Question:
When you take a child do you give the parent/parents a form that asks for the names of relatives where the child/children might be placed? And, if so, what happens to the form?In every case called in to me the question had not been asked! The little girls are immediately placed in a foster adopt situation. Strange since it is the law that relatives are the first ones considered for placement. Again, the question was NEVER asked in the cases that have come to me. CPS just takes the little girls. It has also NEVER been a little boy! How about a study on gender bias in CPS takings?
In the Stuth Case the judge had called me forward in a court room and I told the judge about relatives wanting little Alexis. The state had completely kept the information from the court! This was information that the CASA blocked and that the state eventually learned but also blocked. The judge was angry about the omission but still left Alexis with the foster woman. I was told by the Kent office that they would not tell the judge about relatives until after the termination!
OK...we all know that if I can't get an answer over the phone or in person that the answer is "No." They do not have such a form. Today I talked with an area administrator who verified that. I had to dig a bit but there was an admission.
Suggested letter to employees at all levels:
RE: Article ___ Section___ of CPS "How to Take a Child" manual.
Dear CPS Worker,
Thank you for your work in protecting children and preserving the families of Washington State. In order to improve our service to children and better comply with state law that requires placement of children with relatives when possible, as of today parents or guardians of children to be removed from a home shall be presented with the following form:
NOTICE OF INTENT TO PLACE WITH RELATIVES
(----- QUOTE OF THE STATE LAW REGARDING RELATIVE PLACEMENT -----)
Parent Name___________________ Name and age of child/children_____________________
Relationship to child?children____________
Name, address and phone number of relatives you believe to be qualified for placement. Please list in the order of your preference._________________________
The culture of this agency needs to change. Eighty percent of the changes are administrative. It does not take a law to enforce a law. In the real world there is punishment if the law is not followed. Respect for the law must be taught.
10 comments:
Finally the post I have been waiting for, it is time we the constituents begin to study and learn the RCWs and the Practices and Procedures of DSHS/CA/CPS.
The following are from the
DSHS/CA/CPS: PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES GUIDE and the Revised Washing Code RCW.Although, these RCW and Practices and procedures are designed to protect our children and ultimately our families. It is obvious that in action DSHS/CA/CPS are violating the very RCWs, Policy and Procedures, which are in acted for the protection of these parties. Ultimately, I believe knowledge is power and hopefully this information will help affect change.
4350. STATUS OF RELATIVES OF SPECIFIED DEGREE WITH LEGALLY FREE CHILDREN
http://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/pubs/mnl_pnpg/chapter4_4310.asp
A. Children's Administration acknowledges a continuing relationship between relatives of specified degree and children whose parental rights have been terminated in those cases where the relatives choose to continue a relationship with the child and the continuing relationship is in the best interest of the child. This acknowledgment applies to all legally free children in the custody of the department. RCW 13.34.180, 13.34.210, 26.33.295, and 74.15.020
B. Relatives of specified degree, as defined in RCW 74.15.020 and this Practices and Procedures Guide, chapter 5000, section 5230, remain legal relatives when a child becomes legally free if those relatives wish to maintain a relationship with the child and the social worker assigned to the child determines, consistent with the Shared Decision Making model contained in the CA Case Services Policy Manual, Appendix C, the continuing relationship to be in the best interest of the child.
C. CA staff must treat relatives of specified degree as the staff treats all relatives of specified degree under the rules of the foster care and foster family home licensing programs.
D. CA staff must treat these affected relatives of specified degree the same as all relatives of specified degree under the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) program.
E. The rights of the affected relatives of specified degree do not extend beyond adoption of the child except through an open adoption agreement as described in RCW 26.33.295. See section 4330, above.
F. In determining which adoptive placement is in the best interest of the child, family relationships will be only one of the factors considered by DCFS staff. Other factors include, but are not limited to:
1. Attachment to and relationship with the child.2. History of parenting.3. Ability to meet the special needs of the child. 4. Ability to meet the basic needs of the child.5. Family composition.
6. Child's preferences.7. Ability to meet the cultural needs of the child. A placement resource need not be of the same ethnic background as the child in order to meet the ethnic or cultural needs of the child. Unless a compelling reason is identified, CA staff will not match children to a placement family on the basis of race.
G. The rights of relatives of legally free Indian children, as defined in the CA Indian Child Welfare Manual, the Tribal-Washington State Indian Child Welfare Agreement of 1987, and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 must be preserved in accordance with those requirements.
"CPS just takes the little girls. It has also NEVER been a little boy! How about a study on gender bias in CPS takings?"
um...Its always a girl because DSHS pays more attention to the girls and acts to "protect" them more than the boys..and it is a gender issue..something like 80%+ percent of DSHS employees are women..women with daddy issues which they take out on sons and fathers.
Great idea...how about a bill for that, could it pass this session?
I am going to foster training currently to try and get my grandchildren placed with me under the new laws. After being in the trenches for two years and experienced first hand all the ins and outs, I can tell you what is taught and what really happens are two different things.
Take, for example, relative placement in other states. This is pretty much non-existant. CPS will do anything to keep the child(ren) in the state and will usually use reunification at first as the reason then switch to bonding after a period of time. The instructor taught that CPS ALWAYS looks to place with relatives first even if they live out of state. I have personally dealt with cases that are contrary to what is being taught.
If you want to read a discriminating read, pick up the PRIDE book and peruse it. (I now have an extra)There are statements in there that have an underlying message that suggests that relative placement is nothing but trouble. The instructor also indicated that relative placement is hard to find and I don't believe that one either. It is hard to find if they are nitpicking relatives and looking for reasons not to place.
Out of a class of about 40, most are foster/adopts who can't afford adoption fees through a private agency. They show pictures of horribly abused children on the screen and make it look like that is the norm.
What they do right though, is they are telling people up front that fosters are temporary parents and that the goal is reunification with the parents but that 85% get to adopt. Isn't that interesting. I really would encourage people in the movement to do two things: Attend foster training then one of the weekend CASA trainings. It is very telling.
Addition to previous comment foster training: They can't do anything they do without court permission. In Thurston County, the judges do ask, but Thurton is screening out everyone. I just spoke to a grandmother this week who was screened about because many, many years ago her ex husband was violent towards her. This has nothing to do with her current circumstances.
Thank you, Ms. Roach, for all the good work you do for us parents who are victims of CPS. Thank God you recognize CPS for what they truly are and you fight for us. You and Ms. Shaefer are a blessing to us and we really appreciate you. God bless you and your family!
cpsasystemoutofcontrol.blogspot.com
While waiting for our hearing to begin last week at the juvenile court in Everett, we looked into a room just off the lobby in the hopes the attorney we were waiting for was in there. We saw something that was a little puzzling but now may make sense. On one wall was several pictures of only little girls that looked to be between the ages of 2 and 4. ALL GIRLS!! Wonder if it`s their trophy wall.
We had other relatives contact the dept. in May after finding out our neice was being moved from our neighbor`s home. She had been placed there for 2 1/2 months across the street from us and we couldn`t see her. My neighbor told me she would look out the window toward our house and say she wanted to go to her home. We knew she was being moved to a foster -adopt home so other relatives wanted her with them until things got worked out with us. They contacted the dept. in May and she was moved June 8th to the foster home. The relatives were ignored. They have a very nice house in Black Diamond with room for her. My brother-in-law has a heating and cooling business and his wife is a labor and delivery nurse. They don`t have anything bad in their background but haven`t been considered. She needs to come back to us but we figured getting her out of the foster-adopt home would be at least a start.
My Grandson was taken by CPS and placed with his step sister. Her and her new husband, abuse the system, lie about their income to obtain S/8 assistance, CPS payments, and grants.
The child was taken on untrue (Proof ?)statements. The step sister, aborted her own child, and does this make her a fit mother for her half brother? Her husband doesn't work, they both lie about their income. The stated my son did not have a clean environment for his son, but they are filthy most of the time. CPS always gives a weeks notice before going for a home visit which gives them time to clean up their pig sty. They both drink, have moved 8 times since being given custody of my grandson. They have slandered me and the entire extended family with their lies. How can we fight this. My son cannot afford an attorney to assist him and I don't have the funds either. Even though CPS is doing everything in their power to place him permanently in their care, the husband slanders CPS on the web. His language is so foul it would enbarrass a Sailor! The step sister is almost as bad. He is a stay at home comic, his comics are filth, killing, blood, etc. My grandson is even drawing pictures of naked women. He is 6 years old. PLEASE HELP!
You can study and know the laws inside out and it won't do you any good. I went to a Family Team Decision Meeting for my two grandsons who live in a perfectly fine home. There are no problems and no need for CPS involvement. (The father of the 10 year old has been trying to get custody and that did not work out for him, thus CPS involvement. ) The meeting was brought to an abrupt halt with these words from the "facilitator", Jackie Hines-Steve, "We have a mother and a grandmother here quoting manuals and trying to assert their rights and we're not going to have it." With that, she informed us that a Child Protection Team Meeting had already been scheduled to decide on placement of the children. So much for knowing the laws...
Barbara Kabrick
barbj2799@gmail.com
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