Family Secrets: Switched at Birth - CBS News
(CBS) It's not uncommon for adopted children to go searching for their birth parents. In fact, in most states, laws have made it easier for them to do so.
But sometimes, the circumstances that separate a parent from a child can be much more complicated - and baffling. For instance, imagine discovering that the child you loved and raised for years wasn't really your own.
Correspondent Erin Moriarty has the story of two families, a father's hunch and an investigation that transformed their lives forever. This broadcast first aired last December.
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 15, 2011
Families sue over infant switch
Families sue over infant switch
HERRIN - Two Southern Illinois mothers whose infant sons were inadvertently switched last month by medical personnel at Heartland Regional Medical Center are now bringing suit against the hospital.
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HERRIN - Two Southern Illinois mothers whose infant sons were inadvertently switched last month by medical personnel at Heartland Regional Medical Center are now bringing suit against the hospital.
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B.C. officials failed to report injuries suffered by foster kids
B.C. officials failed to report injuries suffered by foster kids: Watchdog
VICTORIA — British Columbia's Ministry of Children and Family Development has been drastically under-reporting cases in which children were seriously injured while receiving government help, a new report shows.
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VICTORIA — British Columbia's Ministry of Children and Family Development has been drastically under-reporting cases in which children were seriously injured while receiving government help, a new report shows.
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Switched babies
Patient Safety Tip of the Week Archive
Here’s a topic where we really are asking our readers for their input and opinions. Mercy Medical Center in Williston, North Dakota had an incident this past September in which the wrong baby was given to a mother at discharge. The error was recognized within hours and both babies were reunited with their correct mothers promptly. Last week Mercy Medical held a press conference in which they transparently disclosed the details of the incident (maintaining patient confidentiality, of course) and the results of the subsequent root cause analysis (RCA). We applaud Mercy Medical for their actions. Not only do their actions bring credibility to themselves but they also raise the issue for all other hospitals to address. We challenge each and every hospital to honestly answer the question “Could that have happened here?”. Most will probably say “I really don’t know. Certainly the human error element could happen here. But I’m not sure if our safety net and safety systems would prevent the actual adverse outcome.”
Here’s a topic where we really are asking our readers for their input and opinions. Mercy Medical Center in Williston, North Dakota had an incident this past September in which the wrong baby was given to a mother at discharge. The error was recognized within hours and both babies were reunited with their correct mothers promptly. Last week Mercy Medical held a press conference in which they transparently disclosed the details of the incident (maintaining patient confidentiality, of course) and the results of the subsequent root cause analysis (RCA). We applaud Mercy Medical for their actions. Not only do their actions bring credibility to themselves but they also raise the issue for all other hospitals to address. We challenge each and every hospital to honestly answer the question “Could that have happened here?”. Most will probably say “I really don’t know. Certainly the human error element could happen here. But I’m not sure if our safety net and safety systems would prevent the actual adverse outcome.”
Thursday, July 14, 2011
NEW HAMPSHIRE: “Attorneys for Needy Parents Cut” (Edited)
Weekly News Summary - National Center for Adoption Law & Policy
Parent's would be better off acting Pro-Se. They'd do a better job than the Puppet's of the Court.
There really won't be a big difference whether the parent is afforded a court appointed Lawyer any way. What sense does it make to give a parent a REAL ESTATE Lawyer for a child custody case? One person I know was blessed getting a REAL custody Lawyer who fought for her right's. How many custody cases are really won by parent's? I only know of this one case.
People are afraid they won't have any way of knowing about their option's; subpoenaing witnesses in their behalf, filing motions to permit new evidence into court, fighting to make sure the child isn't removed in the first place, making sure the parent is afforded services, reasonable effort's for reunification? The list goes on and on, yet court-appointed Puppet's of the court do none of the above anyway. The state has been paying for court appointed Lawyer's who work for the COURT. Not the parent! People are afraid more parent's would lose their children without a court appointed Lawyer. I don't know why their afraid. Court appointed Puppet or NOT, their going to lose any way. That's a given in NH. Even with evidence of innocence, you still lose because the corrupt Judges won't admit the evidence into Court. I wonder how much blood money the NH Judges make off each stolen child. Maybe ALL their asset's need to be transparent!
NEW HAMPSHIRE: “Attorneys for Needy Parents Cut”
By: Maddie Hanna/Monitor Staff
Parents who are accused of abusing or neglecting their children are no longer entitled to have an attorney appointed by the state if they cannot afford one of their own. Prompted by budget cuts, this new law, which went into effect on July 1st, has child welfare advocates and the attorneys who represent those parents in abuse and neglect cases very worried that this will cause more children to be permanently removed from their homes. The change was proposed by the Judicial Council, who is responsible for paying the state’s public defenders, contract attorneys and guardians ad litem.
The Concord Monitor, July 9th, 2011
For Full Article Click Above link
Parent's would be better off acting Pro-Se. They'd do a better job than the Puppet's of the Court.
There really won't be a big difference whether the parent is afforded a court appointed Lawyer any way. What sense does it make to give a parent a REAL ESTATE Lawyer for a child custody case? One person I know was blessed getting a REAL custody Lawyer who fought for her right's. How many custody cases are really won by parent's? I only know of this one case.
People are afraid they won't have any way of knowing about their option's; subpoenaing witnesses in their behalf, filing motions to permit new evidence into court, fighting to make sure the child isn't removed in the first place, making sure the parent is afforded services, reasonable effort's for reunification? The list goes on and on, yet court-appointed Puppet's of the court do none of the above anyway. The state has been paying for court appointed Lawyer's who work for the COURT. Not the parent! People are afraid more parent's would lose their children without a court appointed Lawyer. I don't know why their afraid. Court appointed Puppet or NOT, their going to lose any way. That's a given in NH. Even with evidence of innocence, you still lose because the corrupt Judges won't admit the evidence into Court. I wonder how much blood money the NH Judges make off each stolen child. Maybe ALL their asset's need to be transparent!
NEW HAMPSHIRE: “Attorneys for Needy Parents Cut”
By: Maddie Hanna/Monitor Staff
Parents who are accused of abusing or neglecting their children are no longer entitled to have an attorney appointed by the state if they cannot afford one of their own. Prompted by budget cuts, this new law, which went into effect on July 1st, has child welfare advocates and the attorneys who represent those parents in abuse and neglect cases very worried that this will cause more children to be permanently removed from their homes. The change was proposed by the Judicial Council, who is responsible for paying the state’s public defenders, contract attorneys and guardians ad litem.
The Concord Monitor, July 9th, 2011
For Full Article Click Above link
Report: U.S. child abuse death undercounted
Southwest Iowa News > Around The Region > Report: U.S. child abuse death undercounted
LINCOLN, Neb. – The difference in how Nebraska and Iowa report child abuse deaths illustrates one of the key problems with national tallies of such tragedies as pointed out in a new national report.
Iowa reports to the federal government only the deaths of children who have had some contact with its child welfare system.
LINCOLN, Neb. – The difference in how Nebraska and Iowa report child abuse deaths illustrates one of the key problems with national tallies of such tragedies as pointed out in a new national report.
Iowa reports to the federal government only the deaths of children who have had some contact with its child welfare system.
Foster Care and Adoption Fraud
Foster Care and Adoption Fraud - Sunshine Review
No Transparency, No Accountability
When one utters that cathartically odious phrase, “child abuse and neglect”, a reactionary wave of emotion impulsively floods our instincts to rely upon the institutions created to protect children. But when one questions the designs of such institutions, that odious phrase resurfaces to aver innocence of wrongdoing and acts in bad faith. Quintessentially, child welfare policies, specifically Foster Care and Adoption, have never been examined because they were specifically constructed to protect, not just children, but to preserve the industry of child abuse and neglect.
[edit] Federal Legislative Errors
When the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act was designed, there was a fatal flaw that was inculcated into the Adoption Safe Families Act: the lack of checks and balances; there is no transparency nor accountability. When a social system has a zero error rating in decisions to remove and/or terminate parental rights, a red flag should immediately be raised. When a system does not possess parallel jurisprudence in by a balancing mechanism of reinstatement of parental rights, we, as a nation should stand up in disgust. All actions dealing with abuse and neglect should be strictly under the jurisdiction of law enforcement. There needs to be implemented a grievance process and database of such. There needs to be sanctions, fines, and contractual debarment for the child placing agencies that violate material provisions of law and policy. Privatization of foster care and adoption services has allowed for quasi-governmental organizations to function under a protective veil of immunity that shields them from federal and state audits, as they are operate as faith-based and non-profit status.
[edit] Central Registry of Child Welfare Fraud
For many years the Congress of the United States has worked diligently to protect the health and welfare of the nation's elderly and poor by implementing legislation to prevent certain individuals and businesses from participating in Federally-funded health care programs. We, the people, now mandate that the health and welfare of the nation's children and families must be protected by including Child Welfare Agencies in this exclusion database. Foster Care and Adoption Agencies should be banned from entering contracts using federal funds if the bases for exclusion have been met.
Bases for exclusion include for child welfare program-related fraud, child abuse, child deaths, licensing board actions, improper and questionable claims, false reports.
The effect of not being able to participate in federally funded contracts is:
No payment will be made by any Federal child welfare program for any items or services furnished, ordered, or prescribed by an excluded individual or entity. Federal foster care and adoption programs include Medicaid Targeted Case Management, and Social Security Title IV A, B, D, and E, Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V), Block Grants to States for Social Services (Title XX), State Children's Health Insurance (Title XXI), National Indian Child Welfare and all other plans and programs that provide health benefits for foster care and adoption funded directly or indirectly by the United States.
The reason for this database, The Central Registry of Child Welfare Fraud, is because on April 18, 2008 the U.S. finally signed the U.N. Hague Convention InterCountry Adoption Treaty. Contained within this treaty is where the mandate for databases of complaints is found. This not only meets the international requirements of the treaty, it will make DOJ and DHHS OIG job alot easier if and when they start audits.
This peculiar institution of foster care has demonstrated itself to be dysfunctional as the failure to provide for the necessary needs of the child is considered abuse and neglect. Poverty is not a crime, yet it has been codified to be under the current language. The time has come to hold child welfare agencies to the same standards parents are held.
[edit] Forgotten State Medicaid False Claims Acts
Social Security is a bi-polar system with one end the aged and the other the child. Each state has a Mediciad False Claims Act, yet all fail miserably in its implementation in child welfare. Billions of dollars are abused and wasted by states in the improper removal of children, improper payments and questionable costs, under the color of law. Policymakers and members of the bench financially profit from membership of these child welfare agencies. Fraud and false federal claims are perniciously pervasive and continues without enforcement of law and policy. The stewardship of child welfare has been abandoned, never being beholden to the people.
Read More:
No Transparency, No Accountability
When one utters that cathartically odious phrase, “child abuse and neglect”, a reactionary wave of emotion impulsively floods our instincts to rely upon the institutions created to protect children. But when one questions the designs of such institutions, that odious phrase resurfaces to aver innocence of wrongdoing and acts in bad faith. Quintessentially, child welfare policies, specifically Foster Care and Adoption, have never been examined because they were specifically constructed to protect, not just children, but to preserve the industry of child abuse and neglect.
[edit] Federal Legislative Errors
When the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act was designed, there was a fatal flaw that was inculcated into the Adoption Safe Families Act: the lack of checks and balances; there is no transparency nor accountability. When a social system has a zero error rating in decisions to remove and/or terminate parental rights, a red flag should immediately be raised. When a system does not possess parallel jurisprudence in by a balancing mechanism of reinstatement of parental rights, we, as a nation should stand up in disgust. All actions dealing with abuse and neglect should be strictly under the jurisdiction of law enforcement. There needs to be implemented a grievance process and database of such. There needs to be sanctions, fines, and contractual debarment for the child placing agencies that violate material provisions of law and policy. Privatization of foster care and adoption services has allowed for quasi-governmental organizations to function under a protective veil of immunity that shields them from federal and state audits, as they are operate as faith-based and non-profit status.
[edit] Central Registry of Child Welfare Fraud
For many years the Congress of the United States has worked diligently to protect the health and welfare of the nation's elderly and poor by implementing legislation to prevent certain individuals and businesses from participating in Federally-funded health care programs. We, the people, now mandate that the health and welfare of the nation's children and families must be protected by including Child Welfare Agencies in this exclusion database. Foster Care and Adoption Agencies should be banned from entering contracts using federal funds if the bases for exclusion have been met.
Bases for exclusion include for child welfare program-related fraud, child abuse, child deaths, licensing board actions, improper and questionable claims, false reports.
The effect of not being able to participate in federally funded contracts is:
No payment will be made by any Federal child welfare program for any items or services furnished, ordered, or prescribed by an excluded individual or entity. Federal foster care and adoption programs include Medicaid Targeted Case Management, and Social Security Title IV A, B, D, and E, Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V), Block Grants to States for Social Services (Title XX), State Children's Health Insurance (Title XXI), National Indian Child Welfare and all other plans and programs that provide health benefits for foster care and adoption funded directly or indirectly by the United States.
The reason for this database, The Central Registry of Child Welfare Fraud, is because on April 18, 2008 the U.S. finally signed the U.N. Hague Convention InterCountry Adoption Treaty. Contained within this treaty is where the mandate for databases of complaints is found. This not only meets the international requirements of the treaty, it will make DOJ and DHHS OIG job alot easier if and when they start audits.
This peculiar institution of foster care has demonstrated itself to be dysfunctional as the failure to provide for the necessary needs of the child is considered abuse and neglect. Poverty is not a crime, yet it has been codified to be under the current language. The time has come to hold child welfare agencies to the same standards parents are held.
[edit] Forgotten State Medicaid False Claims Acts
Social Security is a bi-polar system with one end the aged and the other the child. Each state has a Mediciad False Claims Act, yet all fail miserably in its implementation in child welfare. Billions of dollars are abused and wasted by states in the improper removal of children, improper payments and questionable costs, under the color of law. Policymakers and members of the bench financially profit from membership of these child welfare agencies. Fraud and false federal claims are perniciously pervasive and continues without enforcement of law and policy. The stewardship of child welfare has been abandoned, never being beholden to the people.
Read More:
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