WHEN A KID DIES, CPS IS USUALLY INVOLVED IN THE CASE
A Houston mother who allowed her 8 year old, tube fed girl to die of malnutrition and Dehydration was under the “Supervision” of CPS; Until CPS decided the kid didn’t need any more food, and cut her off of all services.
The mother is in jail pending trial, the CPS workers who cut the child off are off working to kill somebody else’s kid.
TEXAS, IT’S A WHOLE OTHER KIND OF CHILD ABUSER.
HOUSTON — A Houston woman is accused of starving her 8-year-old daughter, who weighed just 15 pounds when she died in January 2009, Child Protective Services said.
CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin says Almita Nicole Lockhart, 34, is accused of neglecting Halle Smith, who was unresponsive when she was taken to a hospital.
The girl, who was born prematurely, suffered a stroke and had other health issues that required her to be fed through a tube, said Olguin.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office electronic records showed Lockhart was jailed Friday on a charge of injury to a child by omission. Bail was $30,000 for Lockhart, who was booked Tuesday.
Jail records had no listing of an attorney for Lockhart. Her next court date is Feb. 24.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the girl’s death a homicide. Lockhart was arrested this week once an autopsy and further investigation led authorities to believe the girl’s condition was intentionally inflicted, according to Olguin.
Lockhart allegedly kept the girl in an empty apartment and apparently did not feed her, investigators said.
“The medical examiner said her death was a homicide and said it was due to malnutrition and dehydration,” district attorney’s spokeswoman Donna Hawkins said.
A 2006 CPS home visit found the girl weighed about 46 pounds, said Olguin, but at some point Lockhart apparently stopped receiving in-home care for Halle.
Information from KHOU-TV: www.khou.com
http://www.flds.ws/2010/02/05/when-a-kid-dies-cps-is-usually-involved-in-the-case/
Post meta
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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, February 7, 2010
Freedom Speaks-Write Letters to Your Elected Officials
Check out Freedom Speaks
Write letters to your elected officials
FREEDOMSPEAKS.COM is the only completely non-partisan political social network that allows its members to write letters to their publicly elected officials. With the click of a mouse, a single letter can be delivered via both email and fax to one or all of the public officials you select! We currently have data for Federal, State, County & City officials, including their addresses, telephones, faxes, emails and websites. It's time for you to speak out and be heard America - with FREEDOMSPEAKS
http://www.freedomspeaks.com/default.aspx
Write letters to your elected officials
FREEDOMSPEAKS.COM is the only completely non-partisan political social network that allows its members to write letters to their publicly elected officials. With the click of a mouse, a single letter can be delivered via both email and fax to one or all of the public officials you select! We currently have data for Federal, State, County & City officials, including their addresses, telephones, faxes, emails and websites. It's time for you to speak out and be heard America - with FREEDOMSPEAKS
http://www.freedomspeaks.com/default.aspx
Theft investigation triggers big changes at Vt. DCF
Theft investigation triggers big changes at Vt. DCF
Theft investigation triggers big changes at Vt. DCF Local News More>>Search for missing S. Burlington manUVM weighs a tuition hikeTests zero in on Tritium leakStudents create tribute to former school secretaryVermont Toyota dealers prepare for recallsPerennial plunger to retireStorm backs up airportsPolice capture double-murder suspect Anthony PavoneAbate admits to misconductVt. man pleads guilty in dog's shooting deathMontpelier, Vermont - February 3, 2010
"It's kind of the worst nightmare," said Steve Dale, the commissioner of the Vt. Dept. of Children and Families.
The nightmare for DCF started in October, says Dale, when a bank called his office worried someone was trying to cash state checks for personal purposes.
"Our first step was to see what happened here and what we can do to prevent it," Dale explained.
A federal probe was launched into the financial dealings of Kathy Lantagne. A check of public records shows Lantagne was earning nearly $58,000 as the director of the Newport Reach-Up office of the Department of Children and Families serving needy Vermonters. But an IRS agent says that salary apparently wasn't enough for the 19 year state employee.
A federal application for a search warrant for records handled by Lantagne accuses her of writing $500,000 in checks to herself and to relatives over a 5-year period.
"There need to be proper checks and balances," Dale said.
Dale says DCF has added additional review of where checks are going and has built in limits on dollar amounts individuals can approve. He also tells WCAX News he expects an auditor's report soon on possible weaknesses in his department's financial systems.
"He's spent the last couple of months looking at all our systems," Dale said.
"I think people are going to get very angry about this one," said David Orrick, a criminologist at Norwich University.
Orrick says embezzlers believe people won't be hurt by their crimes and rationalize their behavior by telling themselves they handle so much money, small piles of cash won't be missed. He thinks embezzlement is more common than anyone knows.
"A private corporation doesn't always want to admit it's been the victim of embezzlement and may do a lot to make it go away. The state can't do that," Orrick explained. "The popular theory now is that the people who do it don't have self-control."
That lack of self-control may have tripped up Kathy Lantagne. Court papers say she approved more than 250 suspicious checks-- money meant to help low-income Vermonters get to work and improve their lives.
"I don't think anyone can say because that money was taken, a specific other person didn't receive funds. But, it adds to the overall burden we all carry," Dale said.
We asked Commissioner Dale about the IRS agent's claim the theft took more than 5 years to detect. Dale would only say he hopes to find out more about that when and if the federal investigation results in criminal charges.
As of right now, Kathy Lantagne has not been charged with anything. Lantagne lives in West Charleston. We're told by other residents of West Charleston that she's the Kathy behind Kathy's Corner Store there. We called the store Tuesday night and were hung up on. We also called Lantagne's sister's house in Newport-- she's named in the federal papers. We got hung up on there, too.
Jack Thurston - WCAX News
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11929035
Theft investigation triggers big changes at Vt. DCF Local News More>>Search for missing S. Burlington manUVM weighs a tuition hikeTests zero in on Tritium leakStudents create tribute to former school secretaryVermont Toyota dealers prepare for recallsPerennial plunger to retireStorm backs up airportsPolice capture double-murder suspect Anthony PavoneAbate admits to misconductVt. man pleads guilty in dog's shooting deathMontpelier, Vermont - February 3, 2010
"It's kind of the worst nightmare," said Steve Dale, the commissioner of the Vt. Dept. of Children and Families.
The nightmare for DCF started in October, says Dale, when a bank called his office worried someone was trying to cash state checks for personal purposes.
"Our first step was to see what happened here and what we can do to prevent it," Dale explained.
A federal probe was launched into the financial dealings of Kathy Lantagne. A check of public records shows Lantagne was earning nearly $58,000 as the director of the Newport Reach-Up office of the Department of Children and Families serving needy Vermonters. But an IRS agent says that salary apparently wasn't enough for the 19 year state employee.
A federal application for a search warrant for records handled by Lantagne accuses her of writing $500,000 in checks to herself and to relatives over a 5-year period.
"There need to be proper checks and balances," Dale said.
Dale says DCF has added additional review of where checks are going and has built in limits on dollar amounts individuals can approve. He also tells WCAX News he expects an auditor's report soon on possible weaknesses in his department's financial systems.
"He's spent the last couple of months looking at all our systems," Dale said.
"I think people are going to get very angry about this one," said David Orrick, a criminologist at Norwich University.
Orrick says embezzlers believe people won't be hurt by their crimes and rationalize their behavior by telling themselves they handle so much money, small piles of cash won't be missed. He thinks embezzlement is more common than anyone knows.
"A private corporation doesn't always want to admit it's been the victim of embezzlement and may do a lot to make it go away. The state can't do that," Orrick explained. "The popular theory now is that the people who do it don't have self-control."
That lack of self-control may have tripped up Kathy Lantagne. Court papers say she approved more than 250 suspicious checks-- money meant to help low-income Vermonters get to work and improve their lives.
"I don't think anyone can say because that money was taken, a specific other person didn't receive funds. But, it adds to the overall burden we all carry," Dale said.
We asked Commissioner Dale about the IRS agent's claim the theft took more than 5 years to detect. Dale would only say he hopes to find out more about that when and if the federal investigation results in criminal charges.
As of right now, Kathy Lantagne has not been charged with anything. Lantagne lives in West Charleston. We're told by other residents of West Charleston that she's the Kathy behind Kathy's Corner Store there. We called the store Tuesday night and were hung up on. We also called Lantagne's sister's house in Newport-- she's named in the federal papers. We got hung up on there, too.
Jack Thurston - WCAX News
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11929035
Nun accused of kidnapping was a guardian ad litem
Nun accused of kidnapping was a guardian ad litem
Similar stories:•Baby returned after police say nun kidnapped her
Baby returned after police say nun kidnapped herSister Mary had taken an interest in the girl before she was born, befriending her pregnant mother, driving her to doctor appointments and the grocery store.
Jose Ochoa Avalos and Adai Lopez Vasquez left Mexico for sleepy central Florida town of Eustis, with few friends and speaking little English. The nun's kindness seemed a godsend as they transition to life in a new country. But once the baby was born, Sister Mary's helping hand turned into a controlling grip as she threatened to call immigration officials if they didn't let her keep baby Maria. She once offered them $2,000 for the girl, authorities said. Last fall, she took the baby anyway.
On Tuesday, the couple held a red-faced crying Maria, now 2, for the first time in six months. Sister Mary, also known as Laura Caballero, was arrested in Miami, charged with taking the girl to Argentina to start a new life.
•Mom starved daughter to exorcise demons
Mom starved daughter to exorcise demonsKimberly McZinc, age 4, starved to death in a mobile home on a dirt road here in the Florida Panhandle. The refrigerator was stocked with food. Four other children in the home were plump and beloved.
Kimberly's mother, in the grip of twisted fundamentalism, is a college graduate with a masters in public administration. She believed her spunky little girl was possessed by demons.
To exorcise the evil, she denied Kimberly food and made the weakened child run "with Jesus," her tightly braided pigtails flying behind her.
•How a foster care tragedy led to reform
How a foster care tragedy led to reformFlorida child welfare administrators had seen children in their care get raped, tortured, strangled, starved. They had seen one plunged head-first into a toilet as punishment for a potty-training accident.
But never before Rilya Wilson had a foster child simply vanished.
Cute, pig-tailed and with a name -- Remember I Love You Always -- that belied the horrors of her childhood, Rilya's story led the scandal-rich cable news for weeks.
•Missing baby found in box under sitter's bed
Missing baby found in box under sitter's bedInvestigators spent five days searching dense vines and marshes for a missing infant, only to find her lying quietly in a two-by-three-foot cedar box that had been shoved under her baby sitter's bed.
Clothing was packed around it to muffle any sounds, and baking powder was placed inside to mask the stench of dirty diapers.
Authorities said the baby's mother, Chrystina Lynn Mercer, gave the infant to baby sitter Susan Elizabeth Baker early Saturday, then reported her missing about 10 hours later.
•Guardian Ad Litem gives a voice to abused
Guardian Ad Litem gives a voice to abusedSurrounded by her three grandchildren, Juanita Martinez named all the ways Andi Steinacker has helped her family: Uniforms for the kids. Transportation to and from court. Someone to call.
And, with Steinacker's guidance, Martinez was able to officially adopt her grandchildren in 2006 after their mother died.
``She's always there for me,'' said Martinez, 60, of Miami. Steinacker is no guardian angel but a Guardian Ad Litem, or GAL -- volunteers who speak up for abused and neglected children in court. They visit with the children they represent and make recommendations on their behalf.
By KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A nun charged with taking a 2-year-old girl from her parents and fleeing to another country was also a guardian ad litem for the state, officials said Thursday.
Sister Mary, or Laura Caballero, has been a guardian ad litem since 2002, working with 19 cases, said Marcia Hilty, a spokeswoman for the Florida statewide guardian ad litem office. Guardian ad litems are appointed by the court to neutrally represent a child's interests.
She could not confirm whether Caballero was a guardian for Maria Lopez Vazquez, the child she is accused of taking.
Hilty says Caballero was in good standing and completed all requirements for the program, including a criminal background check, interview, references and 30 hours of training. Caballero was removed from the program after her arrest at a Miami airport in January.
"We are shocked and saddened by the events," Hilty told The Associated Press.
Caballero was charged with false imprisonment after taking the baby last year from her parents and fleeing to Argentina with a handyman from the church. The family was reunited in Orlando on Tuesday, six months after the girl was taken.
Authorities said Sister Mary was controlling and threatened to turn her parents into immigration officials if they did not give her the child. Her parents are illegal immigrants. At one point, detectives said she offered the parents $2,000 for the girl.
Caballero said she is a nun at St. Filumena in central Florida. It is not a Roman Catholic church affiliated with the Orlando Diocese or the Vatican, nor are its clergy and nuns.
No one answered the phone at Caballero's on Thursday.
The Department of Children and Families investigated the family last May after receiving a call that the child might be in danger, but the case was closed with no findings of abuse. The family later moved to South Carolina, yet Sister Mary continued to contact the child investigator, insisting that Maria was "her child" and her parents didn't take care of her, according to an arrest report.
Sister Mary told the investigator she hired a private eye to find the family and later informed the investigator she had Maria and that her parents had given her custody, according to the arrest report.
It's unclear why the case wasn't investigated until the family called the police months later.
DCF says the agency was not informed of any change in custody. They closed the case finding the girl was safe with her parents.
"The next official communication that we received regarding this child was a call to help the parents this week," DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1463555.html
Similar stories:•Baby returned after police say nun kidnapped her
Baby returned after police say nun kidnapped herSister Mary had taken an interest in the girl before she was born, befriending her pregnant mother, driving her to doctor appointments and the grocery store.
Jose Ochoa Avalos and Adai Lopez Vasquez left Mexico for sleepy central Florida town of Eustis, with few friends and speaking little English. The nun's kindness seemed a godsend as they transition to life in a new country. But once the baby was born, Sister Mary's helping hand turned into a controlling grip as she threatened to call immigration officials if they didn't let her keep baby Maria. She once offered them $2,000 for the girl, authorities said. Last fall, she took the baby anyway.
On Tuesday, the couple held a red-faced crying Maria, now 2, for the first time in six months. Sister Mary, also known as Laura Caballero, was arrested in Miami, charged with taking the girl to Argentina to start a new life.
•Mom starved daughter to exorcise demons
Mom starved daughter to exorcise demonsKimberly McZinc, age 4, starved to death in a mobile home on a dirt road here in the Florida Panhandle. The refrigerator was stocked with food. Four other children in the home were plump and beloved.
Kimberly's mother, in the grip of twisted fundamentalism, is a college graduate with a masters in public administration. She believed her spunky little girl was possessed by demons.
To exorcise the evil, she denied Kimberly food and made the weakened child run "with Jesus," her tightly braided pigtails flying behind her.
•How a foster care tragedy led to reform
How a foster care tragedy led to reformFlorida child welfare administrators had seen children in their care get raped, tortured, strangled, starved. They had seen one plunged head-first into a toilet as punishment for a potty-training accident.
But never before Rilya Wilson had a foster child simply vanished.
Cute, pig-tailed and with a name -- Remember I Love You Always -- that belied the horrors of her childhood, Rilya's story led the scandal-rich cable news for weeks.
•Missing baby found in box under sitter's bed
Missing baby found in box under sitter's bedInvestigators spent five days searching dense vines and marshes for a missing infant, only to find her lying quietly in a two-by-three-foot cedar box that had been shoved under her baby sitter's bed.
Clothing was packed around it to muffle any sounds, and baking powder was placed inside to mask the stench of dirty diapers.
Authorities said the baby's mother, Chrystina Lynn Mercer, gave the infant to baby sitter Susan Elizabeth Baker early Saturday, then reported her missing about 10 hours later.
•Guardian Ad Litem gives a voice to abused
Guardian Ad Litem gives a voice to abusedSurrounded by her three grandchildren, Juanita Martinez named all the ways Andi Steinacker has helped her family: Uniforms for the kids. Transportation to and from court. Someone to call.
And, with Steinacker's guidance, Martinez was able to officially adopt her grandchildren in 2006 after their mother died.
``She's always there for me,'' said Martinez, 60, of Miami. Steinacker is no guardian angel but a Guardian Ad Litem, or GAL -- volunteers who speak up for abused and neglected children in court. They visit with the children they represent and make recommendations on their behalf.
By KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A nun charged with taking a 2-year-old girl from her parents and fleeing to another country was also a guardian ad litem for the state, officials said Thursday.
Sister Mary, or Laura Caballero, has been a guardian ad litem since 2002, working with 19 cases, said Marcia Hilty, a spokeswoman for the Florida statewide guardian ad litem office. Guardian ad litems are appointed by the court to neutrally represent a child's interests.
She could not confirm whether Caballero was a guardian for Maria Lopez Vazquez, the child she is accused of taking.
Hilty says Caballero was in good standing and completed all requirements for the program, including a criminal background check, interview, references and 30 hours of training. Caballero was removed from the program after her arrest at a Miami airport in January.
"We are shocked and saddened by the events," Hilty told The Associated Press.
Caballero was charged with false imprisonment after taking the baby last year from her parents and fleeing to Argentina with a handyman from the church. The family was reunited in Orlando on Tuesday, six months after the girl was taken.
Authorities said Sister Mary was controlling and threatened to turn her parents into immigration officials if they did not give her the child. Her parents are illegal immigrants. At one point, detectives said she offered the parents $2,000 for the girl.
Caballero said she is a nun at St. Filumena in central Florida. It is not a Roman Catholic church affiliated with the Orlando Diocese or the Vatican, nor are its clergy and nuns.
No one answered the phone at Caballero's on Thursday.
The Department of Children and Families investigated the family last May after receiving a call that the child might be in danger, but the case was closed with no findings of abuse. The family later moved to South Carolina, yet Sister Mary continued to contact the child investigator, insisting that Maria was "her child" and her parents didn't take care of her, according to an arrest report.
Sister Mary told the investigator she hired a private eye to find the family and later informed the investigator she had Maria and that her parents had given her custody, according to the arrest report.
It's unclear why the case wasn't investigated until the family called the police months later.
DCF says the agency was not informed of any change in custody. They closed the case finding the girl was safe with her parents.
"The next official communication that we received regarding this child was a call to help the parents this week," DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1463555.html
Fatal Misunderstandings About Reactive Attachment Disorder Dangerous misunderstandings harm foster children and others
Note from unhappygrammy-I've posted this article, but it doesn't mean I agree with it.
Child Myths
Straight Talk About Child Development
by Jean Mercer, Ph.D. Jean Mercer is a developmental psychologist with a special interest in parent-infant relationships. See full bio Fatal Misunderstandings About Reactive Attachment Disorder Dangerous misunderstandings harm foster children and others.
Published on February 6, 2010
When I began this blog, I chose the name "child myths" because of my concern about misunderstandings that are potentially harmful to children. As some readers know, my interest in this issue began some years ago with a study of so-called Attachment Therapy and its role in the death of Candace Newmaker in 2000 (described in Mercer, J., Sarner,L., & Rosa, L. [2003], "Attachment Therapy On Trial". Westport, CT: Praeger). The fact that other children have also died at the hands of parents acting on the instructions of unconventional therapists has also motivated me to pursue the correction of "child myths".
A number of myths about children are part of mistaken beliefs about the childhood mental health problem called Reactive Attachment Disorder and given the code 313.89 in DSM-IV-Tr. The criteria for Reactive Attachment Disorder involve children's age-inappropriate relationships with adults, with behaviors that are either less engaged and dependent than is typical for the child's developmental stage, or, alternatively, excessively dependent and "clingy" compared to other children of the same age. Regrettably, these criteria are little understood by the general public, but are replaced by myths and misunderstandings that are reinforced by careless journalists. For example, the newsletter of a middle-western foster and adoption group (http://www.mfcaa.org/img/files/newsletters/2010/Feb%202010%20News... ) claims that Reactive Attachment Disorder is characterized by the following symptoms: superficially charming behavior, refusal to make eye contact on parents' terms, "crazy lying", and false allegations of abuse, among other things. This misinformation is repeated by print and television journalists until "everybody knows" it's true-- even though it's obvious that this set of behaviors has little or nothing to do with Reactive Attachment Disorder as defined earlier.
The spread of misinformation is a problem for more reasons than one, and is especially problematic because misinformed people can easily make misinformed decisions. Such decisions have resulted in death and injury of children who have been mistreated systematically by caregivers, often with the encouragement of caseworkers. Michael Shermer, writing in "Scientific American" several years ago, referred to these adverse events as "death by theory", and indeed it is hard to see how such things could have occurred if the adults had not been blinded to the obvious by their beliefs about child development.
There have been quite a few reports of harm to children resulting from misinformed beliefs about Reactive Attachment Disorder. One account of an investigation of a foster home following the death of a child gives examples of these beliefs and their impact. Relevant correspondence and investigation reports may be seen at http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/fhs/brs/reports/CP140201012_SIR_2008C..., but I will refer to some of the important statements referring to beliefs held by the caseworkers in this situation. (I will omit some of the material dealing with carelessness in the original acceptance of these foster parents into the system.)
1. One child in the family had a tantrum in the car, and following the foster mother's actions to deal with this, complained that she had broken his leg. He was found to have a "linear displaced fracture of the proximal tibial epiphysis" [the growth plate area at the end of an immature bone] and a cast was applied. The caseworker said, however, "DHS believes it is possible that [he] never really felt any pain in his leg, that he was just using this as another control mechanism, and he is bewildered by the fact that he now has a cast on an injury that he was ‘inventing' in order to get the foster parent into trouble."
2. An anonymous referral said that a child had been locked out of the house on several occasions and had screamed and cried for close to an hour, begging to be let in (this was in December in Michigan). The caseworker, however, said the complaint was "consistent with her knowledge of [his] classic Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) behaviors, as he frequently yells and screams out toward foster mom, accusing her of mistreating him", and that he might have gone outside of his own accord and then taken the opportunity to accuse the caregiver.
3. One child was found locked naked in an abandoned outdoor shed. He was taken to the emergency room, where doctors expressed concern about bruises and bite marks on him. Two caseworkers stated their opinions that these marks were self-inflicted.
4. Another of the foster children stated that a foster parent had made her run barefoot in the snow for "discipline", made her run up and down the stairs in the middle of the night, dragged her through the mud as punishment, and sometimes withheld food. No investigation followed these disclosures.
Do these examples of mistreatment show anything other than the fact that human beings can be unbelievably cruel to children? I believe they do show something else: that the caseworkers who were supposed to advocate for the children believed that their treatment was appropriate. They had accepted some ideas current among unconventional therapists and frequently repeated by unwary journalists. These included the belief that complaints of pain or sickness by children said to have Reactive Attachment Disorder are all lies and attempts to manipulate and exploit other people. Also included was the belief that allegations of abuse by "RAD children" are always lies and attempts to cause trouble to their caregivers, even when there is physical evidence of injury. In addition, not only the individual caseworkers, but one or more of their supervisors apparently believed that pain, hunger, fear, and humiliation were appropriate treatments for children who were less than satisfactory to their caregivers.
Until we can correct these myths, and until we educate caseworkers, foster and adoptive parents, teachers, and the general public, about them, the most vulnerable of our children remain in real danger from those who are supposed to care for them. Please, journalists, take note, and do not exacerbate this problem by circulating dangerous mistaken beliefs!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/child-myths/201002/fatal-misunderstandings-about-reactive-attachment-disorder
Child Myths
Straight Talk About Child Development
by Jean Mercer, Ph.D. Jean Mercer is a developmental psychologist with a special interest in parent-infant relationships. See full bio Fatal Misunderstandings About Reactive Attachment Disorder Dangerous misunderstandings harm foster children and others.
Published on February 6, 2010
When I began this blog, I chose the name "child myths" because of my concern about misunderstandings that are potentially harmful to children. As some readers know, my interest in this issue began some years ago with a study of so-called Attachment Therapy and its role in the death of Candace Newmaker in 2000 (described in Mercer, J., Sarner,L., & Rosa, L. [2003], "Attachment Therapy On Trial". Westport, CT: Praeger). The fact that other children have also died at the hands of parents acting on the instructions of unconventional therapists has also motivated me to pursue the correction of "child myths".
A number of myths about children are part of mistaken beliefs about the childhood mental health problem called Reactive Attachment Disorder and given the code 313.89 in DSM-IV-Tr. The criteria for Reactive Attachment Disorder involve children's age-inappropriate relationships with adults, with behaviors that are either less engaged and dependent than is typical for the child's developmental stage, or, alternatively, excessively dependent and "clingy" compared to other children of the same age. Regrettably, these criteria are little understood by the general public, but are replaced by myths and misunderstandings that are reinforced by careless journalists. For example, the newsletter of a middle-western foster and adoption group (http://www.mfcaa.org/img/files/newsletters/2010/Feb%202010%20News... ) claims that Reactive Attachment Disorder is characterized by the following symptoms: superficially charming behavior, refusal to make eye contact on parents' terms, "crazy lying", and false allegations of abuse, among other things. This misinformation is repeated by print and television journalists until "everybody knows" it's true-- even though it's obvious that this set of behaviors has little or nothing to do with Reactive Attachment Disorder as defined earlier.
The spread of misinformation is a problem for more reasons than one, and is especially problematic because misinformed people can easily make misinformed decisions. Such decisions have resulted in death and injury of children who have been mistreated systematically by caregivers, often with the encouragement of caseworkers. Michael Shermer, writing in "Scientific American" several years ago, referred to these adverse events as "death by theory", and indeed it is hard to see how such things could have occurred if the adults had not been blinded to the obvious by their beliefs about child development.
There have been quite a few reports of harm to children resulting from misinformed beliefs about Reactive Attachment Disorder. One account of an investigation of a foster home following the death of a child gives examples of these beliefs and their impact. Relevant correspondence and investigation reports may be seen at http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/fhs/brs/reports/CP140201012_SIR_2008C..., but I will refer to some of the important statements referring to beliefs held by the caseworkers in this situation. (I will omit some of the material dealing with carelessness in the original acceptance of these foster parents into the system.)
1. One child in the family had a tantrum in the car, and following the foster mother's actions to deal with this, complained that she had broken his leg. He was found to have a "linear displaced fracture of the proximal tibial epiphysis" [the growth plate area at the end of an immature bone] and a cast was applied. The caseworker said, however, "DHS believes it is possible that [he] never really felt any pain in his leg, that he was just using this as another control mechanism, and he is bewildered by the fact that he now has a cast on an injury that he was ‘inventing' in order to get the foster parent into trouble."
2. An anonymous referral said that a child had been locked out of the house on several occasions and had screamed and cried for close to an hour, begging to be let in (this was in December in Michigan). The caseworker, however, said the complaint was "consistent with her knowledge of [his] classic Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) behaviors, as he frequently yells and screams out toward foster mom, accusing her of mistreating him", and that he might have gone outside of his own accord and then taken the opportunity to accuse the caregiver.
3. One child was found locked naked in an abandoned outdoor shed. He was taken to the emergency room, where doctors expressed concern about bruises and bite marks on him. Two caseworkers stated their opinions that these marks were self-inflicted.
4. Another of the foster children stated that a foster parent had made her run barefoot in the snow for "discipline", made her run up and down the stairs in the middle of the night, dragged her through the mud as punishment, and sometimes withheld food. No investigation followed these disclosures.
Do these examples of mistreatment show anything other than the fact that human beings can be unbelievably cruel to children? I believe they do show something else: that the caseworkers who were supposed to advocate for the children believed that their treatment was appropriate. They had accepted some ideas current among unconventional therapists and frequently repeated by unwary journalists. These included the belief that complaints of pain or sickness by children said to have Reactive Attachment Disorder are all lies and attempts to manipulate and exploit other people. Also included was the belief that allegations of abuse by "RAD children" are always lies and attempts to cause trouble to their caregivers, even when there is physical evidence of injury. In addition, not only the individual caseworkers, but one or more of their supervisors apparently believed that pain, hunger, fear, and humiliation were appropriate treatments for children who were less than satisfactory to their caregivers.
Until we can correct these myths, and until we educate caseworkers, foster and adoptive parents, teachers, and the general public, about them, the most vulnerable of our children remain in real danger from those who are supposed to care for them. Please, journalists, take note, and do not exacerbate this problem by circulating dangerous mistaken beliefs!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/child-myths/201002/fatal-misunderstandings-about-reactive-attachment-disorder
Falsifications bring change in child abuse cases
Falsifications bring change in child abuse cases
By JOSH POLTILOVE
jpoltilove@tampatrib.com
Published: February 7, 2010
TAMPA - The resignation of a child protection investigator accused of falsifying documents has prompted changes in how the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office handles child abuse cases.
An internal affairs probe found that investigator Heather Stokes falsified and/or fabricated 25 investigations, seven of them completely.
Stokes said she made up details and forged signatures on one investigation because she was "overwhelmed" with cases, according to an internal affairs report. The seven-year veteran resigned a day after being confronted by investigators.
Stokes was one of two child protection investigators to resign since April after being accused of falsifying documents.
No children or families were harmed as a result of any of the fabrications, according to documents obtained by The Tampa Tribune.
But every child protection investigator must now photograph the child at the child's home, and that information goes in a case file, sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon said Friday.
Supervisors also now are tasked with randomly reviewing cases and making 25 to 30 quality assurance checks each month; investigators aren't alerted beforehand to which families will be contacted.
"We're imperfect," McKinnon said. "We try to police our own. And when we find errors, we're going to obviously try to correct them."
He said there's no indication of a deeper problem with the department's child protection services.
The sheriff's office assumed responsibility for child abuse investigations less than 10 years ago after state Department of Children & Families employees were accused of shocking shortcomings, including falsifying records.
The sheriff's office has about 85 child protection investigators and handles roughly 1,100 cases a month.
McKinnon said investigators' caseloads should not be considered overwhelming, despite the recent misdeeds.
"There's no excuse for inappropriate behavior, regardless of whether you're overworked or not," he said.
Not just a local issue
Investigators falsifying records isn't just a local concern. In a two-year stretch, more than 70 child welfare workers in Florida were caught lying about their efforts to protect children, according to an Orlando Sentinel report in July.
When questioned, those workers generally complained they had too many cases.
The internal affairs probe of Stokes revealed that in one case she fabricated what she documented concerning visiting a family on four occasions. The mother told investigators she had never met Stokes, or signed a child safety plan or a consent form for medical treatment.
Stokes admitted she had never visited the mother, father, children or home, saying she was "overwhelmed with her cases," the report states. She also said she forged the signatures of the mother and father.
Field training officers were assigned to audit Stokes' 59 cases from December 2008 through April, and found seven to be completely fabricated.
The internal affairs report does not identify the families involved.
Taking her medicine
Stokes resigned in April.
The sheriff's office forwarded its findings to the state attorney's office.
Stokes avoided criminal charges by entering a pretrial diversion program. She performed more than 200 hours of community service, said her attorney, Fred Carrington.
"Heather took her medicine, lost her job, her career and moved on with her life," Carrington said.
Another child protection investigator, Jerimee Joyner, resigned in June after nearly three years with the sheriff's office.
A colleague who was straightening documents on Joyner's desk found a piece of paper bearing the signature of Joyner's supervisor that had been taped to a form, a report states.
Joyner told investigators he didn't realize the form could be considered a falsified document. He said his supervisor wasn't available to sign the form, so "what I did was I kind of just made the forms and put them in the file so I could close the file."
Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/07/na-falsifications-bring-change-in-routines/
By JOSH POLTILOVE
jpoltilove@tampatrib.com
Published: February 7, 2010
TAMPA - The resignation of a child protection investigator accused of falsifying documents has prompted changes in how the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office handles child abuse cases.
An internal affairs probe found that investigator Heather Stokes falsified and/or fabricated 25 investigations, seven of them completely.
Stokes said she made up details and forged signatures on one investigation because she was "overwhelmed" with cases, according to an internal affairs report. The seven-year veteran resigned a day after being confronted by investigators.
Stokes was one of two child protection investigators to resign since April after being accused of falsifying documents.
No children or families were harmed as a result of any of the fabrications, according to documents obtained by The Tampa Tribune.
But every child protection investigator must now photograph the child at the child's home, and that information goes in a case file, sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon said Friday.
Supervisors also now are tasked with randomly reviewing cases and making 25 to 30 quality assurance checks each month; investigators aren't alerted beforehand to which families will be contacted.
"We're imperfect," McKinnon said. "We try to police our own. And when we find errors, we're going to obviously try to correct them."
He said there's no indication of a deeper problem with the department's child protection services.
The sheriff's office assumed responsibility for child abuse investigations less than 10 years ago after state Department of Children & Families employees were accused of shocking shortcomings, including falsifying records.
The sheriff's office has about 85 child protection investigators and handles roughly 1,100 cases a month.
McKinnon said investigators' caseloads should not be considered overwhelming, despite the recent misdeeds.
"There's no excuse for inappropriate behavior, regardless of whether you're overworked or not," he said.
Not just a local issue
Investigators falsifying records isn't just a local concern. In a two-year stretch, more than 70 child welfare workers in Florida were caught lying about their efforts to protect children, according to an Orlando Sentinel report in July.
When questioned, those workers generally complained they had too many cases.
The internal affairs probe of Stokes revealed that in one case she fabricated what she documented concerning visiting a family on four occasions. The mother told investigators she had never met Stokes, or signed a child safety plan or a consent form for medical treatment.
Stokes admitted she had never visited the mother, father, children or home, saying she was "overwhelmed with her cases," the report states. She also said she forged the signatures of the mother and father.
Field training officers were assigned to audit Stokes' 59 cases from December 2008 through April, and found seven to be completely fabricated.
The internal affairs report does not identify the families involved.
Taking her medicine
Stokes resigned in April.
The sheriff's office forwarded its findings to the state attorney's office.
Stokes avoided criminal charges by entering a pretrial diversion program. She performed more than 200 hours of community service, said her attorney, Fred Carrington.
"Heather took her medicine, lost her job, her career and moved on with her life," Carrington said.
Another child protection investigator, Jerimee Joyner, resigned in June after nearly three years with the sheriff's office.
A colleague who was straightening documents on Joyner's desk found a piece of paper bearing the signature of Joyner's supervisor that had been taped to a form, a report states.
Joyner told investigators he didn't realize the form could be considered a falsified document. He said his supervisor wasn't available to sign the form, so "what I did was I kind of just made the forms and put them in the file so I could close the file."
Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/07/na-falsifications-bring-change-in-routines/
A spanked child may be a better adult:study
A spanked child may be a better adult: study
Critics disagree, say it's diffcult to learn when afraid
Shirley Lin, National Post
Published: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
More On This Story
Father charged with assault after spanking son
Spanking: There is such a thing as reasonable force
Related Topics
Marjorie Gunnoe
Wayne Cuddington/Canwest News Service A U.S. study states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life than their never-spanked counterparts.
Young children spanked by their parents may perform better at school later on and grow up to be happier, according to a controversial new study that is drawing scorn from critics.
The U.S.-based research states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life, more likely to take voluntary work, and more keen to attend university than their never-spanked counterparts.
The findings were drawn from interviews of more than 2,600 people, including a core group of 179 teenagers. The teens were asked how old they were when they were spanked and how often it happened. Their answers were compared with information they gave about their behaviour that could have been influenced by smacking.
Lead researcher Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychology professor at Michigan's Calvin College, said her research is not a green light for parents to spank their children, but rather a red light for those groups who want corporal punishment banned.
"There isn't enough evidence that kids who are not spanked look better than kids who are spanked," said Prof. Gunnoe, a mother of two children (she has spanked only one). "Some need the extra deterrent ... for young children, the external motivator is more effective."
However this latest research, which Prof. Gunnoe admitted was previously rejected by two professional journals, including the Journal of Family Psychology, contradicts other findings that spanking is counterproductive.
Dr. Diane Sacks, former president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, says research has proven that spanking, whether short or long-term, leads to "bad, physical behaviour."
"Many studies show that when children are spanked in order to teach, they don't learn," said Dr. Sacks, a pediatrician with 35 years experience. "When afraid, children learn poorly. Fear is a very bad teacher."
Instead, Dr. Sacks suggests non-physical methods to control the child. Time-outs, keeping the child out of the situation, or a firm "no" are much better forms of discipline.
Grant Wilson, president of the Canadian Children's Rights Council, suggested that the study's results may have been influenced by Calvin College's Christian affiliation, adding that some religious groups have opposed abolition of corporal punishment.
"People get confused over what discipline is -- it's not hitting children," Mr. Wilson said. "There are better methods of parenting rather than hitting.... It's not OK to hit children."
The spanking study had Prof. Gunnoe interviewing teenagers between ages 12 and 18. Their answers to a questionnaire about their childhood discipline was compared with their current behaviour, possibly affected by spanking. These measures covered topics around good behaviour such as academic aspirations, doing well in school and optimism for the future. The bad outcomes included violence, depression and anti-social behaviour.
Teenagers who had been spanked between ages two to six performed slightly better on the positive behaviors, but no worse on the negative measures than those who had never been spanked, the study found.
Only the teenagers who were still being spankYoung children spanked by their parents may perform better at school later on and grow up to be happier, according to a controversial new study that is drawing scorn from critics.
The U.S.-based research states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life, more likely to take voluntary work, and more keen to attend university than their never-spanked counterparts.
The findings were drawn from interviews of more than 2,600 people, including a core group of 179 teenagers. The teens were asked how old they were when they were spanked and how often it happened. Their answers were compared with information they gave about their behaviour that could have been influenced by smacking.
Lead researcher Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychology professor at Michigan's Calvin College, said her research is not a green light for parents to spank their children, but rather a red light for those groups who want corporal punishment banned.
"There isn't enough evidence that kids who are not spanked look better than kids who are spanked," said Prof. Gunnoe, a mother of two children [she has spanked only one]. "Some need the extra deterrent ... for young children, the external motivator is more effective."
However this latest research, which Prof. Gunnoe admitted was previously rejected by two professional journals, including the Journal of Family Psychology, contradicts other findings that spanking is counterproductive.
Dr. Diane Sacks, former president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, says research has proven that spanking, whether short or long-term, leads to "bad, physical behaviour."
"Many studies show that when children are spanked in order to teach, they don't learn," said Dr. Sacks, a pediatrician with 35 years experience. "When afraid, children learn poorly. Fear is a very bad teacher."
Instead, Dr. Sacks suggests non-physical methods to control the child. Time-outs, keeping the child out of the situation, or a firm "no" are much better forms of discipline.
Grant Wilson, president of the Canadian Children's Rights Council, suggested that the study's results may have been influenced by Calvin College's Christian affiliation, adding that some religious groups have opposed abolition of corporal punishment.
"People get confused over what discipline is -- it's not hitting children," Mr. Wilson said. "There are better methods of parenting rather than hitting.... It's not OK to hit children."
The spanking study had Prof. Gunnoe interviewing teenagers between ages 12 and 18. Their answers to a questionnaire about their childhood discipline was compared with their current behaviour, possibly affected by spanking. These measures covered topics around good behaviour such as academic aspirations, doing well in school and optimism for the future. The bad outcomes included violence, depression and anti-social behaviour.
Teenagers who had been spanked between ages two to six performed slightly better on the positive behaviors, but no worse on the negative measures than those who had never been spanked, the study found.
Only the teenagers who were still being spanked showed clear behavioural problems, receiving the worst scores.
However, the results were less clear for the teenagers spanked between ages seven to 11. Against the never-spanked group, they scored slightly worse on the negative behaviours, being more prone to violence and anti-social behaviour. But they also scored well on the positive measures.
The study also compared teenagers from different ethnic groups and genders, but found little difference between them.ed showed clear behavioural problems, receiving the worst scores.
However, the results were less clear for the teenagers spanked between ages seven to 11. Against the never-spanked group, they scored slightly worse on the negative behaviours, being more prone to violence and anti-social behaviour. But they also scored well on the positive measures.
The study also compared teenagers from different ethnic groups and genders, but found little difference between them.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2409510#ixzz0enQ7HaWo
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2409510#ixzz0er6TYG6M
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Critics disagree, say it's diffcult to learn when afraid
Shirley Lin, National Post
Published: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Father charged with assault after spanking son
Spanking: There is such a thing as reasonable force
Related Topics
Marjorie Gunnoe
Wayne Cuddington/Canwest News Service A U.S. study states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life than their never-spanked counterparts.
Young children spanked by their parents may perform better at school later on and grow up to be happier, according to a controversial new study that is drawing scorn from critics.
The U.S.-based research states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life, more likely to take voluntary work, and more keen to attend university than their never-spanked counterparts.
The findings were drawn from interviews of more than 2,600 people, including a core group of 179 teenagers. The teens were asked how old they were when they were spanked and how often it happened. Their answers were compared with information they gave about their behaviour that could have been influenced by smacking.
Lead researcher Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychology professor at Michigan's Calvin College, said her research is not a green light for parents to spank their children, but rather a red light for those groups who want corporal punishment banned.
"There isn't enough evidence that kids who are not spanked look better than kids who are spanked," said Prof. Gunnoe, a mother of two children (she has spanked only one). "Some need the extra deterrent ... for young children, the external motivator is more effective."
However this latest research, which Prof. Gunnoe admitted was previously rejected by two professional journals, including the Journal of Family Psychology, contradicts other findings that spanking is counterproductive.
Dr. Diane Sacks, former president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, says research has proven that spanking, whether short or long-term, leads to "bad, physical behaviour."
"Many studies show that when children are spanked in order to teach, they don't learn," said Dr. Sacks, a pediatrician with 35 years experience. "When afraid, children learn poorly. Fear is a very bad teacher."
Instead, Dr. Sacks suggests non-physical methods to control the child. Time-outs, keeping the child out of the situation, or a firm "no" are much better forms of discipline.
Grant Wilson, president of the Canadian Children's Rights Council, suggested that the study's results may have been influenced by Calvin College's Christian affiliation, adding that some religious groups have opposed abolition of corporal punishment.
"People get confused over what discipline is -- it's not hitting children," Mr. Wilson said. "There are better methods of parenting rather than hitting.... It's not OK to hit children."
The spanking study had Prof. Gunnoe interviewing teenagers between ages 12 and 18. Their answers to a questionnaire about their childhood discipline was compared with their current behaviour, possibly affected by spanking. These measures covered topics around good behaviour such as academic aspirations, doing well in school and optimism for the future. The bad outcomes included violence, depression and anti-social behaviour.
Teenagers who had been spanked between ages two to six performed slightly better on the positive behaviors, but no worse on the negative measures than those who had never been spanked, the study found.
Only the teenagers who were still being spankYoung children spanked by their parents may perform better at school later on and grow up to be happier, according to a controversial new study that is drawing scorn from critics.
The U.S.-based research states that spanking children up to six years old made them more successful in school, more optimistic about life, more likely to take voluntary work, and more keen to attend university than their never-spanked counterparts.
The findings were drawn from interviews of more than 2,600 people, including a core group of 179 teenagers. The teens were asked how old they were when they were spanked and how often it happened. Their answers were compared with information they gave about their behaviour that could have been influenced by smacking.
Lead researcher Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychology professor at Michigan's Calvin College, said her research is not a green light for parents to spank their children, but rather a red light for those groups who want corporal punishment banned.
"There isn't enough evidence that kids who are not spanked look better than kids who are spanked," said Prof. Gunnoe, a mother of two children [she has spanked only one]. "Some need the extra deterrent ... for young children, the external motivator is more effective."
However this latest research, which Prof. Gunnoe admitted was previously rejected by two professional journals, including the Journal of Family Psychology, contradicts other findings that spanking is counterproductive.
Dr. Diane Sacks, former president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, says research has proven that spanking, whether short or long-term, leads to "bad, physical behaviour."
"Many studies show that when children are spanked in order to teach, they don't learn," said Dr. Sacks, a pediatrician with 35 years experience. "When afraid, children learn poorly. Fear is a very bad teacher."
Instead, Dr. Sacks suggests non-physical methods to control the child. Time-outs, keeping the child out of the situation, or a firm "no" are much better forms of discipline.
Grant Wilson, president of the Canadian Children's Rights Council, suggested that the study's results may have been influenced by Calvin College's Christian affiliation, adding that some religious groups have opposed abolition of corporal punishment.
"People get confused over what discipline is -- it's not hitting children," Mr. Wilson said. "There are better methods of parenting rather than hitting.... It's not OK to hit children."
The spanking study had Prof. Gunnoe interviewing teenagers between ages 12 and 18. Their answers to a questionnaire about their childhood discipline was compared with their current behaviour, possibly affected by spanking. These measures covered topics around good behaviour such as academic aspirations, doing well in school and optimism for the future. The bad outcomes included violence, depression and anti-social behaviour.
Teenagers who had been spanked between ages two to six performed slightly better on the positive behaviors, but no worse on the negative measures than those who had never been spanked, the study found.
Only the teenagers who were still being spanked showed clear behavioural problems, receiving the worst scores.
However, the results were less clear for the teenagers spanked between ages seven to 11. Against the never-spanked group, they scored slightly worse on the negative behaviours, being more prone to violence and anti-social behaviour. But they also scored well on the positive measures.
The study also compared teenagers from different ethnic groups and genders, but found little difference between them.ed showed clear behavioural problems, receiving the worst scores.
However, the results were less clear for the teenagers spanked between ages seven to 11. Against the never-spanked group, they scored slightly worse on the negative behaviours, being more prone to violence and anti-social behaviour. But they also scored well on the positive measures.
The study also compared teenagers from different ethnic groups and genders, but found little difference between them.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2409510#ixzz0enQ7HaWo
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2409510#ixzz0er6TYG6M
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