby Zeller Associates.

“This is an opportunity for the Commission to address the need for a complete overhaul of their mission statement, practices and procedures and to adopt the remainder of the audit recommendations: NO MORE PASSING THE BUCK! CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER…THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA DESERVE BETTER!”

Rep. Morrissette has worked on this idea of requiring answers from DHS since 2008. Rep. Sanders has been very vocal during this past session regarding particular cases within his House district dealing with DHS incompetence.

The plan Rep. Morrissette and Rep. Sanders will outline at a press conference to be held Monday, October 17, 2011 at 2 PM will involve requiring DHS Commissioners, individually, to come before the legislature to answer direct questions regarding DHS policies and practices.

http://bixbybulletin.com/news/legislators-want-answers-to-ongoing-failures-at-dhs-oklahoma-s/article_e4b062f0-f5d0-11e0-920f-001cc4c002e0.html?fb_ref=story-bottom&fb_source=profile_oneline

Legislators Want Answers To Ongoing Failures At DHS: “Oklahoma’s Children Deserve Immediate And Absolute Protection…They Deserve Better

DHS Commission Could Use More Members Like Steven Dow

The Oklahoman Editorial   

Published: September 18, 2011

STEVEN Dow's deposition in a class-action lawsuit over Oklahoma's foster care system is an indictment of the state Human Services Commission. That and Dow's willingness to criticize the panel publicly have made him some enemies, no doubt, but also may affect real, overdue changes. We certainly hope so.

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Dow was named to the commission in early 2010. He soon became frustrated by what he saw as a lack of commission oversight of the Department of Human Services and, in the face of news stories about children dying while in the DHS system, what he saw as an unwillingness by board members to do little more than attend their monthly meetings.
Dow told attorneys for the nonprofit Children's Rights Inc. that he felt information provided to commissioners about DHS operations was “absolutely insufficient.” What objective measures are commissioners given to help them gauge DHS's child welfare performance? “None.”
Has anyone on the board expressed an interest in such objective performance measures? “Not to my knowledge.”



Chairman Richard DeVaughn



Read more: http://newsok.com/dhs-commission-could-use-more-members-like-steven-dow/article/3604720#ixzz1ZeKb1uuQ

http://newsok.com/article/3604720



Aja Johnson



Baby illegally Detained By DCFS - California

Baby Illegally detained by DCFS, placing infant at emotional risk

DCFS Give Us Back Our Children, mothers, grandmothers, family supporters and community members are holding a press conference to demand that the Department of Children and Family Services return Cashmere Alexander, a 14-month-old baby, to her maternal grandmother, Deborah Farris. Cashmere has been under Ms. Farris care since her birth. Ms. Farris has done an exemplary job of providing food, shelter, clothing, and other care for the baby while receiving no material support from DCFS.

The actions of DCFS in removing Cashmere from her family - a family ready, willing and able to care for her - removing her from everyone she has known and is attached to, exposed a happy and well adjusted child to feelings of abandonment and future problems of attachment. This is abusive first of all to Cashmere, but also to her primary caregiver Ms. Farris and other family members who are bearing the emotional trauma of this precious infant being snatched from them. No one at DCFS was able to tell the family over the weekend where Cashmere was or who was caring for her, and no one had inquired about allergies or other health issues Cashmere might have.

California law that stipulates every effort must be made to place children with family members before detaining them was broken when Cashmere Alexander was detained by DCFS on Friday, July 23, 2010. Additionally, Federal law under the American Disabilities Act was also broken, since Cashmere was detained after her primary caregiver, her maternal grandmother had a seizure brought on by continuous harassing by the social worker.

The mothers and grandmothers in the group say that their relationship with their children is not seen as important and valued, making it too easy for their children to be taken and placed needlessly in foster care with strangers or put up for fast track adoption.

They also say that all too often families are penalized for simply being poor and that rather than making resources available to help mothers or grandmothers care for children, families are torn apart. The resources that could help these families instead are diverted to foster care with strangers. Also past records of contact with the criminal justice system and/or DCFS are used to block family members who now have clean records, and whose contact with criminal justice were for minor offenses to begin with. This has a disproportionate impact on communities of color which, due to poverty, institutional racism and more, are more likely to have been under the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system. Black children are detained at a disproportionate rate: Black children are 8% of the total LA County child population but are 34% of the foster children. LA County takes away children at a higher rate than most major metropolitan areas – and the number of families torn apart has increased most years since 2004.

Those victimized most are the children – taken needlessly from mothers and grandmothers whose only crime may be poverty, and then consigned to the chaos of foster care. Study after study has found that in typical cases children left in their own homes do better in later life. According to the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (nccpr.org), foster care “alumni” found they had twice the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder of Gulf War veterans and only 20% could be said to be “doing well”.

We demand the immediate return of Baby Cashmere to her grandmother.

“DCFS Give Us Back Our Children!” is a self-help, multi-racial support and action group of mothers, other family members and supporters working together to end the unjust removal of children from their families by the Department of Children and Family Services. They are coordinated by Every Mother is a Working Mother Network, have a sister group the Philadelphia-based DHS-Give Us Back Our Children, and are part of a growing national movement.
Their DEMANDS are:

DHS/DCFS to prioritize –in practice – the protection, reunification and maintenance of families, recognizing that most children are safer and better off in their own home.

Prioritize placing children with family members if they truly can’t remain with their own parents (according to state law), not fostering them out to strangers. Children are almost always safer with family than with strangers.

2/3 of those who were in foster care report sexual abuse by an adult in a foster care facility (Casey Family Programs)

Stop removing children from a mother because she is suffering domestic violence. Families need protection from violence, not the further violence of separation.
The Federal Government, the State and County must provide adequate resources for mothers to keep families together, including financial support, housing, childcare day or night, family-centered drug treatment, support for people with mental and physical disabilities, legal and other help. A financial crisis is no excuse for inaction since this kind of assistance costs less than warehousing children in foster or group homes and destroying their futures.

One third of children would be home tomorrow if their parents just had decent housing! Richard Wexler, Natl Coalition for Child Protection Reform

End financial incentives for DHS/DCFS and provider agencies to keep children in foster care.
Families need access to free, respectful and accountable legal representation. Professionals must explain clearly what is happening in each case
DHS/DCFS and related agencies must stop hiding behind confidentiality to keep information from the public; allow families to decide if they want their case heard in courts open to the public.
End discrimination on the basis of race, gender, poverty, age, disability, immigration status, cultural differences, sexual preference, being a victim of domestic violence or any other.
End the run-around, delaying of cases and abuse of power by workers, lawyers, so-called “child advocates” and others, and give mothers the time they need to meet DHS/DCFS goals. Children need their mothers and/or other family members who love them, not be detained and then given a teddy bear.
Mothers and families must be treated with respect, not threats, harassment and arrogance. They have the right to the support and accompaniment of family and community members in all dealings with DHS/DCFS and Family Court.

Black children are more likely to be taken from their homes, to stay in protective custody longer and never to return to their parents. (Cincinnati Post)

Mothers must not be forced to choose between homelessness and staying with an abusive partner who may be her only source of financial support – either way the child is hurt and they risk losing custody. Welfare must be available.

When childcare arrangements fall through or when children are sick, mothers must not have to choose between staying with their children and getting fired, or leaving children alone or with inadequate care. Welfare must be available.
Independent public scrutiny of how cases are handled.
Accountability by case workers, supervisors & administrators for the welfare of children.
Accountability on how DHS/DCFS and related agencies are allocating their funding, ie how much goes into foster care and adoption and how much to services families need to stay together.

http://www.globalwomenstrike.net/content/baby-illegally-detained-dcfs-press-conference

Citizens Denied Access to CSB Meeting

Trumbull County Commissioners said they will be looking into allegations that citizens were denied access to a Children Services Board meeting on Tuesday because they refused to sign in.

Several citizens attended Wednesday's commissioners meeting to complain that the Children Services Board would not let them into Tuesday's meeting because they did not want to sign in. Children Services officials said people are always required to sign in when they attend the meetings because they are held at a facility that also also houses children and they want to know who is in the building.

Officials said signing in has been a policy at the agency for years.

"I don't know all the particulars but as an agency in this county, if they are having a public meeting then they should not deny anyone to participate and listen in the meeting," said Trumbull County Commissoner Dan Polivka.

Some of the citizens that were denied access said they have contacted an attorney and are considering filing a lawsuit.

"We asked for a copy of their policy, and they said it is not available. The police that came to the meeting said you are seeing a copy of the policy, it's not a requirment, you do as you are told," said Harold Smith.

 

http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/Citizens-Denied-Access-to-CSB-Meeting/-gEPCXsmBkS-nfUOsbO9Sw.cspx#.Tp9xyE7S0Mo.facebook

Trumbull County OH Commissioners Confronted About Children Services

A handful of people unhappy with Trumbull County Children Services showed up at the commissioners regular meeting on Thursday to voice their concerns.

Those in attendance voiced concerns over a recent allegation that an infant was raped during what was supposed to be a supervised visitation. The biological parents have been indicted in that case.

Commissioners said they understand the group's concerns and are pleased the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will conduct an independent review of the department's policies and procedures.

"We want total transparency and support and independent investigation. We support the prosecutor and the state is doing an investigation. Iit's a tragedy, that this deranged couple could do this to their own kid, but we obviously want to make sure something like this doesn't happen in the future," said Commissioner Dan Polivka.

Those upset with Children Services said they also are planning to voice their concerns at CSB's regular meeting next week.

http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/Commissioners-Confronted-About-Children-Services/sySj3JQlhkaEKvgQBIE8fA.cspx#.Tpd99vCIYwk.facebook

Alberta judge allows ID of baby who died in care

An Alberta Court of Queen's Bench judge has lifted a publication ban on the identity of a four-month-old baby girl who died in government care six days after she was seized from her mother.
"The publication of Delonna Sullivan's name Pursuant to Section 126.2(2)(ii) of the Child Youth & Family Enhancement Act, is hereby granted," Justice M.D. Gates states in an order granted Thursday in Edmonton.
In his ruling, the judge said naming the little girl is "a matter of public interest."

"The community and citizens of Edmonton and Alberta have substantial interest in the welfare of all children in this province," he said.
The order was sought by Delonna's mother, Jamie Sullivan. Sullivan first went public with the story of her daughter's death in June, but Alberta's notoriously restrictive Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act prohibited the media from identifying her or her daughter.

Government of Alberta lawyer Kate Bridget told the judge that the government "neither consents nor objects to the application."
Sullivan welcomed the opportunity to finally show the public her daughter's picture.
"She's my little angel. I mean I should be able to say her name and show her picture to anybody and to have somebody tell me that I can't, really made me angry," she said outside the courthouse.
"How can you tell me that I can't show her picture to people. People can't see that — how healthy she was, how happy she was. Why does that have to be hidden?"
Sullivan's baby was taken away on April 5, 2011, after two social workers and an RCMP officer went to her home in central Alberta. They had an order to apprehend the children of an unrelated person who lived in the home.
They ended up seizing Sullivan's baby and placing her in foster care, believing there was "disharmony in the home."
According to documents obtained by CBC News, social workers also believed Sullivan had an alcohol problem — an allegation she denies.
Delonna died on April 11, six days after being placed in foster care.
Sullivan is still seeking answers about what happened. The provincial government says Delonna's death is under investigation. Autopsy results are expected by the end of the month.
Sullivan's lawyer, Larry McConnell, called the ruling a landmark decision that can be used by mothers in similar circumstances.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/10/13/edmonton-baby-name-publication-ban-lifted.html?mid=501

Family Case Worker Charged With Drunk Driving

 By Meghan Hurley, The Ottawa Citizen July 18, 2011

Woman allegedly travelling with two children in car

OTTAWA — A case worker with Family and Children Services of Renfrew County was allegedly travelling with two children in her car when she was arrested for drunk driving.
Renfrew County OPP received a traffic complaint last Friday around 4 p.m. about a driver on Elgin Street in Arnprior.
The driver of the car was arrested after she was given a breathalyzer test.
Cynthia Racine, 32, was charged with driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit.
Reached at home, Racine refused to comment.
Arijana Tomicic, Family and Children Services of Renfrew County executive director, said she can’t speak specifically about the case, citing privacy concerns.
Tomicic wouldn’t say if Racine has been suspended from her job.
In most cases, an employee facing criminal charges would be suspended with pay until court proceedings are complete, Tomicic said.
“This is not taken lightly and this situation is not a usual situation that we have to deal with,” Tomicic said. “My responsibility and the responsibility of the agency is towards the children and the number one priority is to ensure their safety.”
Tomicic would not confirm if the two children in the car were Crown wards.
mhurley@ottawacitizen.com

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Family+case+worker+charged+with+drunk+driving/5114344/story.html#ixzz1aQR8Aoi8