FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION PART 3 POOR ATTACHMENT BY ANY OTHER NAME…TRAUMA
FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION – PART 3
POOR ATTACHMENT BY ANY OTHER NAME… TRAUMA
© 2010 By Deborah Beasley, ACPI CCPF
In the last two decades more attention has been focused on children and trauma than at any other time. New scientific understanding of the brain emerged which shed new light on how trauma changes the brain and interrupts healthy development in a child. Trauma has been defined as “any unexpected, overwhelming, or prolonged event which goes unprocessed, unexpressed, and misunderstood.” Dr. Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger Healing Trauma states that, “Trauma is not in the event itself; rather, trauma resides in the nervous system.”
What is Trauma?
Trauma is more than a catastrophic event. Trauma can happen at any time, or at no particular time. It damages some and leaves others untouched. It can occur though the person is not physically present at the time of the event. It can leave its dark imprint through hearing, seeing, smelling, or the feeling of it. Examples are broad and sometimes not what we might expect:
Illness
Abuse
Violence
Adoption
Foster Care
Medical Procedures and long hospitalizations
Difficult birth
Abandonment and Neglect
Loss of a Caregiver/or many caregivers
Separation from Caregiver
Divorce
Accidents (e.g. falls from bikes or down stairs, automobile accidents)
Trauma has the potential of occurring whenever the body/mind system is triggered into believing it is in a life threatening environment. Many have experienced being at home alone, perhaps late at night. Everything is quiet; most of the lights are off. We hear a noise from another room, or we think we hear something. All of our senses swell in heightened alert. We feel changes in our bodies. We may become aware of perspiration, rapid shallow breathing, and thumping heartbeat. Our eyes grow wide trying to take in as much light as possible. Our hearing becomes acute to every sound. Internally, our blood rushes away from our digestive organs and pushes into our extremities. We are preparing to run…or fight, if need be. This is who we are at our deepest functioning level. One moment calm, the next triggered by a small sound into full survival mode. Fight, flight, or freeze. But, wait! We discover only that the sound was the refrigerator turning on, or the dishwasher we pre-programmed earlier, or the normal sounds of a settling house. We believed ourselves to be threatened and in danger of our lives. This example sends home that , “What we perceive to be true we believe to be true.” Our brain does not distinguish the difference.
Recent Studies
In 2001, the horrendous tragedy of 9-11 brought renewed attention to how children (and adults) experience traumatic stress and its effects on their lives. According to the New York School of Medicine 1.2 million children from New York City alone were directly affected by the 9-11 attacks. Prominent scientists, neurologists, and psychologists throughout the United States began intensive studies on the affects of trauma on these children.
The study focused on school-aged kids from 6-18 years. Children with no prior psychopathology developed significant life crippling fears with diagnosable psychological and behavioral disorders after the 9-11 events. Some of these developed within one month. One year after this study, 1 in every 6 children continued to experience nightmares, bedwetting, fears of losing parents, fears of going out, and school bus aversion. There was a notable increase in risk taking behaviors among this groups teenagers disproportionate to the general adolescent population. Rises in cigarette smoking, drug and alcohol involvement, and oppositional behavior were prevalent, along with marked decline in academics. The sudden and catastrophic effects the experience of traumatic stress leaves on the mind and bodies of children was understood clearly as a result of this and other intensive studies following the 9-11 attacks.
Trauma at the Body Level
The old adage: “Time heals all things” no longer applies in these and many other cases. We used to believe kids would ‘just get over it.’ We used to believe the younger they were the sooner they would forget. After all, we know the plasticity of the brain and kids are born to be resilient. The prevailing thought was that much of the infant and child’s brain was not yet functioning to full capacity. The child was then not aware and therefore suffered less from the negative effects of life. How far from true this is! “The event may have disappeared from conscious memory, but the body does not forget,” Dr. Peter Levine. Trauma, which goes unprocessed, unexpressed, and misunderstood, then develops at the cellular level and in the deepest sensory memories stored within the brain.
The brain suffering the psychological and emotional insults and injuries of trauma was incapable of being healed; so was the prevailing thought little more than two decades ago. We now know that healing the brain is possible. Dr. Susan Bradley, author of Affect Regulation and the Development of Psychopathology states; “It is through the sensory pathways that the damage occurred- and it is through the sensory pathways that healing can happen.” Relationship is the key to healing. A child’s relationship with a loving and supporting caregiver can create many opportunities for healing past traumas in a child’s life. The work is hard, and demands draining commitment and parental dedication.
Tell me…are you up to it?
Look for my next installment…
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
LOST IN TRAUMA Where Are Haiti’s Children?
RAD WITH BROKEN HEARTS AND FRAGILE WINGS CAN THESE BIRDS LEARN TO FLY?
UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA AND BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN
http://howdoesyourchildgrow.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/foster-care-and-adoption-part-3-poor-attachment-by-any-other-name-trauma/
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
Friday, July 2, 2010
Judges criticise social workers
Judges criticise social workers in Devon and Greenwich
A judge at the Court of Appeal has criticised attempts by Devon social workers to take a baby away from his teenage mother and have him adopted.
Lord Justice Aikens said it was likely to be perceived as "more like Stalin's Russia... than the west of England."
Lawyers for Devon County Council later withdrew their appeal.
In a separate case social workers in Greenwich, London, were criticised for their lack of support for a mother who was trying to get her children back.
The first priority had to be for the welfare and protection of a vulnerable child
Devon County Council
The Devon case involved teenage mother S and her baby son H.
County council lawyers were appealing against a previous judgement that the mother should be allowed a last chance to prove she was fit to keep her child.
They argued that she formed relationships which put herself and her baby at risk and it was in his best interests that he be placed in foster care and adopted.
Lord Justice Aikens, sitting alongside Lord Justice Wall, said there was no evidence that the mother had maltreated her baby in any way, or that the violent father of her first child would have anything to do with him.
He said the perception might be that social workers were effectively saying to the mother "whatever you do doesn't make any difference, we are going to take your child away".
"That is more like Stalin's Russia or Mao's China than the west of England," he added.
Final chance
The judges said they were not saying S could keep her baby but wanted her to have a final chance to prove her son would be safe with her.
A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: "This is a difficult and complex case in which the county council's first priority had to be for the welfare and protection of a vulnerable child.
"It was the view... that a care order was the most effective way of providing an appropriate level of protection for the child concerned."
The council is now planning to review its position.
The Greenwich appeal case involved a mother seeking the return of her five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.
They were taken into care after the girl was taken into hospital with a broken arm and doctors decided the injury was not an accident.
In October a judge made a full care order in favour of Greenwich Council after concluding that the children's father was to blame for the injury and the mother was still in contact with him.
Denied help
On Friday Lady Justice Smith, Lord Justice Wall and Mrs Justice Baron set that judgement aside.
Lord Justice Wall ruled the local authority ought to have made it clear to the mother that she was expected to prove that she was no longer in contact with the father.
He said: "Here was a mother who needed and was asking for help to break free from an abusive relationship.
"She was denied that help abruptly and without explanation. That, in my judgment, is very poor social work practice."
He added that social workers were perceived by many as the "arrogant and enthusiastic removers of children from their parents" and that their aim should be to "unite families rather than separate them."
However, he did acknowledge that social workers faced "difficult tasks" and were often "damned if they do and damned if they do not."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8616570.stm
A judge at the Court of Appeal has criticised attempts by Devon social workers to take a baby away from his teenage mother and have him adopted.
Lord Justice Aikens said it was likely to be perceived as "more like Stalin's Russia... than the west of England."
Lawyers for Devon County Council later withdrew their appeal.
In a separate case social workers in Greenwich, London, were criticised for their lack of support for a mother who was trying to get her children back.
The first priority had to be for the welfare and protection of a vulnerable child
Devon County Council
The Devon case involved teenage mother S and her baby son H.
County council lawyers were appealing against a previous judgement that the mother should be allowed a last chance to prove she was fit to keep her child.
They argued that she formed relationships which put herself and her baby at risk and it was in his best interests that he be placed in foster care and adopted.
Lord Justice Aikens, sitting alongside Lord Justice Wall, said there was no evidence that the mother had maltreated her baby in any way, or that the violent father of her first child would have anything to do with him.
He said the perception might be that social workers were effectively saying to the mother "whatever you do doesn't make any difference, we are going to take your child away".
"That is more like Stalin's Russia or Mao's China than the west of England," he added.
Final chance
The judges said they were not saying S could keep her baby but wanted her to have a final chance to prove her son would be safe with her.
A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: "This is a difficult and complex case in which the county council's first priority had to be for the welfare and protection of a vulnerable child.
"It was the view... that a care order was the most effective way of providing an appropriate level of protection for the child concerned."
The council is now planning to review its position.
The Greenwich appeal case involved a mother seeking the return of her five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.
They were taken into care after the girl was taken into hospital with a broken arm and doctors decided the injury was not an accident.
In October a judge made a full care order in favour of Greenwich Council after concluding that the children's father was to blame for the injury and the mother was still in contact with him.
Denied help
On Friday Lady Justice Smith, Lord Justice Wall and Mrs Justice Baron set that judgement aside.
Lord Justice Wall ruled the local authority ought to have made it clear to the mother that she was expected to prove that she was no longer in contact with the father.
He said: "Here was a mother who needed and was asking for help to break free from an abusive relationship.
"She was denied that help abruptly and without explanation. That, in my judgment, is very poor social work practice."
He added that social workers were perceived by many as the "arrogant and enthusiastic removers of children from their parents" and that their aim should be to "unite families rather than separate them."
However, he did acknowledge that social workers faced "difficult tasks" and were often "damned if they do and damned if they do not."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8616570.stm
Baby Mikaela Please Read!!! It's very important.
Baby Mikaela Please Read!!! It's very important.
On May 21, 2010, a blind couple in Missouri gave birth to their first child, Mikaela. A few hours after Mikaela was born, the mother experienced some difficulty breastfeeding, a common problem for first-time mothers. She asked her nurse for advice, but instead of offering guidance, the nurse called Child Protective Services. That evening, newborn Mikaela was taken into foster care. Why? Not because the parents used drugs, showed signs of abuse or were found to be living in substandard conditions. The only reason CPS cites for their intervention is the mere fact that the parents are blind and, therefore, are not fit parents. This in spite of hundreds of blind parents, including single parents and blind couples, who have successfully raised children to adulthood. Leaders in the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri also interviewed the parents extensively and determined that they are indeed skilled in the adaptive techniques needed to parent without sight.
Amazingly, no federal laws exist at this time to protect disabled parents from this kind of blatant discrimination. So the burden of proof now rests on the parents to demonstrate that they are capable of taking care of their daughter. With the help of the NFB of Missouri, they have hired an attorney at $250 per hour to represent them in court, and are also paying to get official evaluations showing that they are fit to raise a child. We are optimistic that with a sympathetic judge, baby Mikaela will be able to come home. But we need money to continue fighting this battle, not only for Mikaela's family, but also so that people like me will be able to have kids one day without fearing that this tragedy could happen to us as well.
If you would like to make a donation to help defray the tremendous legal expenses, and are going to convention, you can stop by the NFB of Missouri table in the exhibit hall. If you aren't going to convention but would still like to contribute, please send a check to:
Carol Coulter
1613 Blue Ridge
Columbia, MO 65202-1759
Please make checks payable to "National Federation of the Blind of Missouri" and write "baby Mikaela" in the subject line.
http://community.livejournal.com/nfb_federation/10058.html
On May 21, 2010, a blind couple in Missouri gave birth to their first child, Mikaela. A few hours after Mikaela was born, the mother experienced some difficulty breastfeeding, a common problem for first-time mothers. She asked her nurse for advice, but instead of offering guidance, the nurse called Child Protective Services. That evening, newborn Mikaela was taken into foster care. Why? Not because the parents used drugs, showed signs of abuse or were found to be living in substandard conditions. The only reason CPS cites for their intervention is the mere fact that the parents are blind and, therefore, are not fit parents. This in spite of hundreds of blind parents, including single parents and blind couples, who have successfully raised children to adulthood. Leaders in the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri also interviewed the parents extensively and determined that they are indeed skilled in the adaptive techniques needed to parent without sight.
Amazingly, no federal laws exist at this time to protect disabled parents from this kind of blatant discrimination. So the burden of proof now rests on the parents to demonstrate that they are capable of taking care of their daughter. With the help of the NFB of Missouri, they have hired an attorney at $250 per hour to represent them in court, and are also paying to get official evaluations showing that they are fit to raise a child. We are optimistic that with a sympathetic judge, baby Mikaela will be able to come home. But we need money to continue fighting this battle, not only for Mikaela's family, but also so that people like me will be able to have kids one day without fearing that this tragedy could happen to us as well.
If you would like to make a donation to help defray the tremendous legal expenses, and are going to convention, you can stop by the NFB of Missouri table in the exhibit hall. If you aren't going to convention but would still like to contribute, please send a check to:
Carol Coulter
1613 Blue Ridge
Columbia, MO 65202-1759
Please make checks payable to "National Federation of the Blind of Missouri" and write "baby Mikaela" in the subject line.
http://community.livejournal.com/nfb_federation/10058.html
Mother suing couple, agencies over abuse
Mother suing couple, agencies over abuse
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI, Staff writer
June 28, 2010 12:05 AM Posted in: East Volusia - West Volusia Tagged: Robert Clinton
Clinton
DAYTONA BEACH -- A local mother is suing the state and two local foster care agencies, claiming they failed to keep her daughter safe when she was sexually assaulted by a former Deltona foster parent.
The 40-year-old Daytona Beach single mother, Lisa, whose last name is not being used by The News-Journal to protect the child's identity, has filed a civil suit on behalf of her daughter and son against the state Department of Children & Families, Community Partnership for Children, Neighbor To Family and former foster parents Robert R. Clinton and Betty Dease-Clinton.
Robert Clinton is serving life in prison after being convicted of lewd and lascivious molestation involving the foster daughter, 10 counts of possession of pornography involving a child and 40 counts of promoting sexual performance of a child under 12.
Dease-Clinton, who has since divorced Robert Clinton, could not be reached for comment.
The suit filed last week states the then 2 1/2-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on a regular basis in the home between June 29, 2006, and July 14, 2006, by Robert Clinton and that 41 separate pornographic photos were taken of the assaults on the child and displayed on the Internet for public viewing.
The suit, which is seeking in excess of $15,000 in damages, says the child has and will continue to suffer severe bodily harm, pain and suffering, mental anguish and "loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life" and will require treatment the rest of her life due to the "severe psychological trauma."
The girl's brother, who was 5 at the time, witnessed the assaults on his sister on numerous occasions, according to the suit, and suffered and will continue to suffer emotional distress, mental anguish and pain and suffering. The mother, who now has custody of her three children but has still been dealing with the state over whether she can properly care for them, said in a phone interview that her daughter, who is now 6, has gone through counseling but continues to have issues.
"I just don't want this to happen to no one else," she said.
DCF, Community Partnership for Children and/or Neighbor To Family, the suit states, were required to perform weekly face-to-face visits until the placement was stable and secure. The suit also says the agencies should have met privately with the children to address any problems or concerns.
"They should have known there were things going on in that home," the mother said. "They didn't do their job properly."
Her personal injury attorney, William Chanfrau Jr. in Daytona Beach, said they tried to resolve the case before filing suit but the state denied any liability.
"If you're going to put a child in a foster home, you better make sure the kid is going to be protected," Chanfrau said.
Reggie Williams, local DCF administrator, said he can't comment on the suit except that "the situation itself was unfortunate."
The agencies also failed, according to the suit, to use reasonable care in screening the prospective foster parents "who have knowingly provided false and misleading information regarding their criminal background" and their character.
The suit also says Betty Dease-Clinton failed to provide a safe and secure environment and failed to prevent the abuse by her then-husband and "failed to timely report" the abuse "which she knew or should have known about."
Police had previously stated they didn't think the wife was involved and she was never charged. But Chanfrau believes she is liable for "failing to supervise and watch the children."
Gordon Johnson, CEO of Neighbor To Family, which oversaw the foster parents and case workers, said "this was a very unusual occurrence" and that the agency did an "extensive" background check and nothing was found.
"We did everything to protect them," Johnson said. "We were very shocked to have this happen. It wasn't something we had known about before."
Bill Babiez, CEO of Community Partnership for Children, which contracts with Neighbor To Family, also said two reviews were made following Clinton's arrest and found all proper background checks were done.
According to the mother and her dependency attorneys, the three children were placed in foster care in 2006 because one of the daughters was hospitalized after she got into a hair product. The children were later returned and removed again after the two daughters were sexually acting out in day care, which the mother and her attorneys had said was based on the molestation in foster care.
Her three children, now 4, 6 and 9, were returned in intervals at the end of last year. But a dependency case remains open and case workers from Community Partnership for Children have monitored the home on a weekly basis and are moving to biweekly visits, officials there said. Agency officials have stated in the past they were concerned with her parenting because tests show she has a low IQ.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/06/28/mother-suing-couple-agencies-over-abuse.html
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI, Staff writer
June 28, 2010 12:05 AM Posted in: East Volusia - West Volusia Tagged: Robert Clinton
Clinton
DAYTONA BEACH -- A local mother is suing the state and two local foster care agencies, claiming they failed to keep her daughter safe when she was sexually assaulted by a former Deltona foster parent.
The 40-year-old Daytona Beach single mother, Lisa, whose last name is not being used by The News-Journal to protect the child's identity, has filed a civil suit on behalf of her daughter and son against the state Department of Children & Families, Community Partnership for Children, Neighbor To Family and former foster parents Robert R. Clinton and Betty Dease-Clinton.
Robert Clinton is serving life in prison after being convicted of lewd and lascivious molestation involving the foster daughter, 10 counts of possession of pornography involving a child and 40 counts of promoting sexual performance of a child under 12.
Dease-Clinton, who has since divorced Robert Clinton, could not be reached for comment.
The suit filed last week states the then 2 1/2-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on a regular basis in the home between June 29, 2006, and July 14, 2006, by Robert Clinton and that 41 separate pornographic photos were taken of the assaults on the child and displayed on the Internet for public viewing.
The suit, which is seeking in excess of $15,000 in damages, says the child has and will continue to suffer severe bodily harm, pain and suffering, mental anguish and "loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life" and will require treatment the rest of her life due to the "severe psychological trauma."
The girl's brother, who was 5 at the time, witnessed the assaults on his sister on numerous occasions, according to the suit, and suffered and will continue to suffer emotional distress, mental anguish and pain and suffering. The mother, who now has custody of her three children but has still been dealing with the state over whether she can properly care for them, said in a phone interview that her daughter, who is now 6, has gone through counseling but continues to have issues.
"I just don't want this to happen to no one else," she said.
DCF, Community Partnership for Children and/or Neighbor To Family, the suit states, were required to perform weekly face-to-face visits until the placement was stable and secure. The suit also says the agencies should have met privately with the children to address any problems or concerns.
"They should have known there were things going on in that home," the mother said. "They didn't do their job properly."
Her personal injury attorney, William Chanfrau Jr. in Daytona Beach, said they tried to resolve the case before filing suit but the state denied any liability.
"If you're going to put a child in a foster home, you better make sure the kid is going to be protected," Chanfrau said.
Reggie Williams, local DCF administrator, said he can't comment on the suit except that "the situation itself was unfortunate."
The agencies also failed, according to the suit, to use reasonable care in screening the prospective foster parents "who have knowingly provided false and misleading information regarding their criminal background" and their character.
The suit also says Betty Dease-Clinton failed to provide a safe and secure environment and failed to prevent the abuse by her then-husband and "failed to timely report" the abuse "which she knew or should have known about."
Police had previously stated they didn't think the wife was involved and she was never charged. But Chanfrau believes she is liable for "failing to supervise and watch the children."
Gordon Johnson, CEO of Neighbor To Family, which oversaw the foster parents and case workers, said "this was a very unusual occurrence" and that the agency did an "extensive" background check and nothing was found.
"We did everything to protect them," Johnson said. "We were very shocked to have this happen. It wasn't something we had known about before."
Bill Babiez, CEO of Community Partnership for Children, which contracts with Neighbor To Family, also said two reviews were made following Clinton's arrest and found all proper background checks were done.
According to the mother and her dependency attorneys, the three children were placed in foster care in 2006 because one of the daughters was hospitalized after she got into a hair product. The children were later returned and removed again after the two daughters were sexually acting out in day care, which the mother and her attorneys had said was based on the molestation in foster care.
Her three children, now 4, 6 and 9, were returned in intervals at the end of last year. But a dependency case remains open and case workers from Community Partnership for Children have monitored the home on a weekly basis and are moving to biweekly visits, officials there said. Agency officials have stated in the past they were concerned with her parenting because tests show she has a low IQ.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/06/28/mother-suing-couple-agencies-over-abuse.html
Child protection agency blames its own errors in death of foster child
Child protection agency blames its own errors in death of foster child
By Marjie Lundstrom
mlundstrom@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010 - 4:51 pm
Last Modified: Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010 - 6:41 pm
A searing internal review of Sacramento County's Child Protective Services has concluded that judgment errors and bias among agency workers were factors in the 2008 death of a 4 1/2-year-old foster child.
For the first time since Amariana Crenshaw died in January 2008, top agency officials acknowledged a series of CPS mistakes leading up to the girl's death - and how they plan to fix them.
"For all our good intentions, we were really not on track," said CPS Director Laura Coulthard, who became tearful at times discussing the case.
Key findings of the review
Amariana was not thriving in foster care. Her medical and mental health care were not adequately monitored.
Once in foster care, no one social worker had a sustained relationship with Amariana.
Case management was not anchored in Amariana�s well being.
Opportunities to fully inquire into Amariana�s well-being were missed because referrals were not investigated in accordance with guidelines and mandates.
Critical thinking errors were a common theme throughout Amariana�s Child Protective Services case.
CPS and partners lacked a cohesive response to Amariana�s death and the concerns uncovered in the aftermath.
Two years after Amariana�s death there continue to be unresolved questions about whether CPS can place a �hold� on a certified foster home. There is no apparent system in place to track concerns for these homes.
"As painful as it is, it's also just a great call to all of us that we can't work in silos, we've got to come together, we've got to be accountable."
Coulthard said the agency's internal review was in direct response to a Bee series published in January about Amariana's death while in foster care. The Bee's investigation raised numerous questions about the quality of care the little girl received in the crowded and tumultuous foster home of Tracy Dossman, who has since been decertified by the state.
CPS continued to place children in Dossman's care for more than two years after Amariana's body was pulled from a burning rental home owned by the foster provider. The case remains unsolved by Sacramento Police, who are investigating the child's death as a homicide after at least one Molotov cocktail ignited in the room where Amariana allegedly was sleeping.
The report and an accompanying letter released Thursday detail a "troubling combination of organizational, practice and communication issues" involving both front-line social workers and supervisors.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/24/2847319/child-protection-agency-blames.html#mi_rss=Latest%20News#ixzz0sZvr1uy1
By Marjie Lundstrom
mlundstrom@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010 - 4:51 pm
Last Modified: Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010 - 6:41 pm
A searing internal review of Sacramento County's Child Protective Services has concluded that judgment errors and bias among agency workers were factors in the 2008 death of a 4 1/2-year-old foster child.
For the first time since Amariana Crenshaw died in January 2008, top agency officials acknowledged a series of CPS mistakes leading up to the girl's death - and how they plan to fix them.
"For all our good intentions, we were really not on track," said CPS Director Laura Coulthard, who became tearful at times discussing the case.
Key findings of the review
Amariana was not thriving in foster care. Her medical and mental health care were not adequately monitored.
Once in foster care, no one social worker had a sustained relationship with Amariana.
Case management was not anchored in Amariana�s well being.
Opportunities to fully inquire into Amariana�s well-being were missed because referrals were not investigated in accordance with guidelines and mandates.
Critical thinking errors were a common theme throughout Amariana�s Child Protective Services case.
CPS and partners lacked a cohesive response to Amariana�s death and the concerns uncovered in the aftermath.
Two years after Amariana�s death there continue to be unresolved questions about whether CPS can place a �hold� on a certified foster home. There is no apparent system in place to track concerns for these homes.
"As painful as it is, it's also just a great call to all of us that we can't work in silos, we've got to come together, we've got to be accountable."
Coulthard said the agency's internal review was in direct response to a Bee series published in January about Amariana's death while in foster care. The Bee's investigation raised numerous questions about the quality of care the little girl received in the crowded and tumultuous foster home of Tracy Dossman, who has since been decertified by the state.
CPS continued to place children in Dossman's care for more than two years after Amariana's body was pulled from a burning rental home owned by the foster provider. The case remains unsolved by Sacramento Police, who are investigating the child's death as a homicide after at least one Molotov cocktail ignited in the room where Amariana allegedly was sleeping.
The report and an accompanying letter released Thursday detail a "troubling combination of organizational, practice and communication issues" involving both front-line social workers and supervisors.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/24/2847319/child-protection-agency-blames.html#mi_rss=Latest%20News#ixzz0sZvr1uy1
CPS errors, bias contributed to child's death
Review: CPS errors, bias contributed to child's death
By Marjie Lundstrom
mlundstrom@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jun. 25, 2010 - 4:43 pm | Page 1A
Last Modified: Monday, Jun. 28, 2010 - 9:57 am
A searing internal review of Sacramento County's Child Protective Services has concluded that judgment errors and bias among agency workers were factors in the 2008 death of a 4 1/2-year-old foster child.
For the first time since Amariana Crenshaw died in January 2008, top agency officials acknowledged a series of mistakes leading up to the girl's death – and outlined how they plan to fix them.
"For all our good intentions, we were really not on track," said CPS Director Laura Coulthard, who became tearful at times discussing the case.
"As painful as it is, it's also just a great call to all of us that we can't work in silos, we've got to come together, we've got to be accountable."
Coulthard said the agency's internal review was in direct response to a Bee series published in January about Amariana's death while in foster care. The Bee's investigation raised numerous questions about the quality of care the little girl received in the crowded and tumultuous foster home of Tracy Dossman, who has since been decertified for foster care by the state.
CPS continued to place children in Dossman's care for more than two years after Amariana's body was pulled from a burning rental home owned by the foster provider. The case remains unsolved by Sacramento police, who are investigating the child's death as a homicide after at least one Molotov cocktail ignited in the room where Amariana reportedly was sleeping.
The report and an accompanying letter released Thursday detail a "troubling combination of organizational, practice and communication issues" involving both front-line social workers and supervisors.
For instance, Amariana – during just 30 months in foster care – was seen by seven different CPS social workers as well as numerous social workers for the private foster family agencies that monitored the home.
Coulthard's boss, Ann Edwards-Buckley, told The Bee that CPS is "absolutely committed" to making changes, despite deep budget cuts. By month's end, the agency will have cut 34 percent of its staff in the last two years – including some 142 social worker positions.
"The kind of change we are implementing is a culture change," said Edwards-Buckley, director of the county's Department of Health and Human Services. "That kind of change takes time to kind of imbed and infuse deeply into the organization."
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley also said some disciplinary action has been taken as a result of Amariana's case but would not elaborate. Both said that aspect remains under review.
Mother's concerns ignored
A recurring theme throughout the review is that CPS workers trusted Dossman and took her word "at face value," failing to adequately investigate numerous allegations of abuse and neglect in the foster home. One of the CPS supervisors overseeing the foster home was a close friend of Dossman, and was buying the rental property from her at the time of the fire.
Dossman repeatedly has declined to talk with The Bee.
Compounding the problem within CPS, the report found, was a "bias" against Amariana's biological mother, Anisha Hill, who frequently complained to CPS about injuries her daughter was suffering in foster care. Workers dismissed Hill's claims about her daughter because she and Dossman, who are loosely related, had been feuding, the investigator found.
It was only when the county reopened the case this spring that it confirmed what The Bee reported in January – that Amariana had been seen by medical providers 17 times in a two-year span while living with Dossman. Only half of those medical visits were reported to officials by the foster parent, in violation of state licensing regulations.
And, the county learned that Dossman had failed to follow through on mental health treatment for Amariana, who exhibited such behaviors as hoarding food, gorging and vomiting, and banging her head.
She received only four visits with a counselor before Dossman began missing appointments.
"The foster parent gave just a list of excuses," said Coulthard.
The investigation also found that seven referrals alleging "specific maltreatment" of Amariana while in Dossman's care were "not investigated according to (CPS) standards."
Most of the investigations relied on Dossman's explanations for the girl's injuries, or on a "visual observation" of the girl.
Foster mom adopted sister
Amariana's biological father, Curtis Crenshaw, also raised concerns about his daughter's frequent black eyes and split lips while in foster care, according to internal records from CPS and the Juvenile Court.
Crenshaw expressed sadness Thursday over the CPS internal review, saying it will not bring back his daughter.
"She (Dossman) had too much help from CPS," Crenshaw said.
Amariana's mother, Hill, could not be reached Thursday for comment, as she was recently arrested on a federal probation violation related to drug use. But Hill had previously expressed deep concerns about the welfare of another daughter, now 10, who was adopted by Dossman after the fire.
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley said they could not publicly comment on that aspect of the case, because the child was legally adopted.
Heed 'smaller factors,' too
A letter e-mailed Thursday to child advocates and agencies, signed by Coulthard, expressed regret over Amariana's "tragic death" and a commitment to addressing the "larger systemic issues" that were uncovered.
But Coulthard also stressed a need to focus on the "smaller factors" that can significantly affect a child's safety.
"As the Sacramento Bee noted in its 2008 series on CPS, 'the tipping point for kids' safety often comes down to seemingly small things: … an unanswered knock at the door, a miscue between agencies, a lack of follow-through, an incomplete background check … ' "
The agency's public acknowledgment of errors and the scope of its internal review were applauded by one child advocate who has been among the agency's toughest critics.
Robert Wilson, executive director of the nonprofit Sacramento Child Advocates, said he believes CPS leadership is committed to change.
"I can't recall ever seeing a government agency take this kind of ownership," said Wilson, whose team of attorneys represents children in Dependency Court.
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley said the internal review of Amariana's journey through the system already has prompted changes.
For instance, all investigations of suspected abuse and neglect will be centralized in the Emergency Response program, where social workers have the most experience with such inquiries.
"This will also protect against possible bias by the case-carrying social worker," who tends to have a more personal relationship with the foster provider, the investigation concluded.
Among other changes:
• CPS and the state's Community Care Licensing Division are developing a process for joint review when a foster home has had two or more complaints.
• CPS social workers will begin contacting the medical providers for foster children every six months, ensuring that records are up to date and identifying any necessary follow-up.
• All deaths or near-deaths of children with CPS histories will be scrutinized at the top levels. Amariana's case was given only a cursory review after the fire because it was not believed to be the result of abuse or neglect.
• Plans are under way to create an in-house panel charged with evaluating all alleged conflicts of interest by CPS staff.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/25/2847994/review-cps-errors-bias-contributed.html#mi_rss=Sacramento%20City%20News#ixzz0sZv8Uaw7
By Marjie Lundstrom
mlundstrom@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jun. 25, 2010 - 4:43 pm | Page 1A
Last Modified: Monday, Jun. 28, 2010 - 9:57 am
A searing internal review of Sacramento County's Child Protective Services has concluded that judgment errors and bias among agency workers were factors in the 2008 death of a 4 1/2-year-old foster child.
For the first time since Amariana Crenshaw died in January 2008, top agency officials acknowledged a series of mistakes leading up to the girl's death – and outlined how they plan to fix them.
"For all our good intentions, we were really not on track," said CPS Director Laura Coulthard, who became tearful at times discussing the case.
"As painful as it is, it's also just a great call to all of us that we can't work in silos, we've got to come together, we've got to be accountable."
Coulthard said the agency's internal review was in direct response to a Bee series published in January about Amariana's death while in foster care. The Bee's investigation raised numerous questions about the quality of care the little girl received in the crowded and tumultuous foster home of Tracy Dossman, who has since been decertified for foster care by the state.
CPS continued to place children in Dossman's care for more than two years after Amariana's body was pulled from a burning rental home owned by the foster provider. The case remains unsolved by Sacramento police, who are investigating the child's death as a homicide after at least one Molotov cocktail ignited in the room where Amariana reportedly was sleeping.
The report and an accompanying letter released Thursday detail a "troubling combination of organizational, practice and communication issues" involving both front-line social workers and supervisors.
For instance, Amariana – during just 30 months in foster care – was seen by seven different CPS social workers as well as numerous social workers for the private foster family agencies that monitored the home.
Coulthard's boss, Ann Edwards-Buckley, told The Bee that CPS is "absolutely committed" to making changes, despite deep budget cuts. By month's end, the agency will have cut 34 percent of its staff in the last two years – including some 142 social worker positions.
"The kind of change we are implementing is a culture change," said Edwards-Buckley, director of the county's Department of Health and Human Services. "That kind of change takes time to kind of imbed and infuse deeply into the organization."
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley also said some disciplinary action has been taken as a result of Amariana's case but would not elaborate. Both said that aspect remains under review.
Mother's concerns ignored
A recurring theme throughout the review is that CPS workers trusted Dossman and took her word "at face value," failing to adequately investigate numerous allegations of abuse and neglect in the foster home. One of the CPS supervisors overseeing the foster home was a close friend of Dossman, and was buying the rental property from her at the time of the fire.
Dossman repeatedly has declined to talk with The Bee.
Compounding the problem within CPS, the report found, was a "bias" against Amariana's biological mother, Anisha Hill, who frequently complained to CPS about injuries her daughter was suffering in foster care. Workers dismissed Hill's claims about her daughter because she and Dossman, who are loosely related, had been feuding, the investigator found.
It was only when the county reopened the case this spring that it confirmed what The Bee reported in January – that Amariana had been seen by medical providers 17 times in a two-year span while living with Dossman. Only half of those medical visits were reported to officials by the foster parent, in violation of state licensing regulations.
And, the county learned that Dossman had failed to follow through on mental health treatment for Amariana, who exhibited such behaviors as hoarding food, gorging and vomiting, and banging her head.
She received only four visits with a counselor before Dossman began missing appointments.
"The foster parent gave just a list of excuses," said Coulthard.
The investigation also found that seven referrals alleging "specific maltreatment" of Amariana while in Dossman's care were "not investigated according to (CPS) standards."
Most of the investigations relied on Dossman's explanations for the girl's injuries, or on a "visual observation" of the girl.
Foster mom adopted sister
Amariana's biological father, Curtis Crenshaw, also raised concerns about his daughter's frequent black eyes and split lips while in foster care, according to internal records from CPS and the Juvenile Court.
Crenshaw expressed sadness Thursday over the CPS internal review, saying it will not bring back his daughter.
"She (Dossman) had too much help from CPS," Crenshaw said.
Amariana's mother, Hill, could not be reached Thursday for comment, as she was recently arrested on a federal probation violation related to drug use. But Hill had previously expressed deep concerns about the welfare of another daughter, now 10, who was adopted by Dossman after the fire.
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley said they could not publicly comment on that aspect of the case, because the child was legally adopted.
Heed 'smaller factors,' too
A letter e-mailed Thursday to child advocates and agencies, signed by Coulthard, expressed regret over Amariana's "tragic death" and a commitment to addressing the "larger systemic issues" that were uncovered.
But Coulthard also stressed a need to focus on the "smaller factors" that can significantly affect a child's safety.
"As the Sacramento Bee noted in its 2008 series on CPS, 'the tipping point for kids' safety often comes down to seemingly small things: … an unanswered knock at the door, a miscue between agencies, a lack of follow-through, an incomplete background check … ' "
The agency's public acknowledgment of errors and the scope of its internal review were applauded by one child advocate who has been among the agency's toughest critics.
Robert Wilson, executive director of the nonprofit Sacramento Child Advocates, said he believes CPS leadership is committed to change.
"I can't recall ever seeing a government agency take this kind of ownership," said Wilson, whose team of attorneys represents children in Dependency Court.
Coulthard and Edwards-Buckley said the internal review of Amariana's journey through the system already has prompted changes.
For instance, all investigations of suspected abuse and neglect will be centralized in the Emergency Response program, where social workers have the most experience with such inquiries.
"This will also protect against possible bias by the case-carrying social worker," who tends to have a more personal relationship with the foster provider, the investigation concluded.
Among other changes:
• CPS and the state's Community Care Licensing Division are developing a process for joint review when a foster home has had two or more complaints.
• CPS social workers will begin contacting the medical providers for foster children every six months, ensuring that records are up to date and identifying any necessary follow-up.
• All deaths or near-deaths of children with CPS histories will be scrutinized at the top levels. Amariana's case was given only a cursory review after the fire because it was not believed to be the result of abuse or neglect.
• Plans are under way to create an in-house panel charged with evaluating all alleged conflicts of interest by CPS staff.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/25/2847994/review-cps-errors-bias-contributed.html#mi_rss=Sacramento%20City%20News#ixzz0sZv8Uaw7
Baby stealers get a pass: 'Child Protective Services' workers exempt from Arizona's immigration law
Baby stealers get a pass: 'Child Protective Services' workers exempt from Arizona's immigration law
June 19, 4:22 AMLA County Libertarian ExaminerMartin Hill
"Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" is the official, yet seldom used, name of Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB 1070. A very thorough analysis of SB 1070 is presented on the 'FactReal' website. Included are recent updates, such as the fact that Governor Brewer signed an Amendment to SB1070, HB2162.
In Section 13-2929 , entitled 'Unlawful transporting, moving, concealing, harboring or shielding of unlawful aliens; vehicle impoundment; exception; classification', the law outlines provisions forbiding several things: the section forbids transporting people if someone knows or disregards the fact that they are aliens in the country illegally; forbids concealing or harboring aliens from detection; and forbids encouraging or inducing aliens to come to or reside in the state. Also, any vehicle which is used to violate the section is "subject to mandatory vehicle immobilization or impoundment".
The penalty for violating the aforementioned laws can be severe, as outlined in part D : "A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, EXCEPT THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION THAT INVOLVES TEN OR MORE ILLEGAL ALIENS IS A CLASS 6 FELONY AND THE PERSON IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH ALIEN WHO IS INVOLVED."
Part C of 13-2929, however, makes an exception to all of these laws and penalties. It states: "THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES WORKER ACTING IN THE WORKER'S OFFICIAL CAPACITY". Part C also exempts first responders, ambulance attendants and medical technicians.
So, transporting illegal aliens, concealing them from detection and arrest, and encouraging them to live in the state (with state approved foster parents, perhaps?) is not illegal if you're a child protective services worker in Arizona; the vans workers use to haul children around can not be seized or impounded (since they're vehicles which belong to the state anyway, the state seizing them would be quite redundant). Regarding the ten or more people rule, if ten kids are taken from a house for let's say, allegations of 'abuse', the child protective services worker can not be charged with a felony for having ten illegal aliens in the vehicle.
Advocates of liberty and limited government are well aware of the horrors and outrageous abuses of the so-called 'child proitective services' system across America. States are oftentimes given federal money for each kid they steal from a home. Due process is thrown out the window entirely, with families being torn apart before charges are filed, and before even an arrest or indictment is made, much less a conviction by a jury in a court of law. News reports nationwide acknowledge that once the children are stolen from their natural families, they are oftentimes abused, molested, drugged up and sometimes even killed while in custody of the state It's a shame that Arizona, in typical statist fashion, offers exceptions to socialist family-destroying busibodies in SB 1070, it's constantly touted 'tough on crime' bill.
http://www.examiner.com/x-27692-LA-County-Libertarian-Examiner~y2010m6d19-Baby-stealers-get-a-pass-Child-Protective-Services-workers-exempt-from-Arizonas-immigration-law?cid=edition-by-channel-rss-Los_Angeles-Politics
June 19, 4:22 AMLA County Libertarian ExaminerMartin Hill
"Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" is the official, yet seldom used, name of Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB 1070. A very thorough analysis of SB 1070 is presented on the 'FactReal' website. Included are recent updates, such as the fact that Governor Brewer signed an Amendment to SB1070, HB2162.
In Section 13-2929 , entitled 'Unlawful transporting, moving, concealing, harboring or shielding of unlawful aliens; vehicle impoundment; exception; classification', the law outlines provisions forbiding several things: the section forbids transporting people if someone knows or disregards the fact that they are aliens in the country illegally; forbids concealing or harboring aliens from detection; and forbids encouraging or inducing aliens to come to or reside in the state. Also, any vehicle which is used to violate the section is "subject to mandatory vehicle immobilization or impoundment".
The penalty for violating the aforementioned laws can be severe, as outlined in part D : "A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, EXCEPT THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION THAT INVOLVES TEN OR MORE ILLEGAL ALIENS IS A CLASS 6 FELONY AND THE PERSON IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH ALIEN WHO IS INVOLVED."
Part C of 13-2929, however, makes an exception to all of these laws and penalties. It states: "THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES WORKER ACTING IN THE WORKER'S OFFICIAL CAPACITY". Part C also exempts first responders, ambulance attendants and medical technicians.
So, transporting illegal aliens, concealing them from detection and arrest, and encouraging them to live in the state (with state approved foster parents, perhaps?) is not illegal if you're a child protective services worker in Arizona; the vans workers use to haul children around can not be seized or impounded (since they're vehicles which belong to the state anyway, the state seizing them would be quite redundant). Regarding the ten or more people rule, if ten kids are taken from a house for let's say, allegations of 'abuse', the child protective services worker can not be charged with a felony for having ten illegal aliens in the vehicle.
Advocates of liberty and limited government are well aware of the horrors and outrageous abuses of the so-called 'child proitective services' system across America. States are oftentimes given federal money for each kid they steal from a home. Due process is thrown out the window entirely, with families being torn apart before charges are filed, and before even an arrest or indictment is made, much less a conviction by a jury in a court of law. News reports nationwide acknowledge that once the children are stolen from their natural families, they are oftentimes abused, molested, drugged up and sometimes even killed while in custody of the state It's a shame that Arizona, in typical statist fashion, offers exceptions to socialist family-destroying busibodies in SB 1070, it's constantly touted 'tough on crime' bill.
http://www.examiner.com/x-27692-LA-County-Libertarian-Examiner~y2010m6d19-Baby-stealers-get-a-pass-Child-Protective-Services-workers-exempt-from-Arizonas-immigration-law?cid=edition-by-channel-rss-Los_Angeles-Politics
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