Unbiased Reporting

What I post on this Blog does not mean I agree with the articles or disagree. I call it Unbiased Reporting!

Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly

Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly
In Memory of my Loving Husband, William F. Knightly Jr. Murdered by ILLEGAL Palliative Care at a Nashua, NH Hospital

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Grudge Calls to CPS (Child Protective Services)

You're Mad, but Who Are You Really Going to Hurt?
There are many people, and I use that word, 'many', loosely, as I don't know, nor does anyone else, really, what number it would be, who think it's a good tactic to call CPS on someone who has really ticked them off. It does hurt them, as they are investigated by the government, people
who find out ostracize them, they can lose their daycare license or teacher's certificate, if they have one, problems can start in their marriage, and so on. But if the caseworker who visits is having a bad day, or is new and doesn't know as much as another, more experienced caseworker might know about how child protection works, the children get taken away, and put in foster care. Those same people who wouldn't think twice about calling in to make a false allegation think, 'so what?' and make the call.

The problem is that there might not be anything going on that is abusive or neglectful in that family. Then let's say that the kids do get taken away. The parents, yes, they are stunned, hurt, ashamed, and so forth. Their children are gone. But how do the children feel? They have lost everything they hold dear to them, their parents, their toys, their clothes, the little hiding spot in the front room that was all their own, their pets, their friends, and the list goes on and on. The parents get left behind, with all the reminders of their children, the scribble on the wall, the messy bed, the toys in the bedroom, the backyard, the front porch, the shampoo visor in the bathroom, and the school pictures coming in the mail. They hurt, yes, but not as much as their children do. They are adults, and they understand more than what the children will. To be honest, they, most likely, can have more children. Their children cannot get new parents, unless they are adopted. They cannot have a new, clean-slate childhood.
Another part of this equation that rarely enters in to the thoughts of those who make grudge calls to CPS is the children who need that caseworker's time to ensure they are not further abused or neglected. There are bad parents out there who don't care about their children, or downright
resent them and make it well-known to the children in their care. These are the children that need their caseworker to be able to focus on them and their needs, not sidetracked by some disgruntled neighbor who has decided to use the government, especially CPS, as their own personal equalizer. It's impossible for anyone, government worker or not, to be in two places at the same time. If someone calls a CPS caseworker out to investigate something that doesn't exist, that person who called CPS maliciously might as well side with parents who truly are abusive and willfully neglectful.

I'm sure this article will make some people angry, but I hope it will open some people's eyes. There are only so many resources to go around, and it is impossible for a person to be in two places at the same time. Since this is true, it's hard to argue that people who can make that grudge call can say that they honestly care about children who really are abused or neglected. My goal here is to reduce the chances that someone will make a grudge call just because they are mad at the parents. There are other places and other things that a person can do.

Other things that someone who is mad at someone else can do would be to talk about it, if possible, go through mediation, get a protective order, avoid the person you're angry with (and this includes talking about them to other people), and even moving to another area. And if you must call and report them, much like a child tattling on another child, call the IRS for tax evasion (at least you keep any children out of it), call the board of health on them for mice on their property or farm animals they are keeping (and so on - get creative), call city code for housing violations, and so forth. But keep the children out of adult arguments. There's no reason for a child to be hurt because their parent is unable to get along with his or her neighbors. And remember, it is illegal to make a grudge call to CPS, and those who do and are caught doing so can actually end up facing jail time, plus monetary damages, depending on their location.

Written by LorriAnne http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/434234/grudge_calls_to_cps_child_protective.html?cat=38

Money, Child Protective Services and Greed

Money, Child Protective Services, and Greed
November 07, 2007 by Georga Hackworth

We all hear the horror stories involving Child Protective Services but believe it will never happen to us. Maybe we like to believe that those horror stories are the exception to the rule. Maybe we like to think that the media is sensationalizing the facts for ratings and profit, after
all, that is what the media does. Maybe we think that we are doing everything right and will never have to deal with the system.

The reality is that states and counties receive $30,000 for each child removed from the home and put into the system. Those funds go up to between $40,000 and $150,000 if the child has special needs. If you think that kind of money doesn't breed corruption, think again. In March 2003 the city of San Francisco had 75,000 children in their system. 75,000 children at $30,000 each (that is assuming none of them were handicapped) is $2,250,000,000! Foster families receive between $3,000 and $8300 a year for fostering a child depending on the state. That is a nice little profit being made even after you account for salaries and other overhead. It would be interesting to know where several million dollars each year is going.

The Department of Child Protective Services is a relatively new department of the government. In 1974 the first child abuse case went before the courts. There were no child abuse laws at that time so the case was taken up by the Human Society of the United States. It was after that case that the first child abuse laws were written and the Department of Child Protective Services was put together. It wasn't long before around 500,000 children were placed into the system with nothing in place to either return the children to their parents to find permanent homes for them. I remember attending elementary school with several children who lived in an orphanage where these children were put and forgotten about by the system.

Like most government agencies, CPS has evolved over the years and undergone reform to prevent abuse of the system as well as to make things run smoother and more effectively. However, it seems that the more rules that are put in place the more loopholes there are for corruption.

In 1997 the Adoption and Safe Families Act was put into place by the 105th Congress of the United States. The Adoption and Safe Families Act states:

· Reasonable efforts shall be made to preserve and reunify families unless the parent(s) have committed murder or voluntary manslaughter; aided, abetted, attempted, conspired or solicited to commit murder or voluntary manslaughter; committed a felony assault that resulted in
serious bodily injury of the child or another child of the parent; the parental rights of the parent to a sibling have been terminated involuntarily

· If a child is not to be returned to the parents that a permanency hearing will take place within 30 days and that finalization of the placement, either with a legal guardian or by adoption, will be handled in a expeditious fashion as well as the details of how this will be done.

· How much money is to be given by the Federal Government to carry out the bill including incentive payments for the adoption of children in the system.

Yes, incentive payments for the adoption of children in the system. How this works is that a base line number of adoptions has to happen by each state or they risk loosing money. I understand the thought pattern behind the push to adopt out children permanently placed in the system. However, providing monetary incentives opens a lot of doors for the abuse of power. The base line number of adoptions of each state was determined individually. The number of adoptions for the years 1995, 1996 and 1997 were added up and the average taken. Each state was given their number. For each adoption that takes place over that number the state gets $4000. An additional $2000 is given for each special needs child.

Where does all this money go? I wish I had the answer there. Every child that gets put into the system is automatically enrolled in Medicaid. That crosses medical care off the list of what that money pays for. Foster families get a stipend each month for each foster child they take care of to help cover food, clothes and other basic needs. That monthly payment is only a small fraction of that $30,000 given to the state.

From my personal experience I can tell you that none of that money goes into helping the families who have been torn apart. In fact, the social worker that showed up on my door step was driving a BMW. Apparently social workers do get paid that much. So much for horrible hours, horrible
pay and it being a thankless job that has a high turn over rate. I will say that being a social worker takes a certain type of person and not everyone is cut out for the job.

Forget wanting to help families. Forget wanting to protect children. Maybe that is why people originally go into social work. To be successful at you have to have a sadistic side of you that enjoys watching people suffer, that way you don't get emotionally attached and you do what you have to do.

Don't believe me? Don't think the system is abused? Consider for a moment that every report that is made to Child Protective Services, regardless of the validity of the claim, has to be investigated or the state risks loosing federal monies that are tied to Social Security. This means that if you get into a fight with your neighbor, your mother-in-law, or a friend they can pick up the phone and call in a false report in retaliation and you will have a social worker show up on your doorstep.

If everything isn't picture perfect when that social worker arrives, a case is formed. It could be anything such as the garbage hasn't been taken out that day, there are dirty dishes in the sink or your kids haven't had a bath yet that day. These people are there to judge your parenting and if they show up on that off day they aren't going to believe you that it's not normally like that.

I have also learned first hand that if someone makes a false call and makes the story outrageous enough that there will be no investigation and your kids will be taken on the spot, and the social worker doesn't have to be professional about it. They are allowed to yell at you, make snap judgments without asking questions, make you stand in the rain for three hours as well as ask questions that are a violation of your personal rights.

The social worker involved in our case also did nothing to help us out. Her idea of help was coming back a week later with a zoning inspector and having the house we were living in condemned making us homeless. This was after she was ordered by the court to return our kids and pay for temporary housing until we could get moved. When we went back to court and she was questioned on this her argument was "We are not in the habit of putting up homeless families."

She violated court order after court order and the judge did not do much about it, beyond not letting her get her way of terminating our parental rights and putting the children in state care. I know that the numbers were adding up in her head. I have seven children. Some of them are
considered special needs. If she could get them adopted out there would be a nice bonus of $28,000 minimum.

After a month and a half we did get our kids back, but not after our visitation awarded by the court was blocked for a week and a half, our oldest was put in an unapproved foster home (the woman was licensed to take care of relatives only) and been sexually assaulted and our other children spent just over a month sick because the group home they were put in were very lax about the special diets they had to be on for health reasons.

Nothing was put in place for the emotional and mental well-being of my children. There is no counseling that is automatically given to children in the system to help cope with being separated from their parents. Maybe it is because it is assumed that every child removed from their home and taken away from their parents will be relieved because the state has rules, regulations and procedures in place to prevent errors from happening. Forget that the system is set up with monetary incentives at every corner that those motivated by greed.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/437593/money_child_protective_services_and.html?cat=25

Encountering the Child Snatchers, AKA, Child Protective Services

Encountering the Child Snatchers, AKA, Child Protective Services
August 05, 2007 by Lillian Ryvers

When the knock comes, be ready! Credit: Mad Cow Studios | © Mad Cow Studios
No one expects to be falsely accused of child abuse or neglect; yet bogus cases are reported daily to Child Protective Services. My own daughter falsely reported my husband for physical abuse after he refused to let her call her boyfriend one evening. The next day, CPS and the police were
on our doorstep. Unfortunately, CPS has no way of sorting the real cases from the false ones without performing an investigation. While you cannot necessarily avoid an investigation, you can take steps to be prepared for the knock at the door.

First, contact an attorney. CPS may tell you that there is no need for legal counsel, or that it makes you look "guilty." However, CPS does not have your best interest in mind. Their job is to prove the case or dismiss it. If CPS has contacted you in the first place, you should not panic, but do need the representation of an attorney. Many attorneys will offer a free consultation, and then propose the retainer fee they would need to represent you. Any attorney will tell you that you are under no requirement to let CPS into your home unless they have a valid warrant. Do not allow them to threaten you or coerce you into inviting them inside.

In case they have a warrant, make sure your house is clean. CPS workers are trained to look for any signs of neglect. Are your dishes done and counters wiped off? Is the floor swept and the trash taken out? Is your laundry done and hung up neatly in the closet? These are all things that a CPS caseworker will note in her report. You do not need to hire a professional cleaning service to come in, but you should ensure that your house is in clean, livable condition.
Furthermore, while you should make every effort to cooperate with CPS, do not volunteer any information. Even if you have not been able to retain an attorney, you will still need to talk to CPS. Print out a copy of your state's recording laws and, if your state allows it, use a recorder
to tape the entire conversation with CPS. If they tell you that it is not permissible to record the conversation, show them the state law. Make them ask the questions and stick to brief answers. Most importantly, do not lie to them or else it will come back to bite you in the end.

Obtain a notebook to document every conversation and interaction with CPS. Do not allow the caseworker to fool you into trusting him or her. Write down every thing that is said and do not allow them to interview your child without being present. Teach your child to never talk to strangers, even at school. Another way to prevent this is to write a letter to the school stating that no one is allowed to talk to your child without your written permission. If you do not trust your child's school to carry out your wishes, have the child carry a laminated card that states no one can interview or question your child without an attorney and yourself present.

Additional preparedness can be obtained by researching CPS and false allegations of abuse on the Internet. Several websites link to very helpful resources and information. Do not think that this cannot happen to you or that CPS will immediately determine your innocence. The most important advice I can give you is to not admit to any thing and do not plead guilty to a crime you did not commit. CPS is infamous for telling families that they can have their children back if they "just plead guilty," but find that doing so unleashes a new kind of hell.

Even if you think that CPS will never bother you, implement these guidelines and tips to make sure you are ready if they do. No one is immune or overlooked when it comes to child abuse. Know your state laws and make sure you are ready. You could very well be the next one to find CPS at your doorstep.


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/335066/encountering_the_child_snatchers_aka.html?cat=25

Antidepressants Tied To Preterm Births: Study-Try telling this to NH DCYF and Nashua Family Court!

Antidepressants Tied To Preterm Births: Study

By Ed Silverman // January 22nd, 2010 // 12:06 pm

Among nearly 3,000 women who gave birth in Washington State, those who started taking SSRI antidepressants in the second or third trimester had a higher risk of preterm birth, according to Reuters, which cites a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Compared with others not given the meds, the women were nearly five times more likely to deliver prematurely. The same risk was not seen, however, among women who started on an SSRI before pregnancy or during the first trimester.

The study also found a higher risk of preterm delivery among women who took anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines, regardless of when they began treatment, Reuters continues. Those drugs, which include meds such as lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax), were linked to higher risks of other complications, including low birth weight, newborn respiratory distress and a low Apgar score, which measures newborn health. The SSRIs, by the way, include Lilly’s Prozac, GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil and Pfizer’s Zoloft.

But the meaning isn’t clear, because the study couldn’t estimate treatment benefits. And SSRIs didn’t appear to present equal risks for all women. “It is very important to have other studies of the risks associated with (these) drugs, but also of benefits associated with treating mothers,” Ronit Calderon-Margalit of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health in Jerusalem tells Reuters.

http://www.pharmalot.com/2010/01/antidepressants-tied-to-preterm-births-study/

Abuse Freedom Live - Explosive Show Sunday Night!

Abuse Freedom Live - Explosive Show Sunday Night!
Saturday, January 23, 2010 10:46 PM
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ABUSE FREEDOM UNITED PRESENTS
ABUSE FREEDOM LIVE

HTTP://WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM/ABUSEFREEDOMLIVE

SUNDAY NIGHT 7:00 P.M. THROUGH 10:00 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME
Call in number: (646) 595-2134

Our Show Titled…. Families Fighting Back Full Force!
Families Rights Groups are joining forces with Abuse Freedom United as We in a continuing effort to Merge as ONE…
Against the Monstrous Criminal CPS Civil Rights Violators Nationwide!
Join Us and our Special Guests Tonight!
AN EXPLOSIVE SHOW YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS.

SUNDAY NIGHT’S GUEST:

ELEANA KATZ – Victim of CPS Abuse – AND HER FIGHT AGAINST THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Lori Pearman – Ex-Casa Volunteer Worker - http://www.arcasa5.com/
Susan Spies – Grandparent/CPS Victim
Colleen Beimer, Grandmother of (5) – CPS Victim
Mrs. Marilyn and husband, Dr. Harrison of “FOSTER PARENT’S LEGAL SOLUTIONS”
http://www.foster-parents-legal-solutions.com/home.html

The Abuse Freedom Live Show is
HOSTED BY JANE OF ABUSE FREEDOM UNITED AND JOSIE, CO-HOST of
http://www.modelfamily.org and http://nfps.us
TONIGHT’S SHOW WILL ENABLE OPEN LINES
CALLERS WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO
OUR SPECIAL GUESTS TONIGHT!!!

· CALL IN NUMBER (646) 595-2134
You can subscribe to this show on ipod touch or your iphone
Go to http://blogtalkradio.com/abusefreedomlive
If you are an advocate, group or organization advocating on behalf of family preservation and would like to be on our show contact
jane@abusefreedom.com or Josie at contact@modelfamily.org
or call Josie at 786-288-7034 and leave a message!

Always a Dark Day in America

January 22nd; Always a Dark Day in America From Eagle Forum
Nancy Schaefer, President
January 22, 2010
Nancy Schaefer

January 22nd is always a dark day in America. The first January 22nd of this new decade was the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. There were many "March for Life" gatherings across our land. We remember the little ones with grief and we mourn the 5 million innocent children who have been killed by abortion. We think with sorrow of the multitude of "to-be" moms and dads who have suffered agonizing pain and regret following their decision to end the life of their baby.

Approximately 20 percent of our nation's children have had their lives ended by abortion. Actually, more murders have been sanctioned in the U.S. than were committed by Hitler, Stalin and Lenin combined. Minorities are targeted especially hard by abortion advocates and recently on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, nearly 15,000 people gathered in Houston to protest a Planned Parenthood's 78,000 square-foot government supported abortion business, scheduled to open in a minority area in the spring.

Planned Parenthood's pro-death founder, Margaret Sanger, wrote in "Women and the New Race" these words: "The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." Until God brings this humanistic world to an end, we must fight this kind of evil and press even harder for righteousness around the globe. Once again, we painfully remember, with compassion and love, the 50 million children who have been aborted in America.

Almost 98 percent of abortions are committed for reason of convenience and America is guilty of encouraging and sponsoring these abortions in other countries. But may we continue on in our fight against the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. We have made great strides and recent polling proves that more Americans today claim to be pro-life than pro-choice. But, even with this promising data and the fact that more of our youth are rejecting abortion, we are close to passing a health care bill in Washington that will make abortion a health care "right" to be funded by the tax-payer. This action could lead to abortion becoming a Constitutional right that we would not be able to alter for years due to the current U.S. Supreme Court.

We must in 2010 and in the future elect candidates who are 100 percent committed to the sanctity of life. Many candidates claim to be pro-life to get elected, and then reject the cause when the campaign is over. No more can we overlook such actions! We must have candidates who actively support pro-life policies. We must have judges who support the U.S, Constitution, not create new policies as the U.S. Supreme Court did in Roe v. Wade.

Regardless of what we may think or hope, there is a high price to be paid for extinguishing the lives of our precious children. Abortion is a form of wicked population control that Creator God will judge. Once again, we must do all in our power to bring legalized abortion, and any tolerance of it, to an end at all costs.

Continue, weary workers, to support your pro-life organizations with prayer and financial help. And may we all, with God's help and with renewed dedication, seek to end the horror of abortion in America.



"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"
Psalm 33:12



Eagle Forum of Georgia
Phone: 706-754-8321
Web-Site: www.eagleforumofga.org
Email: nancy.schaefer@nancyschaefer.com

Saturday, January 23, 2010

School shocked, grief-stricken by 9-year-old's apparent suicide

School shocked, grief-stricken by 9-year-old's apparent suicide

12:00 AM CST on Saturday, January 23, 2010
By MATTHEW HAAG and JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News
/ The Dallas Morning News
s Valerie Wigglesworth, Jana J. Martin and Abigail Thatcher Allen contributed to this report.
People close to a 9-year-old boy from The Colony struggled Friday to understand why he would take his own life.



MONA REEDER/DMN
Students paused at a makeshift memorial to fourth-grader Montana Lance in front of Stewart's Creek Elementary School on Friday. "That's the question we are asking and probably always ask," Brian Bradford, pastor at Horizons Church in The Colony, said a day after Montana Lance apparently hanged himself in a school restroom. "But something like this is just impossible to truly understand as far the rationale behind it."

The Colony police Lt. Darren Brockway said that Montana was sent to the front office at Stewart's Creek Elementary School shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday. While there, he asked the nurse for permission to use her restroom.

When the nurse realized he had been in the room for about 10 minutes, she tried to open the door, but it was locked. Montana had locked the door before when he was upset, Brockway said.

When the nurse got a key and opened the door, she found the fourth-grader unconscious. She placed Montana on a bed and started CPR, according to the 911 call.

"He locked himself in the bathroom, and he has done this before," school secretary Cheryl Smith, her voice shaking, told a police dispatcher. "There's no heartbeat. Oh, my God."

Montana was taken to Baylor Medical Center at Carrollton, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office, which said Friday that Montana died as the result of hanging.

"We believe this was intentional," Brockway said.

In a written statement released to parents Friday, Stewart's Creek Principal Lea Land said the school's staff tried to save Montana.

"The entire Stewart's Creek Elementary School's thoughts are with the family during this time of grief," she wrote.

Bradford, who went to the hospital with Montana's family Thursday afternoon, said his parents, Jason and Deborah, are struggling to deal with what happened.

"It kind of came out of left field for us, and that just adds to the tragic nature," Bradford said. "He was just a very giving kid and loved to give back and help people and help around the church."

Bradford said a Montana Lance Memorial Fund had been started at Wells Fargo banks to help his family cover medical and funeral costs.

More than 100 people, including many children, attended a candlelight vigil Friday night with tearful family members at First Baptist Church in The Colony.

"The reason why we are here tonight is to pray," said Mark Richardson, the church's pastor. "Tonight, we are crushed."

The funeral was set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound.

Suicide at such a young age is rare, said Dr. Betsy Kennard, a psychologist and professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center of Dallas.

"At age 9, kids are just beginning to understand that death is final," she said.

Kennard, who specializes in the treatment of depression and suicide in adolescents, said youths typically don't have the long-term view of the world that adults do. They may think their despair won't go away, so there's more hopelessness, she said. Youths are also more impulsive, which puts them at higher risk, she said.

"What this says to me is that it's not an isolated event," Kennard said. "These kids typically have other things going on that need to be evaluated and treated."

About 90 percent of people who commit suicide have some sort of psychiatric illness that can be treated, Kennard said.

But that's not always the case.

"This could be a deeply troubled kid or a kid who just had a really bad week at school," said Dr. Marjorie Milici, a pediatrician at Baylor Pediatric Center.

Acting on those suicidal thoughts at such a young age is what makes this case stand out, both doctors agree.

Suicide is often related to feelings of despair. But with victims this young, Kennard said, the level of sadness may be less apparent. She advised adults to look for changes in behavior, such as being more irritable or more withdrawn. Aggressive behavior, lack of social skills or poor problem-solving abilities can also be signs.

Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Family and Protective Services, said authorities haven't asked Child Protective Services officials to investigate Montana's death.

Without that request, she said, she couldn't disclose whether CPS had previously visited the boy's home.

At Montana's one-story house Friday, a woman took down the names of visitors. Dogs barked in the back yard near a plastic playhouse.

Several blocks away, family and friends gathered at Montana's grandparents' house. A representative stood at the door with red eyes and said the family declined to comment.

Neighbors of the Lance family said they usually saw Montana and his younger brother wearing camouflage and riding mini-motorcycles in front of their house.

"They would play with all the other kids," said Chris Mata, who moved into the house the family used to occupy down the street.

At Christmas, Mata said, Montana and his brother helped string lights outside their house and hooked them to a radio so the lights and music were in sync.

Mata said his 4-year-old son occasionally played with the brothers.

Phil Myro, who lives a few houses down, said he often saw Montana watching his dad ride his motorcycle up and down the block.

Some parents dropping their children off at Stewart's Creek on Friday morning said they were unaware of the situation.

But Stephanie Rodriguez said the news about Montana troubled her 9-year-old son so much he slept with her Thursday night. His death is simply hard to fathom, she said.

Students, parents and staff members at the school are being given the option of speaking to grief counselors.


Staff writers Valerie Wigglesworth, Jana J. Martin and Abigail Thatcher Allen contributed to this report.

mhaag@dallasnews.com; jmeyers@dallasnews.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-studentdeath_23met.ART0.State.Edition1.4c0f05b.html