1:21 AM
I have found out that once CPS starts a termination they don't look back. It seems to me that if facts are presented that it would be OK to change your mind. Apparently, not.
Harry Potter's rules to Quidditch are, I think, hard to understand. But, like any game...once you "get it" it all clicks in and you instinctively know the rules. In basketball, when you learn you can't "double-dribble" then you pretty much don't do it!
The rules to child placement are hard to understand. You think the playing field should be built on logic and fairness. It is not.
No situation is righted or "credit" given the family if there has been an error or wrongdoing on the part of the state. The way the game is played...only points can be taken away. And, only the state has the power to take away points.
There is no accountability. (Where is the referee?) If Judge Schaffer believes that the mother writes nasty blogs, and the mother does not write blogs...who told the judge that the mother writes blogs? Is there no whistle blown during foul play?(There seems to be no interest in asking who provided false information to the judge. God help us if she made it up. I do not believe she did.)
If the family plays two "Very Positive In-home Study" cards...how is it that the other team can legally maneuver around that play? It should be a double trump card, "Families First" and all.
Are there penalties when the CASA, CPS, the AG, and the court do not place within the family? No. That is not how the game is played. We know that Judge Schaffer did not know about at least one of the in-home studies. Is there any repercussion within the department when an employee, or an AG, or a CASA fails to inform the judge of potential relative placements? Apparently, not. No points for the family here.
Score: 9-0
When CPS hides from the judges the fact of a positive relative in-home study in another state...shouldn't someone be accountable for withholding information that might be important for the well being of the child? There is no penalty box in this game (except for the grandparents and the senator).
The state ignores rules: Point for the state.
Families complain: Point for the state.
Example of a special play card to be held and used at will by the state: The "Poor Foster Woman" card." (foster woman waiting for the termination...she is going through hell with the terrible wait and all..point for her). Oops, and another negative point for the family for the suffering of the foster woman.
Ask your State Senator for help: Negative 10 points.
Have a reporter cover the story: Game called! Enough of this. Take the prize (a three year old) and go home.
I asked the department why they kept the information of the positive relative placement to themselves. They said it was their policy to only mention family placement possibilities after termination. Does the legislature have to create law to have the department implement legislative directives? If the state can't follow rules set by the legislature then someone should be fired. This is real life here.
If the mother doesn't follow a directive a child can be taken away. If the state does not follow a directive...nothing happens. (This is why the department needs citizen over-sight...they can not govern themselves.)
In the case of the Stuth's granddaughter, the aunt and uncle in North Dakota had such a study done. WA held the information for months. I, myself, in a statement I read to the judge, informed the court about this positive study. The department told me later that they only give this information to the judge AFTER termination.
Senators Hargrove and Stevens may be right. They have worked these issues for years. If you want to win at this game, sell your house and get a good lawyer. If you are in this game...you have to be rich to win. This discrimination is against white, blond, non-drug affected, young (no memories if you get them soon enough) children and their low income single mothers.
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17 comments:
This is disgusting. Are you familiar with the case of Logan Marr of Maine? Because all of this sounds depressingly familiar.
Have you gone to the feds about the failure of the State to make reasonable efforts at reunification? CPS should lose its matching funds.
Call Ron Paul. He's honest.
Do the grandparents have an attorney? Could they (or have they) have intervened in the case to adopt Lisa themselves?
This is perhaps the best and easiest to understand description of the problems that I have seen. Men can get this because of game rules, women can comprehend it, even those that work for CPS and the system lives it. Good job.
Dear Senator Roach,
I do believe everything that you have stated.
The question that remains to be answered is..How do we get the rest of the legislature on board with the publics opinion of DSHS and their failure to follow their own directives?
Since you are the go to person, have much knowledge of the inner workings of the legislature,what is effective and what is not..we are looking to you for further direction.
We are ready to rumble..
CC Tillett
This is probably one of the agencies Ron Paul wanted to get rid of because its unconstitutional.
The thing is,if you sell your home to get an attorney,you are no longer able to provide suitable housing.No matter what families do,CPS has the upper hand with the "best interest of the child."
I know Washington is the same state with the Wenatchee Witch Hunts, but the system is broken all over. It needs to be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up, and everybody involved in the CPS side of this case fired and sent to work where they have no contact with children.
They are destroying a family, and that little girl will grow up and hate her foster/adoptive mother (if she survives foster care), and I say that as the happy adoptive mom of two adults (and five biological kids) for her appalling selfishness.
The only rules there are when it comes to DSS, CPS are the ones that they make up as they go along. They are untouchable, I always ask, "are they CPS or the mob?"
The only way to fix this problem is to either make them accountable for their actions by making laws that punish them when they break the law or getting rid of the entire system. Frankly, I am for the latter. There are much better departments in this government that would take much better care of our nations children and families.
Now for my plug, because the only way to get the story out is to advertise it. Again my blogs are at,
www.standupspeakup-leesa.blogspot.com or www.stopcorruptdss.wordpress.com
Check this one out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmRduf4w4o&eurl=http://fightcps.com/
I am very aware of DSHS,CPS,DCS and their on going corruption. I know a Jan Smith personally who is fighting for custody of her grand child. Let me tell you of a circumstance I had yesterday at the local DCS office. I was nearly assaulted. Being up on my child support, my ex has also called multiple time to let them know that I was not in the rears, and they refuse to listen to her as well. When I mentioned that their records were wrong because they did not show a payment that was made and I had record of, the man became extremely angry and began to yell at me. I asked for his name and he started to belittle me calling me names and instantly questioning my character. (I have never dealt with this man before). He went nuts on me. I felt fear that they were going to do something to me when I saw staff in the back running. I have PD'd for the security camera tapes to show the far reach of corruption and intimidation. I am scared to even discuss this with them any further.
Senator Roach,
I believe there needs to be a few names placed out there who helped cover a predetermined placement.
On March 20,2008 North Dakota ICPC office in signed and faxed an approved homestudy and backround check to Washington State ICPC office.This was an ICPC and homestudy Washington requested themselves to allow my niece to be placed with family.The fax was sent to Maya Brown at ICPC in Washington,Sharon Gilbert in Risk Managment,and Carmina Chang the social worker.
While the office has 14 days to approve this homestudy for placement,it was not until July that an email was sent to North Dakota stating,termination was not granted in June for the purpose of reunification with the mother.It also stated there would be contact with North Dakota in December with the next hearing.I know as a fact our social worker has not heard from anyone.
Yesterday,I called the Interstate Compact Administration for Placement of Children in Washington DC.While each person could not answer many of my questions,not a single person is understanding any of this.They themselves will be making inquiries on what has happened and how the law has been over looked for so long by so many.
We truly appreciate all the work you have done.
it is wonderful to see so many people stepping up to the plate to help this family. Much research has and is going on. They are doing the job of a good attorney without the credentials or the pay and are working so hard for this family. Would more people become involved if other families came out without fear of retaliation from cps? This is whats needed to see all this help and maybe they would not be so afraid. I am sure there is a multitude. What do you think Senator? Is this what is called a grassroots movement?
So did Senators Hargrove and Stevens just stop and that is it? Just advice...sell your house and get a good lawyer? Not even saying who is a good lawyer and what happens when the house is already gone. What then to pay this good lawyer?
They are in the only position to win and if they can't or won't and you stop...You all are the government if you can't change things who can..Our children are gone and cps gets another point right!!
As a foster parent who has mentored with parents as well as caring for the child. I can say the problems are a family issue. Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle and Gramdparents. Nothing happens in a vaccuum. A child in trouble is a family in trouble and the CPS Dept had better make damn sure the child is going to a member that can at least marginally parent the child with the issues that child presents. The entire system must have a Citizen Over Sight Committee for each case that goes to termination.. Family FIRST and that is that...Follow the rules
The new "Famlink" will be a disaster. For Bio parents as well as family members AND caseworkers. It is going to make decision making even cloudier. A giant database that carries from state to state.OF personal information on any person who has recieved EVEN free/reduced lunches from schools. (Potential law suits..ID Theft) There is no start over built into this monster data base. Everyone is hurt. A computer has no mercy! Thank You Legislators!!!!! You OK'D this monster Now watch it bite you as well as CPS. Children are irrelevant in this state. You show that by agreeing to FamLink
Dear Senator Roach,
I too believe all that you have stated in your blog. I too am in the middle of a CPS action against my daughter and son-in-law. She asked for the kids to be placed with me in te beginning and the social worker wouldn't even work with me.
Mern Stewart is the case worker, and she stated that there was an "inquiry" on me 17 years ago for my daughter, which the found nothing. But now it stands between me supervising my grandchildren. This all started 11/20/08 and we finally got
CPS to do a background check on me. Now they want fingerprints.
The kids are with their paternal aunt because the wouldn't work with me at first. I too believe that CPS h as way too much power. Our case worker seems to want to drag out this false allegation for atleast the full 90 days. Which, they told my daughter that if she didn't sign the voluntary placement, they would take the kids themselves. My grandson in question was at daycare all day, yet the daycare was cleared with one conversation. Yet the family is being crusified and actually told that if someone were to "confess" they could work with us. How can you confess to something you didn't do, so they can still take your kids? It's not fair!
Where can a parent find help?
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