While there are many good people working to help families and save children in our state...there are many cases where because of poor leadership, lack of accountability, and what can only be assessed as hidden agendas ...CPS too often just doesn't get it right.
Apparently, my writing about the facts has made some people very angry. They are working over-time to "get back at me" for daring to talk about things that need to be corrected in government. It reminds me of Lisa's foster care provider who, instead of supporting the law regarding relative placement, has assumed the child is hers. And, has complained about my belief that families come first. You see, I support the law that says children should be placed first with qualified family members. And, I believe legislators should try to hold government accountable when it acts outside of the letter and spirit of the law.
For the record...I have been told by several different people that once termination is the goal that does not change. Only a judge can change that. That is also absurd! Anyone who goes down the wrong road can change course. I have found that our CPS apparently never thinks it goes down a wrong road. We just need to read the papers to see how wrong they can be! There are several powerful people who want to punish me for having this political opinion and articulating the opinion.
Little Lisa's foster care provider, her brother's wife (having surfaced in this blog and KING TV's), and several government officials have, instead of addressing the law...chosen to defend the foster mother and argue that she is a fit person to take the child. In my opinion...she should not have had the toddler in the first place! It is cheating and if I had my way it would be illegal, to take a child from a family without following the law. They don't care about that law. I do.
One of my fellow senators commented to me that CPS line workers only last an average 1 and 1/2 years on the job. I have not checked that out. But, I was told that again the other day. Where is the survey on the poor job satisfaction? What is going on in that department? For the senate leadership onlookers of this blog...why aren't you asking the same things? Instead of helping to cure this mess you would rather vilify me...take me to the cleaners...run me out of office...perhaps, rid your own conscience?
It is the policy of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Children and Families...to withhold positive in-home studies of fit relatives willing to care for their relative children. The information is not given to the court.
1. Judge Schaffer did not know about the positive in-home study of Lisa's aunt and uncle in ND. The judge was angry when she found out she had not been told and whipped around to the CASA and asked why she had not been told. I witnessed this. I was the one who told her...not the CASA, not the attorney general, not the social worker, not the attorney for the CASA, and apparently...not the attorney for the mother!
(Thank you, Judge Schaffer for allowing me to read a statement to your court. I appreciated that. And, given there were facts about the existence of the ND relatives that you had not been told I think it was the right decision on your part. I also think it was the right decision on your part to assign additional counsel to help the mother's attorney who was so clearly out numbered. We were so far down the line at that point I don't know if things evened up.)
2. I was told by a CPS worker that the policy is that in-home studies were not given to the judge until after termination.
3. The aunt in North Dakota also mentioned in her letter (reprinted here in PRR) that she had also been told that.
I was flabbergasted when I was told that. In fact, it made so little sense that I didn't believe it! But, turns out it is true. No one wanted to give me a written policy regarding the matter. But, it is apparently a matter of practice.
These are things I find out by asking questions. Unfortunately, I can't always get a straight answer so I have to dig a little further. To formulate legislation there has to be an understanding of the problems. God knows I wish there were not so many!
It is 3:07 AM, the first day of 2009. PR
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8 comments:
Thank You Pam. Your concern to help to protect the people who can't protect themselves shows true leadership. The next time someone tells me their is no such thing as an honest politician ..I will say you are so wrong, go check out Pam Roach and her blog. See how she cares and she is there to help even when she is attacked and her job security could be threatened. Where others have given up she did not.
Pam, thank you so much for posting this blog and for doing what you do! I'm reading this through tears, because we are going through the same fight with CPS. Our rights are being taken away slowly and methodically. My nieces are only worth a 2-hour court meeting once a month to CPS. They have lost sight of the children's needs and are hell-bent on destroying the family who loves and cares for them so very much. It hurts so much to leave them when I am allowed to visit, they do not understand what is happening...to them it seems as if everyone in their family is abandoning them. CPS has never bothered to explain to the children why they cannot come to visit us or why we can't take them anywhere. I can only hope and pray that it doesn't go on for years. Again thank you and I appreciate you so much.
Terrorised by CPS in Texas
Dear Senator Roach,
The saying goes.."The Truth shall set you free"
I am from the belief system that if something is wrong..you do what is required to fix it.
With that being said, For all you legislatures out there that are the doubting "Thomas's" and sitting on the edge of do I or don't I..This is for real.
Families are Finished being abused by this system. Please get off your duffs and act accordingly.
You are our representatives elected for and by the people..US!! Not only do we require you to fix this mess..WE THE PEOPLE REQUIRE YOU TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS and STOP KILLING OUR FAMILIES WITHOUT DUE PROCESS.
ASAP!
YOU ARE AND WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
What is your fear?
Time to follow in Ms. Roach's footsteps..Let your conscious be your guide..Your family members may be next.
I know how you feel Texas. A friend of mine has a now 7 year old son. He was a happy vibrant four year old. His mother was on a visit and he asked for something she was not able to give him (to go home with her) she tried to explain to him why they would not let her. He just began to cry very hard and said its okay mama I don't deserve to be loved! cps did this to him. It is the same as killing a mother to tear her heart out like that. To make a beautiful child feel so worthless..
A public forum regarding Child Protective Services reform is scheduled for January 20th at Cabela's in Hawks Prairie/Olympia in the room off to the side of the deli at 6 p.m.
Food can be brought into the meeting from the deli for an eat and talk workshop. The best wild game sandwiches EVER.
There will be petitions there to sign as well as volunteer opportunities to help with the petitions.
This will be a reform meeting and those coming with specific concerns about individual issues can schedule some time with activists after the meeting
Senator Pam Roach
A simple "Thank you" will never be enough for your Support of families.
The elements in system errors previously hidden provides the platform to overturn all dependency court rulings.
Please allow a cure through the "Open court bill" method and sponsor a bill to this effect.
Best of luck and thanks again.
Adam Simpson
W.F.U. Founding President
The world of foster care examined through the eyes of little kids has stayed unspoken until now. Invisible Kids (www.InvisibleKidsTheBook.com) brings these experiences to light, makes a compelling case for supplying resources and support to this vulnerable population and inspires each of us to make a difference in the lives of foster children.
Senator Roach, I only hope that our Senators from other states take up the cause in their states as you have for Washington. I myself do not live in Washington (I live in Virginia) and am currently dealing with CPS. My daughter asked to be put back on depression/bi-polar meds as soon as her daughter was born because she was afraid of developing postpartum depression because of all the stories you hear of women with PPD hurting their children. Her doctor called CPS and said that she had made statements that she was going to hurt her baby. We had to agree to provide 24/7 supervision or they would have taken the baby right from the hospital. We are still fighting this seven months later.
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