Grieving Mother Loses Custody Of Her Third Son - NewsRadio 750 KXL
Without explanation, a Clackamas County Juvenile Court judge has placed two-year-old Wani Lemi in state custody. So instead of going home to his mother, he will go into foster care when he is released from a local burn center. He is still in serious condition. He and his mother were both injured in the fatal apartment fire on February 12th. After the fire, Kimberly Hasty frantically described what she was up against as she tried to reach her four- and five-year-old sons, "I went back for the other two, I got down on the ground and as close as I could to them, but I couldn't even get to them." Her father Gerald hopes that she regains custody of Wani soon, "So the two of them can get back together again and they can both heal. And not just physical healing, but the emotional healing." The state will review the custody case in 30 days. Hasty shattered her heel as she jumped from a second story window to escape the fire. Investigators still haven't said what caused the fatal fire. Hasty released this statement in regards to the custody battle. "I am not aware of any reason other then (sic) my medical status as reported by Legacy Emanuel Hospital, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, and the condition of the home that burned on a court document that nowhere contained the judges name was enough was enough for a judge to decide to take my only remaining child after one of the most horrific tragedies that claimed the lives of my two boys."
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, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Budget errors uncovered at DHHS
WCSH6.com | Portland, ME | Budget errors uncovered at DHHS
AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Gov. Paul LePage's office says the new leadership at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has uncovered millions of dollars in budgetary errors.
DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew addressed lawmakers about three of the problems on Thursday. Mayhew discussed a $66 million in over-budget payments to Maine hospitals, a $10 million jump in weekly claims to MaineCare providers, and a $29.7 million payment back to the federal government.
The Governor's office said when DHHS switched to a new claims processing system in September 2010, the department failed to make changes to hospitals' weekly Prospective Interim Payments to account for what was being paid through the new processing system. As a result, DHHS is on track to overpay hospitals by $119 million by the end of the year. Mayhew says DHHS is contacting hospital officials on Thursday announcing immediate changes to stay with the budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
Mayhew also told legislators that in the last six weeks, payments made to MaineCare providers have increased from an average of $39 million per week for the first 24 weekly payment cycles to $49 million. If the trend continues, MaineCare will could exceed its annual budget by $30 million or more. DHHS has let the legislature know of the increase in payments and potential impact on the fiscal year's budget. Changes may also be required in LePage's 2012-13 budget proposal.
DHHS also lost an appeal with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which would require the state to pay back a $29.7 million federal reimbursement for services for children in foster care and child protective services. Mayhew says DHHS is considering filing another appeal in federal court and working with Medicare and Medicaid on changes to its Targeted Case Management policy.
The governor's office says the management staff is continuing to investigate the problems at DHHS and make changes to better administer the department's programs.
"We knew we faced many challenges with the Department of Health and Human Services when we took office," said Gov. LePage. "Commissioner Mayhew and her new leadership team are finding a disturbing number of problems at the Department that we have to address. Additional audits and reviews are being conducted and we will promptly disclose new information as it is developed."
NEWS CENTER
AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Gov. Paul LePage's office says the new leadership at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has uncovered millions of dollars in budgetary errors.
DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew addressed lawmakers about three of the problems on Thursday. Mayhew discussed a $66 million in over-budget payments to Maine hospitals, a $10 million jump in weekly claims to MaineCare providers, and a $29.7 million payment back to the federal government.
The Governor's office said when DHHS switched to a new claims processing system in September 2010, the department failed to make changes to hospitals' weekly Prospective Interim Payments to account for what was being paid through the new processing system. As a result, DHHS is on track to overpay hospitals by $119 million by the end of the year. Mayhew says DHHS is contacting hospital officials on Thursday announcing immediate changes to stay with the budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
Mayhew also told legislators that in the last six weeks, payments made to MaineCare providers have increased from an average of $39 million per week for the first 24 weekly payment cycles to $49 million. If the trend continues, MaineCare will could exceed its annual budget by $30 million or more. DHHS has let the legislature know of the increase in payments and potential impact on the fiscal year's budget. Changes may also be required in LePage's 2012-13 budget proposal.
DHHS also lost an appeal with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which would require the state to pay back a $29.7 million federal reimbursement for services for children in foster care and child protective services. Mayhew says DHHS is considering filing another appeal in federal court and working with Medicare and Medicaid on changes to its Targeted Case Management policy.
The governor's office says the management staff is continuing to investigate the problems at DHHS and make changes to better administer the department's programs.
"We knew we faced many challenges with the Department of Health and Human Services when we took office," said Gov. LePage. "Commissioner Mayhew and her new leadership team are finding a disturbing number of problems at the Department that we have to address. Additional audits and reviews are being conducted and we will promptly disclose new information as it is developed."
NEWS CENTER
DHHS cuts presented to Division 3 March 8
DHHS cuts presented to Division 3 March 8
http://www.nhcares.net/wordpress/?p=190
admin on March 8, 2011 — Leave a Comment
These are the uploaded cuts proposed today in Division 3. You will need to download all of the files to get the full document
HHS cuts 3-8 Cover Page
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 2
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 3
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 4
HHS Cuts 3-8 Page 5
This is the most recent document – it is also posted on eStudio for those of you with access.
Full DHHS proposal for House cuts 3 8 11
Posted in 2012/2013 House Budget
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New Hampshire General Court
New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute
New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies
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http://www.nhcares.net/wordpress/?p=190
admin on March 8, 2011 — Leave a Comment
These are the uploaded cuts proposed today in Division 3. You will need to download all of the files to get the full document
HHS cuts 3-8 Cover Page
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 2
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 3
HHS cuts 3-8 Page 4
HHS Cuts 3-8 Page 5
This is the most recent document – it is also posted on eStudio for those of you with access.
Full DHHS proposal for House cuts 3 8 11
Posted in 2012/2013 House Budget
Leave a Reply
Name (required)
Email (required)
Website
« Guidelines for Public Testimony
CATEGORIES
2012/2013 General Budget
2012/2013 Governor's Budget
2012/2013 House Budget
2012/2013 Senate Budget
House Division 3 Handouts
Network Updates
Research
RECOMMENDED LINKS
Transparent NH
New Hampshire General Court
New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute
New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies
Plymouth State University Center for Rural Partnerships
Rare adoption ends with mom and kids dead - Florida - MiamiHerald.com
Rare adoption ends with mom and kids dead - Florida - MiamiHerald.com
A mother, stripped of all rights to her oldest child, later was allowed to adopt him. The two and a younger daughter are now dead, raising questions about whether the state should have allowed the adoptions.
Related Content
No bond for suspect in deaths of kids in Fla canal
Senator demands answers in child deaths
Relative grieves 2 kids found dead in Fla. canal
DCF investigated allegations of abuse regarding kids found dead in canal
On Facebook | Follow the crime and courts news feed
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
When Jermaine McNeil was 5, the Department of Children & Families decided it best that he be raised by someone other than his mom — a woman with more than a dozen arrests and a string of fleeting relationships.
When Jermaine was 8, DCF did an about-face: Felicia Brown, stripped of her parental rights just three years earlier, was now deemed capable enough to adopt her own son from foster care.
The state sweetened the pot with an adoption subsidy worth hundreds of dollars a month.
The highly unusual adoption — at a time when Brown was known to be involved in a dangerous love triangle — would have tragic consequences.
Jermaine and his younger sister Ju’tyra were discovered dead March 2, stuffed inside luggage floating in a canal along the Delray Beach-Boca Raton border. Their mother was dead, too, though authorities didn’t know it at the time.
A “Jane Doe’’ body from August turned out to be Felicia Brown – identified through the names of her three children tattooed on her body.
Her body had been dumped at a West Palm Beach landfill.
Felicia Brown’s off-again/on-again boyfriend, Clem Beauchamp — two-thirds of the love triangle – has been identified as a suspect in the killings. He’s currently jailed on a weapons offense, but has not been charged with murder.
The case has renewed questions – raised first last month following the beating death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona — about whether the agency’s fast-tracking of potentially risky adoptions has put children in harm’s way.
Adoptive parents Carmen and Jorge Barahona were approved for adoption despite concerns raised by school officials that Nubia was petrified of Carmen, who, she said, beat her feet with sandals.
“What we seem to have here is somewhat of a rush to judgment where we’re off and running to the races toward adoption – let’s get the other stuff out of the way,’’ children’s advocate David Lawrence Jr., said Monday on a panel studying Nubia’s death for DCF.
“Red flags ought to come up every step of the way instead of ‘we ought to get this adoption done.’ ’’
The Barahonas were both jailed on charges of murder and child abuse after Nubia’s decomposed body was found in a garbage bag in Jorge Barahona’s truck, her twin brother burned by chemicals in the truck’s cab.
DCF, which declined to release records on the Delray Beach adoption, had been aware of the violent nature of the three-way relationship involving Brown and Beauchamp. Six months before the adoption was approved, Beauchamp’s former paramour, Michelle Dent, came to the home shared by Beauchamp and Brown and held a knife to Brown’s neck, threatening to kill her if she didn’t “stay out of my business.’’
The incident was reported to the state’s child-abuse hotline, meaning DCF had a record of it.
QUESTIONS
The deaths of the three children in such a short time span raise troubling questions about a program that has been lauded in recent years as singular evidence of Florida’s child welfare turnaround.
In the past decade, the number of Florida children adopted from foster care has more than doubled, from 1,504 in budget year 2000 to 3,368 in 2010. For the 12-month period ending June 30, Florida has so far reported 1,914 adoptions of foster children.
Full Story
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/09/2106994/rare-adoption-ends-with-mom-and.html#ixzz1GCmzbS2N
A mother, stripped of all rights to her oldest child, later was allowed to adopt him. The two and a younger daughter are now dead, raising questions about whether the state should have allowed the adoptions.
Related Content
No bond for suspect in deaths of kids in Fla canal
Senator demands answers in child deaths
Relative grieves 2 kids found dead in Fla. canal
DCF investigated allegations of abuse regarding kids found dead in canal
On Facebook | Follow the crime and courts news feed
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
CMARBIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
When Jermaine McNeil was 5, the Department of Children & Families decided it best that he be raised by someone other than his mom — a woman with more than a dozen arrests and a string of fleeting relationships.
When Jermaine was 8, DCF did an about-face: Felicia Brown, stripped of her parental rights just three years earlier, was now deemed capable enough to adopt her own son from foster care.
The state sweetened the pot with an adoption subsidy worth hundreds of dollars a month.
The highly unusual adoption — at a time when Brown was known to be involved in a dangerous love triangle — would have tragic consequences.
Jermaine and his younger sister Ju’tyra were discovered dead March 2, stuffed inside luggage floating in a canal along the Delray Beach-Boca Raton border. Their mother was dead, too, though authorities didn’t know it at the time.
A “Jane Doe’’ body from August turned out to be Felicia Brown – identified through the names of her three children tattooed on her body.
Her body had been dumped at a West Palm Beach landfill.
Felicia Brown’s off-again/on-again boyfriend, Clem Beauchamp — two-thirds of the love triangle – has been identified as a suspect in the killings. He’s currently jailed on a weapons offense, but has not been charged with murder.
The case has renewed questions – raised first last month following the beating death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona — about whether the agency’s fast-tracking of potentially risky adoptions has put children in harm’s way.
Adoptive parents Carmen and Jorge Barahona were approved for adoption despite concerns raised by school officials that Nubia was petrified of Carmen, who, she said, beat her feet with sandals.
“What we seem to have here is somewhat of a rush to judgment where we’re off and running to the races toward adoption – let’s get the other stuff out of the way,’’ children’s advocate David Lawrence Jr., said Monday on a panel studying Nubia’s death for DCF.
“Red flags ought to come up every step of the way instead of ‘we ought to get this adoption done.’ ’’
The Barahonas were both jailed on charges of murder and child abuse after Nubia’s decomposed body was found in a garbage bag in Jorge Barahona’s truck, her twin brother burned by chemicals in the truck’s cab.
DCF, which declined to release records on the Delray Beach adoption, had been aware of the violent nature of the three-way relationship involving Brown and Beauchamp. Six months before the adoption was approved, Beauchamp’s former paramour, Michelle Dent, came to the home shared by Beauchamp and Brown and held a knife to Brown’s neck, threatening to kill her if she didn’t “stay out of my business.’’
The incident was reported to the state’s child-abuse hotline, meaning DCF had a record of it.
QUESTIONS
The deaths of the three children in such a short time span raise troubling questions about a program that has been lauded in recent years as singular evidence of Florida’s child welfare turnaround.
In the past decade, the number of Florida children adopted from foster care has more than doubled, from 1,504 in budget year 2000 to 3,368 in 2010. For the 12-month period ending June 30, Florida has so far reported 1,914 adoptions of foster children.
Full Story
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/09/2106994/rare-adoption-ends-with-mom-and.html#ixzz1GCmzbS2N
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