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
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Foster care pinwheel event joined by small group in black
Foster care pinwheel event joined by small group in black | Coshocton Tribune | coshoctontribune.com
Members of the nonprofit group We the People Family Preservation raise awareness about child abuse happening to children while in foster care across the country. The group will place black pinwheels in Coshocton, Muskingum, Licking and Franklin counties this week. / Valerie Boateng, Tribune
Written by
KATHIE DICKERSON
Staff Writer
Heather Darr, of Coshocton, joined others to raise awareness of abuse and objecting to the loss of parental rights. / Valerie Boateng, Tribune
COSHOCTON -- April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the 219 blue and silver pinwheels placed on the corner of Main and Sixth streets were joined by 10 black pinwheels Monday morning.
A few parents were there, too, holding signs to represent the We The People Family Preservation organization, a nonprofit group raising attention about children abused in foster care. The black pinwheels represent children who died while in foster care nationwide, said L. Wilson, a member of the group and a Coshocton resident.
Wilson said more than 80 percent of the children placed in foster care are there under false allegations, and parents should be aware of their rights.
That is not the case, said Mindy Fehrman, director of Coshocton County Job and Family Services, under which Children Services operates.
"Our mission is to make sure children are safe, whether it's with their parents, relatives or foster care," she said. "We do everything we can to make sure that happens."
The last known instance of a child dying in foster care in Coshocton County was in 1985, and that was not a result of foster care abuse, but of the parental abuse before the child was placed in a foster home, Fehrman said.
The victim had been shaken by a parent, then removed to the custody of Children Services.
"It's our priority that we work with parents and keep children in their homes or in the homes of relatives," Fehrman said. "Have there been tragedies, yes, but we do everything within our power to make sure those tragedies won't happen again."
If a child must be removed from the home placing them with someone they know is a preference, Fehrman said.
Reforming the state's foster care system became a hot-button issue after a 3-year-old boy died near Cincinnati in August 2006. Marcus Fiesel was left bound inside a closet for two days by his foster parents, Liz Carroll and David Carroll Jr.
Both were convicted of murder and are serving life sentences for his death.
More than 75 percent, or 1,257, of the 1,676 child abuse fatalities in the U.S. in 2009 were caused by one or more parents, according to data submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families. About .9 percent, or 151 deaths, were caused by abuse by a foster parent, friend or neighbor or legal guardian.
Each year, the Coshocton County Children's Services places blue and silver pinwheels around the community. These pinwheels represent the number of child abuse reports the agency received in 2010, which is down from the 384 reports in 2009. The agency's goal is to raise awareness of child abuse and to educate the public.
kdickers@coshoctontribune.com; (740) 295-3442
Members of the nonprofit group We the People Family Preservation raise awareness about child abuse happening to children while in foster care across the country. The group will place black pinwheels in Coshocton, Muskingum, Licking and Franklin counties this week. / Valerie Boateng, Tribune
Written by
KATHIE DICKERSON
Staff Writer
Heather Darr, of Coshocton, joined others to raise awareness of abuse and objecting to the loss of parental rights. / Valerie Boateng, Tribune
COSHOCTON -- April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the 219 blue and silver pinwheels placed on the corner of Main and Sixth streets were joined by 10 black pinwheels Monday morning.
A few parents were there, too, holding signs to represent the We The People Family Preservation organization, a nonprofit group raising attention about children abused in foster care. The black pinwheels represent children who died while in foster care nationwide, said L. Wilson, a member of the group and a Coshocton resident.
Wilson said more than 80 percent of the children placed in foster care are there under false allegations, and parents should be aware of their rights.
That is not the case, said Mindy Fehrman, director of Coshocton County Job and Family Services, under which Children Services operates.
"Our mission is to make sure children are safe, whether it's with their parents, relatives or foster care," she said. "We do everything we can to make sure that happens."
The last known instance of a child dying in foster care in Coshocton County was in 1985, and that was not a result of foster care abuse, but of the parental abuse before the child was placed in a foster home, Fehrman said.
The victim had been shaken by a parent, then removed to the custody of Children Services.
"It's our priority that we work with parents and keep children in their homes or in the homes of relatives," Fehrman said. "Have there been tragedies, yes, but we do everything within our power to make sure those tragedies won't happen again."
If a child must be removed from the home placing them with someone they know is a preference, Fehrman said.
Reforming the state's foster care system became a hot-button issue after a 3-year-old boy died near Cincinnati in August 2006. Marcus Fiesel was left bound inside a closet for two days by his foster parents, Liz Carroll and David Carroll Jr.
Both were convicted of murder and are serving life sentences for his death.
More than 75 percent, or 1,257, of the 1,676 child abuse fatalities in the U.S. in 2009 were caused by one or more parents, according to data submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families. About .9 percent, or 151 deaths, were caused by abuse by a foster parent, friend or neighbor or legal guardian.
Each year, the Coshocton County Children's Services places blue and silver pinwheels around the community. These pinwheels represent the number of child abuse reports the agency received in 2010, which is down from the 384 reports in 2009. The agency's goal is to raise awareness of child abuse and to educate the public.
kdickers@coshoctontribune.com; (740) 295-3442
DCF Head Wants "Friendlier" Agency
DCF Head Wants "Friendlier" Agency | NBC Connecticut
By Debra Bogstie
Joette Katz, the new commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, held an open meeting with reporters Monday to outline changes that are underway with the troubled agency.
Katz, a former State Supreme Court justice, has the tall task of turning around an agency that's been under federal court supervision for 20 years.
Among her priorities: restructuring the agency to cut bureaucracy. "Create a flatter agency, one that has fewer layers in the hopes that we will be delivering to our families at a more streamlined, efficient, and effective manner," said Katz.
Katz says she'll personally review the most serious cases where children under DCF supervision end up dead. One of those cases involved an infant born addicted to cocaine who was under DCF supervision all of his life. He died at two and a half months old, after his father, Anthony Nelson, admitted falling on the baby's head while walking to get a beer.
"We need to learn from these things," said Katz. "There are a lot of things that we do very well but that doesn't mean we do them perfectly and it doesn't mean there's not room for improvement."
Other changes Katz plans to make include consolidating the Riverview Psychiatric Hospital and Connecticut Children's Place under one superintendent, bringing many of the 360 children who are currently housed out-of-state back to Connecticut, increasing foster homes, especially homes where children can stay with relatives and reclassifying low-risk cases from investigations to assessments.
"We hope to embrace our families in a much friendlier way," said Katz.
By Debra Bogstie
Joette Katz, the new commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, held an open meeting with reporters Monday to outline changes that are underway with the troubled agency.
Katz, a former State Supreme Court justice, has the tall task of turning around an agency that's been under federal court supervision for 20 years.
Among her priorities: restructuring the agency to cut bureaucracy. "Create a flatter agency, one that has fewer layers in the hopes that we will be delivering to our families at a more streamlined, efficient, and effective manner," said Katz.
Katz says she'll personally review the most serious cases where children under DCF supervision end up dead. One of those cases involved an infant born addicted to cocaine who was under DCF supervision all of his life. He died at two and a half months old, after his father, Anthony Nelson, admitted falling on the baby's head while walking to get a beer.
"We need to learn from these things," said Katz. "There are a lot of things that we do very well but that doesn't mean we do them perfectly and it doesn't mean there's not room for improvement."
Other changes Katz plans to make include consolidating the Riverview Psychiatric Hospital and Connecticut Children's Place under one superintendent, bringing many of the 360 children who are currently housed out-of-state back to Connecticut, increasing foster homes, especially homes where children can stay with relatives and reclassifying low-risk cases from investigations to assessments.
"We hope to embrace our families in a much friendlier way," said Katz.
Monday, April 4, 2011
18-Month-Old Baby(Foster Child) Dies of Injuries From Beating
18-Month-Old Baby Dies of Injuries From Beating | NBC New York
An 18-month-old foster care child who sustained a severe beating two weeks ago, allegedly from a caretaker's boyfriend, died last week from his injuries.
An 18-month-old foster care child who sustained a severe beating two weeks ago, allegedly from a caretaker's boyfriend, died last week from his injuries.
Child welfare workers second-guess stressful jobs-Why should They get special treatment?
Child welfare workers second-guess stressful jobs - BusinessWeek
What makes them think they should be treated differently from anyone else?
By COLLEEN LONG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Child welfare workers and their advocates say they should not go to jail for falling down on the job.
They say their work is low in pay and high in stress from hostile families, tight budgets and overburdened court systems.
But prosecutors say workers who are dangerously negligent in their jobs should be held criminally responsible.
What makes them think they should be treated differently from anyone else?
By COLLEEN LONG
NEW YORK (AP) -- Child welfare workers and their advocates say they should not go to jail for falling down on the job.
They say their work is low in pay and high in stress from hostile families, tight budgets and overburdened court systems.
But prosecutors say workers who are dangerously negligent in their jobs should be held criminally responsible.
Couple outraged after hospital takes newborn baby away
Couple outraged after hospital takes newborn baby away : Federal Jack
My daughter was also threatened to be arrested by SNHMC in Nashua, NH after she requested her newborn be transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital in Nashua for a second opinion. CPS/DCYF was called and her daughter was stolen. What right does ANYONE have when it comes to a parent's right's to request a second opinion. The couple in this article were luckier than my daughter. Her child was NEVER returned!
(KTNV) – A group of protesters want answers after a couple had their baby taken away by social services at Summerlin Hospital. The decision was made by hospital staff regarding the care of the baby.
The couple says their baby was kept at the hospital against their will after a nurse contacted social services for what they describe as an “unjustified reason.”
Lincoln and Cecilia Rogers say their dreams came true when baby Lilia was born healthy just a week ago. But they describe a nightmare in getting her home from Summerlin Hospital.
“They said, ‘Well, if you leave the hospital I’ll have to arrest you and your husband.’”
Cecilia is referring to the police officer who was sent to her room just hours after giving birth, all because she and her husband told the nurse they didn’t want to keep Lilia overnight in the NICU to be treated for jaundice.
“We just really wanted to take the natural approach if we could,” Cecilia explains.
The couple says it got a second opinion and spoke with a pediatrician at Summerlin Hospital, who agreed that it would be okay if the couple took the baby home with minor jaundice as long as they signed a medical release form.
But the nurse they originally worked with called Child Protective Services to report these new parents for not agreeing with the recommended hospital care.
“And then Child Protective Services walked in and started interrogating my wife,” Lincoln recalls. “Basically, they were going to take the baby and put her in that incubator no matter what. I thought we had no option.”
That lack of option is what prompted a protest outside of Summerlin Hospital. Dozens of people stood up in support of the Rogers family, many of whom are new parents themselves.
“I feel that – especially new parents – we need to know what our rights are and when they’re being overstepped,” says Wyndee Forrest
And that’s exactly what Lincoln and Cecilia say happened when their baby was required to stay at the hospital.
“It took one nurse to make one horrible decision and a domino effect to happen like that,” says Lincoln. “It’s just been so unfortunate.”
Summerlin Hospital declined to comment on the specifics of this case but did release a statement that it disagrees with any claims that the hospital violated any patient rights.
Baby Lilia is reportedly healthy and at home with her parents.
http://www.ktnv.com/story/14338042/baby
My daughter was also threatened to be arrested by SNHMC in Nashua, NH after she requested her newborn be transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital in Nashua for a second opinion. CPS/DCYF was called and her daughter was stolen. What right does ANYONE have when it comes to a parent's right's to request a second opinion. The couple in this article were luckier than my daughter. Her child was NEVER returned!
(KTNV) – A group of protesters want answers after a couple had their baby taken away by social services at Summerlin Hospital. The decision was made by hospital staff regarding the care of the baby.
The couple says their baby was kept at the hospital against their will after a nurse contacted social services for what they describe as an “unjustified reason.”
Lincoln and Cecilia Rogers say their dreams came true when baby Lilia was born healthy just a week ago. But they describe a nightmare in getting her home from Summerlin Hospital.
“They said, ‘Well, if you leave the hospital I’ll have to arrest you and your husband.’”
Cecilia is referring to the police officer who was sent to her room just hours after giving birth, all because she and her husband told the nurse they didn’t want to keep Lilia overnight in the NICU to be treated for jaundice.
“We just really wanted to take the natural approach if we could,” Cecilia explains.
The couple says it got a second opinion and spoke with a pediatrician at Summerlin Hospital, who agreed that it would be okay if the couple took the baby home with minor jaundice as long as they signed a medical release form.
But the nurse they originally worked with called Child Protective Services to report these new parents for not agreeing with the recommended hospital care.
“And then Child Protective Services walked in and started interrogating my wife,” Lincoln recalls. “Basically, they were going to take the baby and put her in that incubator no matter what. I thought we had no option.”
That lack of option is what prompted a protest outside of Summerlin Hospital. Dozens of people stood up in support of the Rogers family, many of whom are new parents themselves.
“I feel that – especially new parents – we need to know what our rights are and when they’re being overstepped,” says Wyndee Forrest
And that’s exactly what Lincoln and Cecilia say happened when their baby was required to stay at the hospital.
“It took one nurse to make one horrible decision and a domino effect to happen like that,” says Lincoln. “It’s just been so unfortunate.”
Summerlin Hospital declined to comment on the specifics of this case but did release a statement that it disagrees with any claims that the hospital violated any patient rights.
Baby Lilia is reportedly healthy and at home with her parents.
http://www.ktnv.com/story/14338042/baby
Foster care; L.A. County: Putting a check on deaths in foster care
Foster care; L.A. County: Putting a check on deaths in foster care - latimes.com
A new L.A. County report outlines the distressing statistics: About 200 children die each year, victims of accidents, natural causes or, too often, suicide or murder.
A new L.A. County report on the deaths of children who come into contact with its foster care system is, in one sense, depressingly unsurprising. It highlights with startling precision the short, brutal lives that so many of this county's young people endure. Year after year, tens of thousands of children fall under the scrutiny of the Department of Children and Family Services — some glancingly or peripherally, others in more sustained ways — and 200 or so of those children die annually, victims of accidents, natural causes or, too often, suicide or murder.
A new L.A. County report outlines the distressing statistics: About 200 children die each year, victims of accidents, natural causes or, too often, suicide or murder.
A new L.A. County report on the deaths of children who come into contact with its foster care system is, in one sense, depressingly unsurprising. It highlights with startling precision the short, brutal lives that so many of this county's young people endure. Year after year, tens of thousands of children fall under the scrutiny of the Department of Children and Family Services — some glancingly or peripherally, others in more sustained ways — and 200 or so of those children die annually, victims of accidents, natural causes or, too often, suicide or murder.
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