Children's Aid News, January

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More from Jack Stratton

March 25, 2006

We have been following the case of Jack Stratton. He had his ten interracial children taken by North Carolina child protectors. He ran for the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners in 2004, but his campaign was crippled when the stress of a hearing induced a heart attack in the courtroom. Here is his latest announcement:

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Please distribute widely on all websites, forums and email lists to reach as many NC DSS victims as possible
HELP FOR VICTIMS OF NORTH CAROLINA DSS
Jack Stratton jackstratton12@hotmail.com 3-24-06
Have you and your family been attacked and victimized by the North Carolina DSS? Know someone who has? Help may be available. You may be able to get your children released and file a successful federal lawsuit against the DSS.
This is not a solicitation for money. I have no ulterior motives except to end child trafficking. I have done all the hard work for you at tremendous cost to my family. I am offering my hard earned knowledge and expertise, which is literally priceless, free of charge.
YOU WILL NOT OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET
Apparently even North Carolina attorneys are completely ignorant of this information, except for the criminal DSS attorneys who use it to kidnap children. The chances of you getting your children back in NC without this information are almost non-existent. Therefore, if you are fighting the NC DSS through an attorney, you are virtually assured of losing your children forever.
I HAVE UNCOVERED THE WINNING HAND
If you have a North Carolina DSS case, please contact me via email at jackstratton12@hotmail.com.
If you are a social worker reading this and are considering trying to find out what I'm up to, be advised that your extremely low IQ precludes any possibility of your gathering information from me that I don't want you to have. Therefore, your best course of action is to slither back under your rock and stay there.
Jack Stratton

Mail for Andrea Horwath

March 24, 2006

In this letter for Andrea Horwath, the author wants all details published, including her family picture. There have been other cases in which parents were required to make "Sophie's Choice": Which of your children do you want to keep?

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The Ryder-Flournoy children, from the left Chance 5, Austyn 8, Pierce 7 holding Chaselyn 2 and Tanner 4.

CAS in this province needs to have a watchdog on them. They need someone they have to be accountable to for everything they do. I am now involved with CanadaCourtWatch.com to expose the Rainy River Distict of NW Ontario CAS offices especially the one in Atikokan.
I have only the two children back, the other three are now crownwardships with access ... access that never happens because I live so far away and they don't want phone access because my children's behaviour gets so bad after talking to us ... gee wonder why? Could it be bc they want to come home and are being abused there?
I was made to sign papers saying I did all these terrible things to my children which I DID NOT and my rights have been violated just to get two back because the judge was retiring and couldn't continue with the trial. I was forced to do this. They were taken on an unverified allegation that wasn't even against me two years ago. How they could be taken and made crown wards on a unverified allegation that wasn't against me in the first place I have no idea. They told the judge in the beginning it was verified though and through the little of court trial we had we found out and its on court record that it was never verifed at all. They lied to the court and judge to be able to steal my children. They lied and tricked me and the courts to illegally steal my children.
Their excuse has come down to this .. I can't possibly look after five children, I made a poor decsion marrying an abusive man in the past and divorcing him (meaning I can't manage five children as a single parent) that the three children in care supposedly have disabilities and I can't supply their needs, disbilities they didn't have when they lived with me. They have two of them drugged up on very very dangerous drugs (Seroquel and Clobazam) in my opinion just to control their behaviour because they want to come home and I have the doctor's records to prove it and there has never been a diagnosis made to warrant drugs.
My one son is so doped up on drugs that he was hit by a car last summer while in these people's care and assulted by a fosterparent and it's on record in court and we also believe sexually abused. The third they said they are sure they will find something wrong with him at some point. They separated them all and from the two I have and me for the last two years, they have destroyed our lives. I'm contacting media of all kinds and mp's, mla's and the ombudsman to get people to listen to whats going on at that office.
Relatives in BC have been trying to get custody of the kids but were told by cas they aren't gonna let any family have them, that they are gonna stay in their care .. ummm aren't family supposed to be allowed and isn't it law that children be placed with responsible family should they come forward? The law society in Ontario won't even return any correspondence by lawyers in BC hired by family to get the kids. I'm moving back to BC in the summer, the children will have no family or ties to this province whatsoever if those people keep them and they refuse to move them anywhere out of the district .. mmmm .. must mean they really really need the extra money they are getting for them.
This agency in Atikokan Ontario has done this to several and I mean several other women in the same town. The Native Friendship Society has told me such and that none of the women they had taken the kids from EVER got any back.
I wonder how they can sleep at night, I cry myself to sleep most nights .. oh ya right .. everyone knows the more kids in care and the more who "supposedly" have problems the more money they get for them. If you don't have money to fight them you are an easy target when it comes to your children. It all comes down to money .. not what's right or what's best for the kids and family.
April Flournoy
Box 809
Manitouwadge Ontario P0T 2C0

More CAS Cases

March 23, 2006

Here are two more letters to politicians and a third story communicated privately.

This letter to Liberal MP Lloyd St Amand of Brant will be forwarded to CAS by the politician, so there is nothing to be gained by concealing names or places.

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From: nathalie gauthier <nathalie19682000@yahoo.ca>
Date: 2006/03/19 Sun AM 01:46:43 EST
To: St.Amand.L@parl.gc.ca
Subject: a plea for help

Mr. St.-Amand
As the MP and a former lawyer of mine, I am asking for your help. I don't know who to turn to anymore.
If you recall, the C.A.S. has been in and out of my life and a few months ago I had contacted you regarding a matter that's before the court. This is not about this case that I am requesting your help. It's about myself and my unborn child which is due for July 11th, 2006. I have been informed by a worker from the Society that an alert has been placed across Canada due to the fact that I had left Ontario and moved to New Brunswick. I have returned back to Brantford in January 2006. The moment I give birth to this child, they will be apprehending. With all the lies and false accusations, they will not let me keep the baby. The main one is that I'm being told that my parenting skills are not appropriate or so they say. I have been more then cooperative with the Society over the years. Yet no matter what I've said and done, they seem to find faults.
I want to raise this child and be able to nurture her. But the Children's Aid Society is bound determined to make sure that this does not occur.
I am asking for your help because you are a government figure for our County and I believe that there could be a way that you could be of assistance. Please help me sir to keep this child.
Sincerely,
Nathalie
Brantford ON N3R 1Y9
(519) 753 - 2720

Here is a letter to Andrea Horwath in support of her effort to get the Ontario Ombudsman to have authority to look into Children's Aid. It is one of the three most common kinds of case — the divorce continuation. A parent already separated tries to get CAS to protect their child from the other parent. In Dufferin, when complaints become annoying to CAS, they take the child permanently away from the complaining parent. As is typical in child protection cases, the family supports the NDP. The letter is posted with permission of the author, who says that there is no ban on publishing her case or her name.

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From: rkergan1@cogeco.ca
To: ahorwath-qc@ndp.on.ca
Cc: rtmq@stn
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 1:16 PM
Subject: ombudsman involvement with cas

Dear Ms. Horwath
Re: Collins, York and CAS Hamilton
My (now) ex, myself, and, my son (now almost 10) have been in court for almost five years. In October 2005 Justice Czutrin decided at the first Status Review (initiated in February 2004) that the case was not about child protection but custody and access. We are currently in court on the custody cross-claim (initiated after the child protection application by necessity). CAS is still involved - not in supervising my ex's care of my son but in providing supervised access for me.
My ex is registered on the Ontario Child Abuse Registry since 1984 for physically assaulting his nephew. The nephew (then aged 15) had visible injuries and was reluctant (he had been threatened) to report these. It was his probation officer who called CAS. The ex's nephew was made a crown ward and Hamilton Police did an investigation but did not charge the ex because the nephew was unwilling to testify and they felt the situation did not necessitate it with the Crown Wardship order.
My ex has an extensive criminal record including assaults, unlawful use of a firearm (resulting in a death), and, sexual assaults.
My ex has had charge of my son since he was five. I allowed my son to be placed with my ex on a temporary basis to prevent him from becoming a crown ward. (CAS Hamilton ridiculously prolonged the case and was never trial ready.) the child's placement with my ex was under CAS supervision. The order respecting this supervision was made on consent and ordered by Justice M. Bennotto in June 2001. The order was three pages long respecting the supervision with one paragraph respecting my access. I felt confident CAS Hamilton would enforce all of the provisions of the order and adequately supervise the ex's care of my child - they never did.
In July 2001 I reported possible alcohol abuse by my ex to CAS and Police. Police refused to investigate and CAS After Hours refused to attend while the ex was intoxicated yelling and threatening me on the phone with my child crying in the background. They didn't feel this was an emergency so they waited until sometime on Monday or Tuesday to investigate. The investigation consisted of asking the ex if he was drinking and he of course denied it saying I suffer "mental illness" problems. THey refused to send the ex for drug tests and stated there were no concerns.
In September and October 2001 I made belated reports to CAS Hamilton because I made immediate calls to Hamilton Police over the threats. Police did attend at the ex's and the ex told his stories. I did receive occurrence numbers and later charged the ex privately in 2003 (as this continued). My charges were thrown out of Ontario Court (Criminal Division) because CAS was involved and there was a trial pending in Family Court. The trial never occurred.
I started to contact the Office of Child and Family Services in September 2001 about the care situation but they refused involvement because my son was not in CAS care.
The Office of the Child and Family Services suggested I study the CFSA legislation (which I began to) and I also obtained a copy of the 2000 Ontario Spectrum of Service and Risk Assessment Guidelines. They also encouraged the CAS internal review process.
I have been minimally (if at all) satisfied with the internal review process at CAS Hamilton. I have gone through it about four times. THe first time I used the procedure of social work supervisor, (Sheila Penney now a manager), director, executive director, and Board of Directors. This process advises a "wait and see" as you move up. It is lengthy and inadequate and does not immediate address protection needs of children at risk.
At the director stage (Ingrid Hauth) in the first complaint procedure (November 2001) became enraged interrupting a court ordered parent capacity assessment with a motion to have the court assessor replaced with one of their own choosing. With each complaint some sort of Court Motion was filed with orders that eventually eroded my rights to my son little by little. CAS Hamilton's mental illness allegations increased with the overall undertone that my concerns for my child were a mental illness problem. THe concerns were never fully investigated and CAS kept saying there were no concerns.
In 2004 I started writing the letters in quadruplicate all at once only to be referred to the supervisor level.
I've written the Ministry in September 2005 when my son had further physical injuries which were (as usual) suspicious and sent out quadruplicates to CAS to all levels in the complaint procedure only to receive a letter back from the Ministry in October 2005 advising me of the internal complaints procedure (the letter to the Ministry noted all the copies already sent to CAS Hamilton).
The result from CAS Hamilton was that they informed the school to advise CAS Hamilton if they saw injuries. This is ridiculous as it was the social worker who saw the injuries at my supervised access and did nothing more than question the child taking his word.
That particular injury was a very large bruise and swelling of the child's forehead which the child stated occurred playing ball at school when a ball hit him. I doubt very much that a ball would or could impact a child's head causing that severe an injury. At the very least this should have been assessed by a doctor. The social worker (Nicole Wilcox) either left or was fired from CAS Hamilton. She is working (negligently) elsewhere with some other vulnerable victim such as my son.
My son has had numerous bruises around his eyes, a broken foot, staph infections near his mouth, etc. The broken foot took four days to be seen by a doctor, the mouth infection was immediately investigated by an after hours worker. Most of the time any investigation is minimal and very much after the fact when evidence is non-existent.
My son is afraid. At the initial start of the intervention in 2001 my son was upset after his grandfather died because he was used to having my full attention. CAS Hamilton put in affidavit material the very day of the temporary care hearing threatening an application for crown wardship. It stated my son said I hit him leaving red marks and bruises. In 2004 a review of the case notes revealed the worker asked leading questions and omitted the fact the child stated "but these go away after I go to my room for awhile". I am quite sure my son sees the result of this is losing his mother and so he will endure abuse at any length and not report it afraid of losing his father. My son is in need of psychological intervention and he should have had prompt thorough investigation of his injuries.
CAS Hamilton and mCSS has, and continue to, fail my child with their gross negligence. This is an overfunded agency making use of their funding to abuse situations and to accommodate the whims and fancies of their social workers and the power mongering of the director.
I believe with my son's eighteenth birthday he has a very possible lawsuit against the Province of Ontario for the existing legislative scheme which doesn't protect children in "kinship care cases". I think Bill 210 is very dangerous in that it promotes CAS to provide kinship care that doesn't fall under the Office of Child and Family Services. CAS' accountability when they are supposed to be supervising a child's care seems to include mostly their own discretion in investigation and management.
Bill 210 would take the minimal right of a child's outside complaint procedure for CAS care cases and abolish that. My situation illustrates what already has, and is happening. with cases of vulnerable children that have no recourse except the ridiculous CAS internal procedure.
I am of the opinion the internal investigation procedure is useless and should be abolished entirely. All it seems to be is an excuse for supervisors and managers to discuss a situation internally on the versional story from a social worker and supervisor without the complainant's presence to fully explain the situation and defend the CAS allegations. The meetings aren't taken seriously, the worker or supervisor makes allegations about the complaining parent, and not much is done.
I have contacted the Ombudsman's Office by phone only to be told to not even write because they can't do anything or get involved with CAS. I believe the Ombudsman's Office not only should have a right to investigate these situations but be given extra funding (perhaps out of the CAS budget) to do so.
I am thoroughly disgusted there was so much public uproar over the Liberal government's sponsorship scandal and our public money, but so little is done about these atrocities concerning our vulnerable children. I applaud the efforts of the NDP on this issue and hope and pray you win the next provincial election.
Please try to help my child.
Angelique Collins

The following story is typical of CAS intervention in the life of a young couple. Since CAS ordinarily retaliates against families going public, we have omitted the name, phone number and CAS venue.

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March 15, 2006
My issues with the CAS are as follows. When I call my worker it takes days for a reply. I am a part of the groups that have been assigned to me through CAS. My social worker has made no attempt to inquire of my progress, yet insists that she needs good reports. She says that my boyfriend and myself are not working with the society, yet we have attempted to do every group meeting and every letter that has been set out for us. She has cancelled meetings, not shown up and has only met with me three times since my children were taken into care, a total of five months. My worker says that I cannot have unsupervised visits with my children. because it is court orders that visits be through and at the discretion of the CAS. Visits now take place at my mother's, under her supervision, not CAS's. My two daughters are presently in the same foster home and frequently show up at sessions, dirty, hungry and refusing to go back to the foster home. The two girls are often left in the care of the teenage children in the foster home. My son (8 months) has only been introduced to beginner cereal. I brought this up with the worker, she told me that she had no concerns. When I discuss things that my 6 year old says to me, the worker says that the child does not know what she is talking about. The worker showed up in the court and claimed that (boyfriend) has not done any drug testing, to her knowledge, because she does not have the results. We went to the doctor who did the test and got copies of the results, that day they were faxed to the worker. There have been other cases held open for months for the same reason, the excuse being that they are waiting for a fax which they had received previously, this seems to be a trait with CAS.
The reasons the children were taken into care, were neglect (thumb sucking, diaper rashes and ability to talk to our 6 yr. old appropriately). Lately CAS has apologized, regarding the diaper rash and the thumb also having a rash. Since being in care the problem is still present and is not going away. It is time that CAS listens to doctors and takes their advice and not jump to conclusions. Drug abuse (he has been six months clean and done related counselling) homelessness, domestic violence (1 time incident of him pushing me, no police reports were ever filed) and mental health (I take antidepressants) and I see a psychologist. The Children's Aid have started a court action against me and are asking for 6 month wardship, even though the children have been in care for 5 months and everything they have asked me to do is almost complete. We are having a hard time with the housing because I cannot work due to the groups. We have almost saved up enough money and will have our own place in April.
I feel that in most cases that CAS abuse the entire family by separating all members. We are desperate to receive help in order to get our children returned to us. We believe that we have carried out CAS's requests in order to do this, but it appears that nothing is going to please them and that we will never get rid of CAS from our lives.
Please feel free to contact me at 000-000-0000. I have lots more information to add to this.

Dead Children in Manitoba

March 21, 2006

The disclosure of a large number of children dying in foster care has provoked a scandal in Manitoba. The article below shows efforts to contain the scandal without any real disclosure. A group composed entirely of functionaries of the child protection system will investigate and prepare a report which will of suggest more money and power for child protectors. Only full public disclosure of the facts has any hope of contributing to a solution of the problems.

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Winnipeg Sun, March 21, 2006
Probes launched
Gov't to review foster care deaths
By ROCHELLE SQUIRES, LEGISLATURE REPORTER

Family Services and Housing Minister Christene Melnick addressed an external review of cases of children in care at a news conference at The Legislative Building today.
(C. PROCAYLO, Sun)

After facing public outrage over the deaths of numerous children killed in foster care, the province announced yesterday it will commission two reviews.
Nine foster children were murdered in Manitoba last year and a total of 31 children in care have been killed since 2000.
"The death of one child is too many. It's important to review concerns raised over recent developments and to work together to make the necessary changes we believe will improve services to children in care," said NDP Family Services Minister Christine Melnick.
An external review will focus on the opening and closing of cases of children in care, how files are transferred and the caseload of front-line social workers.
INTERIM REPORT IN JUNE
The external probe will be led by Manitoba ombudsman Irene Hamilton, Children's Advocate Director Billie Schibler and an Ontario child and family services director.
It will also involve the CEOs of the four aboriginal child and family service authorities in Manitoba.
An interim report will be provided in June and a final report in September.
An internal probe will also be conducted and led by Hamilton, Schibler and Jim Newton, director of psychology at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre.
The aim of that review is to look at how cases are managed and the administrative and financial areas of CFS. Interviews will be conducted with CFS staff.
"This is not a witch hunt," said Melnick. "These reviews will help guide improvements so we can continue to build a strong and high-quality care system for children in the care of CFS."
Schibler said her office has received many calls since the deaths of little Phoenix Sinclair and Heaven Traverse came to light.
Sinclair was murdered three months after her case was closed with CFS and Traverse died while in foster care.
"The general public is wanting to know, and I feel very confident in the people who will be working with our office and myself as we go into examining these matters," said Schibler.
Meanwhile, opposition Tories and Liberals continue to press the premier to remove Melnick from her cabinet post.
"This minister of family services has failed Phoenix Sinclair and she's failed all Manitobans," said Opposition Leader Stuart Murray in the house yesterday.
'ROOT CAUSES'
Vince Surbey, whose adopted son Chris, 17, was murdered last summer while in the care of CFS, said yesterday he's pleased the reviews have been called, but isn't sure they will have the desired effect.
"Whether it goes far enough remains to be seen," he said. "I think the reviews can be useful in helping point out where there are problems but it won't get to the root causes.
"Some procedures might be changed, but they basically have to do an overhaul of the whole system of returning children (to parents)."
Chris Surbey, who lived with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, was placed in CFS care by his parents at age 12 because he needed constant supervision to contain fits of irrational behaviour.
At the time he was killed, Chris had been left alone in his apartment after his youth worker left for the day, despite his parents' warnings that he needed 24-hour supervision.
Source: Winnipeg Sun

CAS Fights Back

March 16, 2006

Our observer in Hamilton reports that CAS is fighting back against the calls for Ombudsman oversight. The following is an account of the TV coverage on Wednesday, March 15:

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As a social worker goes into a house to apprehend a baby and young child, it's reported she is stabbed in the hands. The camera crew has her on the news wrapped hands and all, dozens of cops all over the place, parents pinned to the house, mom's hands behind her back, looks extremely distressed and in pain, getting arrested, there are a bunch of concerned area residents (all home in the middle of the day) telling the reporter about the goings-on at the house, people going in and out at all hours and in and out though windows.
It is reported to be the messiest most disgusting home anyone has ever entered, but no film of the inside. Four police offices had to go back to the station to be treated for lice. Lice?
I worked for public health — lice don't fall from ceilings and you don't get them from entering a home, they are not that easily transmitted in adults. But it makes the apprehension seem all so extremely urgent. And how did the camera crew get there to see it all unfold? If indeed the parents are spending the night in a jail, they should be charged in the morning with the assault on the social worker, since I assume this would be in a criminal court. Is it not public record?

Addendum: The Hamilton Spectator had a similar story. A woman was arrested for defending her family against CAS. Failure to name the woman makes independent verification impossible.

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CAS workers attacked, mom charged
The Hamilton Spectator, (Mar 17, 2006)
A Hamilton mother has been charged after Children's Aid Society workers were attacked.
Police were called to a William Street home after two CAS workers had gone to pick up two children Wednesday.
While a worker went into a bedroom to get clothes for the kids, the 25-year-old mother allegedly got into an argument with the other worker, then pushed and hit her. Police say the other worker rushed from the bedroom and was attacked.
Police say the mother then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and swung it at one of the workers, slightly cutting her hand. The other worker managed to rush out of the home with her cellphone and call police.
The mother was charged with assault with a weapon and two counts of assault.
Source: Hamilton Spectator

Child Protector Dead

March 16, 2006

A child-protection administrator has been found apparently murdered in Texas.

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San Antonio Express-News
Child agency supervisor dead
Web Posted: 03/16/2006 12:00 AM CST
Jeorge Zarazua
Express-News Staff Writer
The body of a missing Child Protective Services administrator was found Wednesday in a field outside Victoria, two days after she last told a friend she was settling in for the night.
Sally Ann Blackwell, 53, was reported missing Tuesday after she failed to show up for work and her daughters immediately feared her job might have played a role in her disappearance.
Victoria police notified the daughters shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday that Blackwell's body had been found in a field off U.S. 59 and Hanselman Road, southeast of Victoria, said Kirsten Menie, a family spokeswoman. The cause of death wasn't immediately known, but police told the Victoria Advocate they were treating the case as a homicide.
Menie said the daughters were too distraught to talk.
"Nobody is able to communicate, to tell you the truth," she said.
Menie said the family continues to believe Blackwell was a victim of foul play.

Blackwell

"Right now there are endless possibilities," she said. "I don't necessarily think the police are just clueless."
The family offered a $5,000 reward for information about the case, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier Wednesday, Tina Taulbee said her stepmother had spoken of threats she had been receiving at work.
"In the 15 or 16 years she has been there, this is the first time she was actually scared," Taulbee said.
Taulbee, 37, of San Antonio, said she didn't know details of the threats, but said it was in connection with one of the cases the CPS program director's office was handling.
Blackwell oversaw caseworkers in nine South Texas counties, including Bexar.
Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin, confirmed Wednesday that someone threatened Blackwell in her office last week.
But he said the agency hasn't received any information Blackwell's death was related to her work.
"We're obviously shocked and filled with sadness," Crimmins said. "We, of course, were hoping for a happier outcome. She was very, very well known in the Victoria community. She was well-liked, well-respected.
"Everyone is kind of at a loss for words."
Lt. Mike Hernandez of the Victoria Police Department said a search had been launched for Blackwell in that area early Wednesday, but investigators failed to find her body.
Hernandez declined to say what led investigators to suspect she might have been there, saying it was part of the ongoing investigation.
"No suspects have been identified," he said.
Hernandez said a county work crew found Blackwell's body lying just on the other side of a fence on Hanselman Road. There were no apparent signs of how she might have died, he said.
An autopsy has been ordered for today.
According to Taulbee, investigators found the door to her stepmother's home open and her dog locked up in the garage. Blackwell's car was left at the house.
She said the only thing that appeared missing was Blackwell's purse.
Blackwell, a former University of Texas cheerleader, joined CPS in 1990 as a caseworker in the Cuero office, and in 1998 became a supervisor.
In 2001, she was promoted to CPS program director, overseeing 46 caseworkers, their supervisors and additional support staff in nine counties.
Taulbee said Blackwell was passionate about helping abused children.
"I think that she did what she needed to do to protect the people who couldn't protect themselves," she said.
Crimmins said the incident last week at Blackwell's office "did not escalate" into anything that would have required police intervention.
"It was handled at the time," he said, adding it's not uncommon for CPS workers to be threatened.
The Child Protective Services Division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigates reports of abuse and neglect of children, and, if necessary, places children in foster care, Crimmins said.
He said employees receive training about workplace violence, dealing with difficult or hostile clients, and personal security.
Crimmins said the news of Blackwell's death spread quickly Wednesday among CPS caseworkers throughout the state.
"There is a strong bond between people that do this for a living," he said. "The jobs are very, very tough; very, very demanding."
Counselors were scheduled to consult with Blackwell's 30 co-workers today at the Victoria office because of her disappearance, Crimmins said.
"That's obviously going to be more important than ever now," he said.
jzarazua@express-news.net
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: San Antonio Express-News

Addendum: The incident was unrelated to the victim's responsibilities in child protection.

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Jeffrey Frank Grimsinger, 25, got 20 years for kidnapping and a life sentence for murder. He admitted killing Sally Ann Blackwell, 53. Her relatives said they were satisfied with the sentences.
T.C. BAKER: VICTORIA ADVOCATE

CPS supervisor's murderer gets a life term in plea deal
Killer evades death penalty in '06 Victoria slaying
Jan. 11, 2008, 10:06PM, By ALLAN TURNER, Houston Chronicle
Subdued and avoiding eye contact with his victim's family, a 25-year-old construction worker Friday pleaded guilty to the 2006 kidnap-murder of Victoria Child Protective Services supervisor Sally Ann Blackwell.
Jeffrey Frank Grimsinger, who faced the possibility of a death sentence had the case gone to trial, agreed to a 20-year sentence for kidnapping and a life sentence for murder. The sentences — assessed in the Victoria court of state District Judge Skipper Koetter — will run consecutively.
Blackwell, 53, disappeared from her Victoria home on March 14, 2006. Her rope-trussed body was found the next day in a field southeast of town. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
The killer is the son of Michael Grimsinger, who said he had dated Blackwell intermittently since 1995. Earlier on the night of her death, the elder Grimsinger told the San Antonio Express-News in a 2006 interview, Blackwell had visited his home to discuss renewing their relationship.
'He acted impulsively'
The younger Grimsinger stared into his lap as relatives of his victim addressed the court Friday. "He never made eye contact with them," said Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor, whose office led the investigation.
The victim's sister, Mary Allaway of Austin, told the court she remembered Blackwell as "a precious, trusting little sister."
"I remember Sally as a strong, intelligent woman who worked hard and made a positive difference in this world," Allaway said later.
When asked why he had murdered Blackwell, Grimsinger responded, "I don't know."
"I don't know that he's a great orator," said Victoria County District Attorney Steve Tyler. "He might not even fully understand himself. He acted impulsively."
Tyler said the killer had expressed remorse for the crime.
Investigators linked Jeffrey Grimsinger to the murder by DNA evidence found beneath his victim's fingernails and on a cigarette butt discovered at the crime scene. His fingerprints also were found at Blackwell's home. In addition, Tyler said, Grimsinger confessed to authorities and his father.
The prosecutor said he crafted the plea agreement rather than go to trial because capital prosecution "would have been difficult for the family and very expensive for the community."
"I believe this sentence is just, and that is what I am duty-bound to obtain," he said.
M.P. Eaves, district attorney at the time of the murder, said in November 2006 that he intended to seek the death penalty for Grimsinger. Eaves declined Friday to comment on his successor's plea agreement with Grimsinger.
Allaway said she is pleased with Tyler's handling of the case. Blackwell's daughter, Amanda Taulbee, concurred, noting she is grateful to be spared the trauma of a trial. "I am confident Jeff Grimsinger will spend the rest of his natural life in prison," she said.
Victoria County has sent three killers to death row since executions resumed in Texas in 1982.
Remembered fondly
Blackwell joined Child Protective Services in 1990 as a caseworker in Cuero. At the time of her death, she was a program director overseeing 46 caseworkers and other staff in nine counties.
"Those of us who were fortunate enough to have worked with Sally Blackwell will always remember her energy, her optimism and her commitment not only to the children of our state, but also to her co-workers in Child Protective Services," agency spokesman Patrick Crimmins said. "We choose to remember her life."
allan.turner@chron.com
Source: Houston Chronicle

Sidebar: Before finding the real killer, a sheriff's dog accused Michael Buchanek. The Texas Innocence Project has taken an interest in protecting people from junk dog evidence.

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The Innocence Project of Texas, Jul 13 2009
Criminal Investigations Thrown to the Dogs in Texas
Published by Natalie Roetzel at 1:29 pm under Website Updates
The Victoria Advocate released a story last night that takes an in depth look at the use of dog-scent lineups in Texas. Specifically, the article addresses two cases where men were arrested and incarcerated based on canine testimony and later released when proof of their innocence emerged. The evidence in these cases was subjected to bloodhound scent lineups conducted by Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Pikett, a man whose practices are currently under rigid scrutiny as a result of two recently filed federal lawsuits. The story explains:

Michael Buchanek’s federal lawsuit in January 2008 was the first complaint about Pikett’s work, said Randy Morse, an assistant Fort Bend County attorney representing the deputy. A scent lineup and trail identified Buchanek as a suspect in the high-profile murder of Sally Blackwell.
Pikett’s dogs, Quincy and James Bond, walked from the site where Blackwell’s body was found, along Zac Lentz Parkway, to her home more than five miles away. From there, they went to Buchanek’s house nearby.
The hounds also picked the former Victoria County sheriff’s captain’s scent in a series of lineups. The identifications were used to get a search warrant for Buchanek’s home.
His lawyer, Rex Easley, represents Calvin Miller in another civil suit that names Pikett.
In one motion, Easley wrote Pikett’s lineup was “so recklessly flawed that it violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiff. First, the dogs were leashed during the lineup, which fails to exclude handler input. Second, the site, the pads and the cans were contaminated with countless other scents so as to render it unreliable and impermissible to base a warrant upon.”
Easley hired Bob Coote, who led a police-dog force in the United Kingdom and worked with scent dogs guarding the British border, to review Pikett’s work in Buchanek’s case. The lineup was “the most primitive evidential police procedure I have ever witnessed. If it was not for the fact that this is a serious matter, I could have been watching a comedy,” Coote wrote.

The Innocence Project of Texas recently took an interest in Pikett’s use of dog-scent lineups and is currently evaluating several potential wrongful convictions brought about, at least in part, by the use of these flawed “investigation” procedures. In his comments to the Victoria Advocate, IPOT Chief Counsel Jeff Blackburn noted that although dog scent lineups are commonly regarded as junk science, “this isn’t even science. This is just junk.” Even the National Police Bloodhound Association has regarded the lineups as “unreliable” and no longer edorses the practice.
Source: Innocence Project of Texas

More CAS Foot-dragging

March 16, 2006

John Dunn has sent a letter to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (pdf). It details the foot-dragging by the ministry and local children's aid societies in denying clients copies of the complaint procedure.

CAS Sued

March 16, 2006

Canada Court Watch has posted a copy of a lawsuit by Raymond Paquette against Lanark Children's Aid. The facts disclose it as the same case dealt with at length in a series of stories by Dave Brown in the Ottawa Citizen in April 1999. The story given here from the suit is one-sided, but Mr Brown's is not.

Since the oldest child is now over the age of 18, he can sue on his own behalf. He is Raymond Paquette, born on November 20, 1987 to mother Lorena Kerr and father Marc Paquette. In 1991 Children's Aid seized Raymond from his parents, placing them with Lorena's sister, Margo Hunter.

Hand written case notes signed by Ms. Denise Unhola an ex-employee of the defendant CAS disclose that Raymond was audio/video taped:

November 20, 1991 at the Ottawa-Carleton Police Station
April 13, 1992 at the home of Margo Hunter
April 27, 1992 at the home of Margo Hunter
December 2, 1992 at the home of Margo Hunter
December 14, 1992 at the home of Margo Hunter

There are unidentified persons on these videotapes and others standing outside the camera view helping the interviewers. The content of the recordings is not described in the suit, but given standard practice in the field, social workers likely tried (and succeeded) to get four- and five-year-old Raymond to make incriminating statements about his parents. The suit calls it brainwashing.

In support of the protection application CAS manufactured the following facts, all later shown to be false. Raymond's father:

sexually abused Raymond
shot Raymond's brother in the face with a shotgun
slit Raymond's throat leaving a six inch scar
burned the hair off Raymond and his two siblings with a rainbow colored lighter

In 1992 CAS got $7000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board on behalf of Raymond, but did not return the money to him on his eighteenth birthday, November 20, 2005.

On May 7, 1998 Ottawa CAS filed a protection application for twin half-brothers born to Lorena Kerr and her then-partner Jack Hepworth.

In November 1998 when it became apparent that the parents Hepworth and Kerr were winning in that child protection case, Ottawa CAS protection worker Mark Arnold advised CAS to adopt out Raymond Paquette and his sister and brother to Margo Hunter as quickly as possible. The permanency of adoption would place the children beyond the power of the courts to return the children to their parents. The adoptions were completed in December 1998 without notifying the parents. Hand-written case notes by Ottawa CAS social worker Brenda Williams confirm that the adoption was in bad faith.

On February 15 and 16, 1999 judge Robert Fournier found that the case was fabricated by CAS, a ruling not appealed by CAS. But since the three oldest children had already been adopted, they were not returned to the parents, only the baby twins were returned.

Here are the formalities:

ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
Court File Number CV/06/33958

Raymond Paquette (Plaintiff)
17 Cherly Road
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 0V5
Phone: (613) 228-0368

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF LANARK AND THE TOWN OF SMITH FALLS
Defendant
8 Herriott Street
Perth, Ontario K7H 1S9
Phone: (613) 264-1500
Fax: (613) 264-0067
Lawyer for the Defendant:
Ms. Nicky Edmundson-Mosher

Letter to Andrea Horwath

March 14, 2006

Here is a letter to Andrea Horwath on the subject of Children's Aid. This is posted with permission of the author, who has requested that the names of her own family be deleted. We have omitted her signature and changed her husband's name to husband.

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Monday March 13, 2006
Brantford Children's Aid Society
On June 22, 2005 I met with one of your intake workers, LeeAnne Wood, in my home along with my husband and children. LeeAnne came out to investigate a complaint about my baby walking down the street with a beer bottle. At that time as far as she was concerned this did not happen. She asked us a series of questions. After she was finished she left and told us she would be in touch.
On August 4, 2005 we met with the CAS again we were told they were concerned about our 'fighting' because we had told LeeAnne during the interview in our home that we occasionally argue. At that point we were informed the case would be transferred to a worker. We met the new worker, Katia Carrunza, who told us husband, needed to go to anger management; an alcohol assessment and I had to attend domestic violence counselling. We followed through with these suggestions to get your organization out of our lives. During my domestic violence counselling I was advised by the counsellor I did not need to attend this class because it was not applicable to my situation. I got the okay from Katia to discontinue this class. She advised me to take a different class which interfered with my school and was going to cost me money that I really could not afford. She then told me I had done what was asked of me and I did not need to take this class.
Husband did his anger management and also had to pay for it after he was told it would be of no cost to him. He also completed his alcohol assessment and was told he could have some counselling on this matter but, it was not necessary. In the meantime husband has quit drinking completely in fear the CAS will again use this against him.
On numerous occasions I called Katia and was unable to reach her, I would leave messages and she would not return my call. I eventually tried calling her supervisor, Trish Johnson, who told me I would have to discuss these matters with Katia. Trish gave me a time when Katia was expected to be in the office but despite my continuous phone calls I was not able to reach her nor did she return my phone calls. I often left detailed messages about when I would be home or if she could reach me at my mothers and I found she would call my home at a time when I told her I would not be there. In my opinion she was calling my home and leaving a message to avoid talking to me personally.
On October 14, 2005 I received a phone call from Katia around 4:00 in the afternoon, she advised me to stay away from my biological father (who I have no relationship with at all, nor had I seen in years.) She continued to tell me not to look for him, and to keep the children away from him, she even went to the point to tell me to lock my doors. (This led me to believe he had made a direct threat toward me and my family.) If I did not abide by this the agency would have reason to apprehend the children. I tried to get more information from her. She told me I could meet with her in her office on Monday, October 17, 2005, in the meantime I had no idea what was going on or what to think. I was terrified. This was unnecessary information to be passed on to me and especially without any detail as to why the call was placed to me in the first place considering I had no contact with this particular individual.
During the week of November 7, 2005 I believe it was Tuesday November 8th husband and I had an appointment with Katia in our home to close our case. That afternoon around 2:00 I received a phone call on Katia's behalf stating the meeting would have to be cancelled that an emergency had arose. For the remainder of that week I had called Katia everyday to reschedule and consistently got her answering machine which stated "Today is Thursday November 3rd I will be in and out of the office today, tomorrow Friday November 4th, I will not be in the office...." I continued to call during the week of the 14th and was still unable to reach Katia.
At 10:30 am on Thursday February 23 I received a message from Katia to call her back. On the 24th I called Katia at 2:00 I left a message on her machine, her message stated "Today is Wed. Feb. 22, I will be out of the office....". I called again on Monday February 27 at 9:10 am and left a message, called again at 11am, and 1:30pm and left a message both times. On Feb.28 I called the office and asked for Katia's supervisor, I was directed to a Dorothy Shween. I left her a detailed message about all the times I tried to contact Katia and asked her to return my call. I called Dorothy again on March 1, when I spoke to her she informed me she was the secretary for that particular division of CAS and there was no supervisor the workers report to a temporary supervisor that changes on a daily basis. She also advised me I could reach Katia right after lunch. I called Katia right after lunch and actually spoke to her, she told me she had not received any reports from the classes we had attended. She told me as soon as she receives all of this information she can close our file because she has not heard of any problems in the past 8 months. I called Nova Vita and spoke to the counsellor of the class I had taken there who informed me she had faxed the letter to Katia On October 25,2005. She asked my permission to call and talk to Katia about the letter. The counsellor called me back to say Katia had received the letter in October. My husband called the lady he was dealing with for the alcohol assessment who agreed to resend the assessment. This is now March 13 and once again I have not heard anything from Katia.
Source: email from author

Praise for CAS

March 11, 2006

The Hamilton Spectator prints an article today in praise of the Children's Aid Society. It omits one important fact, which we give following the article.

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Giving children a better life
By Michael P. Shea, Superintendent, Corporate Services Division, Hamilton Police Service
The Hamilton Spectator(Mar 11, 2006)
Re: 'Crown wards: stories of struggle and survival' and 'Kids at risk face harsh adjustment' (both March 7)
These stories accurately identified not only a growing problem within our community, but the importance of a timely and compassionate response by child protection workers.
The successes identified in these articles are not accidental.
They are the result of dedicated and committed staff doing everything in their power to make life better for our most vulnerable members -- our children.
The staff of the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton, from the executive director to the front-line workers, are second to none.
I am proud to be associated with such a caring and professional organization.
They do make a difference.
Source: Hamilton Spectator

An endorsement of Children's Aid from an informed outsider, a police superintendent. The article omits mention that on the board of directors page of the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton author Michael P Shea appears as 1st Vice President. Mr Shea is acting as a shill.

Kingston Family Attacked

March 11, 2006

We received a plea for help, and exposure, from a family in Kingston. To preempt efforts by CAS to remove their website, we have made our own local copy. The writer's surname has been omitted in compliance with the CFSA.

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From: "Cathy" <copbusters@msn.com>
To: rtmq@stn.net
Subject: re: cas corruption
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 13:05:33 -0800

I am looking for social justice groups to help my family. We have been victimized by the Kingston children's Aid society. The courts are not interested that the CAS workers give false evidence. I have opened up a web site where I hope to past some of the tapes I took of them. They are of course trying to shut me down. The courts that allow the lies and the destruction of families should not then order the lies and destruction sealed. Please help me if you can, or give my name to someone who may help. My site is casinternment.com.
Thank you Cathy 613-634-6345

CH TV Continues

March 10, 2006

CH TV Hamilton has received record-breaking response to yesterday's program on Children's Aid. They have produced another program with John Dunn (Ottawa), crown ward, and Michele Lafantaisie (Hamilton), mother. It will air at 5:30 and 11:30 this afternoon and evening. If response continues at a high level, they may do a one hour show. You can send them feedback by email to 530@chtv.ca , or by phone at 905-522-1101.

Addendum: Here is the program audio posted by John Dunn, or our local copy (both mp3).

DYFS Caution Kills Boy

March 9, 2006

In this case from New Jersey, child protectors cautious erring on the side of the child resulted in his death.

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Sex case kept little fire victim from a safe haven
DYFS decreed accused grandfather, an ex-Woodbridge cop, could no longer care for Erik
Tuesday, March 07, 2006, BY NAWAL QAROONI AND BRAD PARKS, Star-Ledger Staff
Tucked behind a white picket fence, the house sits alongside a quiet, residential road with a 25-mph speed limit.
On the front lawn, a heart-shaped wooden placard informs visitors they've reached "Grandma and Grandpa's House," with directional signs pointing the way to "Cookies + Milk," "Hugs + Kisses" and "Sleep-Overs."
But the house was off-limits to Erik Sturgis, the 5-year-old who died Saturday in a fire after being left alone at his father's home.
State officials said he could no longer go to his grandparents' house to be baby-sat because his step-grandfather, former Woodbridge police officer Douglas Karlson, 46, was accused of taking lewd photos of a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. Karlson denied the allegations and while a DYFS investigation determined Erik was not involved, it concluded Karlson was an inappropriate caretaker for the boy.
As a result, Erik's father, Kevin Sturgis was forced to find other baby sitters, often paying neighbors to watch the child, even though Karlson and his wife, Donna Karlson, a Middlesex County sheriff's officer for 16 years, took care of Erik "for a significant period of time," said Thomas Buck, a Milltown attorney representing the family.
On Saturday, Kevin Sturgis, a 31-year-old single dad, went to work at a supermarket warehouse, leaving his son home alone when their Sayreville house caught fire. Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said the flames did not touch Erik, but the smoke killed him.
Authorities have concluded the fire was accidental, said Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor Thomas Kapsak, but he declined to say how the blaze started and would not reveal whether the boy had access to matches or a cigarette lighter.
"I don't think it would be helpful to speculate about that now," Kapsak said. "We really don't want to conclude anything until we complete our investigation."
Authorities say they are discussing whether to file child endangerment charges against the boy's father but will not make a final decision until the investigation into the fatal blaze is completed, possibly by the end of the week.
Kapsak said police have spoken with Sturgis and described the warehouse shipping clerk as "very cooperative." The prosecuting attorney declined to discuss details of police conversations with the father.
"Obviously, this is a tragic event for everybody and certainly for the father of the child," Kapsak said. "I don't want to put words in his mouth. He's obviously terribly upset."
Yesterday, Karlson, the boy's step-grandfather, said Erik would have been safe at his grandparents' house were it not for DYFS' ruling.
"Pulling me from care was premature. They (DYFS) jumped the gun," Karlson said. "I think they were wrong, but in these situations they have to go overboard. If there's an allegation, the child's gone. That's the bottom line."
The grandmother declined to be interviewed. A computer-printed sign on the door of their Old Bridge home read: "Please respect our time to mourn. No interviews or statements."
DYFS spokesman Andy Williams said it opened a case involving Karlson in May last year and determined Karlson was an "inappropriate baby sitter" for Erik.
"The child's best interest is always the determining factor," Williams said. "If there is a question of the child's safety, obviously we wouldn't place him with that caregiver."
The decision required Erik's father to find alternatives -- and Erik's mother was not an option. Christina Ann Sturgis had been killed in a murder-suicide by Linden firefighter James Hoehman four years earlier.
So Sturgis enrolled his son in preschool and provided DYFS with the name and phone number of a baby sitter he would be using when Erik wasn't at school, Williams said. Satisfied, DYFS closed the case.
Meanwhile, Karlson's troubles were just beginning. The 18-year veteran of the Woodbridge Police Department was suspended from his $80,000-a-year job without pay as charges against him progressed. In September, a grand jury indicted Karlson on charges of official misconduct, child endangerment and aggravated sexual assault.
In January, Karlson's co-defendant, 48-year-old Ann Marie Dobbs of Woodbridge, pleaded guilty for her involvement, but avoided prison under a plea deal in which she agreed to testify against Karlson.
Dobbs told a Middlesex County judge that she was with Karlson when he allegedly photographed a 15-year-old girl over an eight-month period. Police recovered an album full of photos of the girl in various states of undress. In some pictures, she is nude but covers herself with her hands and arms.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said a 24-year-old man will also be testifying that Karlson sexually assaulted him repeatedly over a four-year period starting 10 years ago.
All that -- and the murder of Erik's mother -- was merely the backdrop against which Kevin Sturgis was trying to care for Erik.
Karlson said Sturgis took a demotion at the Wakefern Food Corp. warehouse in Jamesburg so he could change his work hours and be home with Erik.
"His boss threatened to fire him because he was taking Erik to work with him," said Yolanta Kozlowski, a neighbor.
Karen Meleta, a spokeswoman for Wakefern, said the company has no on-site daycare facility. She said she had no knowledge of Sturgis bringing his son to work or of a threat to fire him for doing so.
Sturgis has declined comment. His neighbor, Kozlowski, said he broke down when visiting her yesterday.
"He's not afraid of (criminal charges) or even thinking about it now," Kozlowski said. "He's more devastated that he lost his son."
Staff writers Susan Livio and Jim O'Neill contributed to this report.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger
referred by Fern

Hamilton Family Services Closes

March 9, 2006

This article, lamenting the closure of Hamilton's Family Services, leaves the vital fact until the last paragraph: the agency was carrying debt from lawsuits. The article gives no clue what wrongdoing by the agency led to the debts.

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Family Services closes amid tears and questions

Barry Gray, the Hamilton Spectator
Family Services posted notice at 105 Main St. E. that it is closing.

By Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator (Mar 9, 2006)
The city and Catholic Services of Hamilton-Wentworth were moving quickly to fill the holes left after Hamilton's Family Services closed its doors yesterday.
The closure did not come as a surprise. The agency, which operates counselling, day-care and housing assistance programs, declared bankruptcy last month because of an $800,000 debt. It was a sad development for an agency that opened in Hamilton in 1923.
"I am depressed," said LaFerne Clarke, the agency's executive director who had to cancel an appointment with a doctor over stress tests to be on hand to help deliver the news to staff members at the agency's main office in the basement of Terminal Towers.
"We are 83 years old and we've helped a lot of people," she told reporters, then broke down in tears. "I worked very hard for this agency ... We have done some really good work."
The closure effects 66 employees, 60 of whom were members of Local 216 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Some had worked for the agency for decades.
"I think it's unfortunate. Employees were extremely committed to that organization," said Joe-Anne Priel, the city's general manager of public health and community services.
"It would have been a miracle to save that organization," Priel said.
City staff at Family Services' two day-care centres yesterday gave parents information about other child-care facilities where they can send their children. There are about 40 children affected.
Priel said subsidies will follow children to their new centres.
Linda Dayler, executive director of Catholic Services of Hamilton-Wentworth, said her agency was prepared to take over counselling of clients.
This included counselling for violence against women, family counselling, credit counselling and a program for children who have witnessed violence.
The city was also taking steps for clients in the housing assistance program to notify landlords of changes to lease agreements. Family Services said last night residents will not be evicted because of its shutdown.
Local 216 president Mary Long, who was an intake worker for the day-care programs, said the public needs to ask questions of councillors and MPPs about what happened to the agency and how money was spent to run it.
"It's sad. I've been here 23 years and it's hard to believe it's just come to an end. We've been treated shamelessly and so have the clients."
There appear to be a number of reasons why Family Services went under. Clarke said the agency carried debt for years because of such things as old lawsuits and it grew because it took on programs such as housing assistance that did not have sustainable funding. Priel said the agency got into money trouble when it expanded into the costly child- care business about three years ago.
dnolan@thespec.com
905-526-3351
Source: Hamilton Spectator

Marin and Horwath on TV

March 8, 2006

We have been informed that tomorrow, Thursday, at 5:30 pm Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly will do a half-hour TV show on CH Hamilton on the topic of Bill 210. Guests will be Ontario Ombudsman André Marin, Hamilton East MPP Andrea Horwath, and a spokesman from CAS.

Social Work Debate

March 5, 2006

On February 1, 2006 the Windsor Star published a letter from Dolores Sicheri giving nine suggestions for legislation to regulate the social work profession. The letter was substantially similar to her letter to Mohamad Haniff of March 6, 2005.

The Star printed two replies, one by Loris A Sandre, the other by Beverley J Antle and Mary Kaye Lucier. Both are reproduced below along with two further letters.

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Social workers' ethics strictly governed
GUEST COLUMN
by LORIS A. SANDRE
I am writing to correct some misconceptions which may have been left with your readers as a result of a recent letter from Dolores Sicheri which appeared in The Star on Feb. 1.
The letter from Ms. Sicheri was entitled Recommendations for Social Work Ethics. In it, Ms. Sicheri makes a number of recommendations regarding what I assume — from the tone of her letter — to be her perception of shortcomings in the ethical behaviour of some social workers.
While I realize that Ms. Sicheri's letter is directed more specifically at staff employed by the Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society, it nevertheless leaves a very erroneous misconception that there are no guidelines whatever that govern the social work profession.
As a proud member of this profession, I would like to take this opportunity to correct some misconceptions created by Ms. Sicheri.
In her letter, Ms Sicheri makes nine recommendations, which she indicated she has submitted to the College of Social Work.
Her first recommendation is that "persons without (proper) qualifications should not identify themselves as social workers..."
I would like to point out that under the Social Work Act of 1998, the title social worker is a protected title under this act, and only persons with the proper credentials and belonging to the college may refer to themselves as social workers.
In short, this recommendation is already a reality.
Committee exists
In her second recommendation, Ms. Sicheri suggests, "swearing of false or misleading affidavits should be grounds for disciplinary action..."
I would like to point out that such behaviour, if it were proven, would indeed be grounds for disciplinary action.
It would also be ground, if it were true, for a complaint to the college.
Ms. Sicheri's third recommendation suggests, "a discipline committed should be established to hear complaints from the public..."
Ms. Sicheri needs to do her homework because such a committee already exists under the Social Work College.
In her fourth recommendation, Ms. Sicheri announces, "a code of professional conduct should be established."
Once again, she needs to do some homework, as this too already exists. It is approximately 30 pages long, and readily available from the college.
Recommendation No. 5 suggests that a "program of professional development linked to licence renewals" needs to be established.
While this provision is not currently in place, the college is in the proces of writing a policy on exactly this issue, and laying out guidelines for ongoing professional education.
Ms. Sicheri's sixth recommendation is based on the false premise set forth in her letter that "every profession in Ontario is legally accountable for his or her actions except social workers."
I'm not sure where this comes from, but I for one could certainly save myself some money for liability insurance if this were true.
In recommendation No. 7, the writer states, "social workers need to know and to respect the boundaries of their profession."
In this, I heartily agree with Ms. Sicheri. However, if she has complaints about a social worker overstepping professional or personal boundaries, she should initiate a complaint to the college. Failure to respect personal and professional boundaries would be seen as a serious professional transgression by the College.
Recommendation No. 8 states that "police background checks should be a mandatory requirement for employment of social workers..."
Oral and written exam
In this also, I would concur. Indeed, this is already a standard of practice in all social work agencies these day. However, it should be pointed out to Ms. Sicheri that if someone does not already possess a criminal record, a police background check would obviously not produce any grounds for not hiring a potential employee.
The final recommendation made in Ms. Sicheri's letter is also one with which I concur. Namely, "there should be an oral and written exam for licensure at the completion of training..."
I would like to pint out that this is the only point in Ms. Sicheri's letter, which is not already either a reality under the governance of the Social Work College, or under consideration by the College.
There is to be a policy announcement in the near future from the college in regards to mandatory requirements fro social workers in regard to ongoing professional development.
On the whole, however, Ms. Sicheri's letter unfortunately left the mistaken, and rather insulting impression that social work as a profession does not adequately regulate itself, nor does it have adequate standards of practice.
Perhaps Ms. Sicheri would be well served to research her topics in the future, rather than making misleading and blatantly false accusations.
If she has had less than pleasant dealings with some social workers, there are avenues of complaint open to her both legally, as well as through the Social Work College.
Loris A. Sandre works at Windsor Regional children's Centre as a clinical social worker, and is involved with teens and their families.
Source:
Photocopy supplied by Dolores Sicheri
Published on or before February 19, 2006

Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Social workers governed by formal regulations
The Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) wishes to respond to Dolores Sicheri's recent letter which contained many inaccuracies about the social work profession.
Social workers in Ontario have had a code of ethics for over four decades and have been regulated by the Ontario College of Social Worker and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) since 2000.
Prior to the establishment of OCSWSSW, the Ontario College of Certified Social Workers, a voluntary regulatory body, set standards for the profession, investigated complaints from the public and disciplined members who were found guilty of professional misconduct.
It was leadership within the profession that resulted in the formal regulation of social work practice under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998.
In Ontario, it is currently a provincial offence for any person who is not registered with OCSWSSW to use the title "social worker" or "registered social worker" or to hold oneself out explicitly or implicitly to be a social worker or registered social worker.
As in other regulated professions, a finding by the college's discipline committee that a member failed to adhere to the profession's code of ethics and standards of practice is subject to disciplinary action.
Social workers are not immune from criminal prosecution or civil suits. Some time in the future, an entrance-to-practise examination will be required for registration in OCSWSSW.
Child welfare staff in this province, many of whom are registered social workers, are highly trained and undergo police checks prior to working in this sector. They play a vital role in protecting Ontario's most vulnerable citizens, our children.
BEVERLEY J ANTLE
OASW President
MARY KAYE LUCIER
OASW Southwestern Branch President
Toronto
Source:
Photocopy supplied by Dolores Sicheri

In a nutshell, the social work profession needs to be regulated by the Health Profession Act as they are working with vulnerable patient groups.
The community must ask for credentials and require social work registration. For example, a "caseworker" might not necessarily be a "social worker." A "case worker" might be a gym teacher. The public will not know the difference unless it is made aware of the nuance. A case worker's credentials must be presented and reviewed before allowing access.
I am not trying to center out child protection workers. A hospital patient, who is told that they are being sent to a specialized unit when they are being sent to chronic care, is being lied to. A child protection worker, who deliberately misrepresents her role to gain access to a home, is lying. A child protection worker, who writes a phony, puffed up affidavit, is lying. Social workers need to put their reputations and licensure on the line, just like doctors, nurses, teachers, dentists, optometrists, audiologists, speech pathologists, occupational/physiotherapists, and lawyers.
Ms. Antler, Ms. Lucier and Mr. Sandre are trying to create a preception of inaccuracy. The community knows better. Their accusation is without substance. In fact, I find it bizarre that they agreed with everything I said.
The College of Social Work needs to do its homework. For the profession to survive, it needs to bring accountability and transparency to the clients.
Dolores Sicheri
Lakeshore, Ontario
March 1, 2006

March 6, 2006
Editor
The Windsor Star Group Inc.
167 Ferry Street
Windsor, Ontario
N9A 4M5
email: letters@thestar.canwest.com
Subject: Social workers
For publication
The Windsor Star has printed two replies to a February 1 letter of Dr Dolores Sicheri on social work and child protection, one by Loris A Sandre, the other by Beverley J Antle and Mary Kaye Lucier. Both chide Dr Sicheri for not checking her facts. But where can one go to check facts on child protection? Court hearings and case files are secret and inquiries to a Children's Aid Society are rebuffed on grounds of confidentiality. Parents and grown children are the only source. Dr Sicheri and I have both spoken to many affected families and have informed opinions.
Both articles claim that an adequate regulatory regime for social workers is in place, yet ignore the reality that families are routinely torn asunder by social services. In cases in which children are taken from parents, social workers routinely omit facts favorable to families, and liberally include hearsay without checking its validity. A common device is giving parents visitation with their children under observation by social workers, then filing court documents denigrating parents while omitting favorable facts. Social workers can even impose a divorce against the will of both parents -- they suggest to a mother that her chances of getting her children returned will improve after a divorce, then use separation as further justification for keeping the children.
What does the existing regulatory framework do to protect families from these abuses? Nothing. Mrs Sandre cites a Code of Ethics for social workers. It guards confidentiality, ostensibly protecting families from embarrassment, really concealing abuses. The code does not contain the word "truth", and offers no relief for misrepresentation or omission of facts.
The OCSWSSW publication Perspective (pdf) dated Winter 2006 says:

As at October 31, 2005, out of 164 completed complaints, there have been four referrals to the College's Discipline Committee, and seven College members have been required to attend before the Complaints Committee to be cautioned.

Did social workers take the nineteen thousand children now in foster care with only four mistakes? Perhaps the discipline committee is protecting social workers more than families.
Robert T McQuaid

Help Ombudsman Watch CAS

March 4, 2006

Opposition to revisions to the Child and Family Services Act has come mainly from the NDP — most CAS victims are the kinds families supporting the NDP. While defeat of the entire bill is unlikely, adding a provision for ombudsman oversight is possible. You have an opportunity to help this happen by sending your story to Andrea Horwath (NDP), MPP for Hamilton East. The details are in an email below from Dolores Sicheri.

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There is a great battle being fought as we speak in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario regarding Bill C210. It involves the rights of children and families. The NDP are trying to amend the Bill to provide an independent review process through the Ombudsman. If we do not speak up to demand a review process, they will fail.
Please email Andrea Horwath MPP ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca today with your personal story regarding CAS. Her fax number is: 416-325-2770
Bill C210 will put in place onerous legislation which will give CAS complete responsibility for the welfare of children with no accountability or transparency.
I will quote Mr. Runciman in the debate:
"Referencing some of the discussion that has occurred related to this issue and the legislation itself, but the issue generally with respect to adoption, I know that my colleague Mr. Jackson from Burlington, who has been a strong advocate in terms of protection of children in this province, has raised a number of issues surrounding the legislation, a number of issues and questions surrounding the intent here. I know that he has raised the issue of the legislation being essentially a cost-containment strategy and not a child welfare outcomes issue."

When you email Mrs Horwath, adding rtmq@stn.net to the cc field will keep us informed as well.

Legislature Debates CFSA

March 2, 2006

Changes to the Child and Family Services Act, bill 210, were debated in three sessions. Here are links to the debates.

February 28	First day of debate
March 1	Second day of debate
March 2	Question for Mary Anne Chambers
March 2	Question for Mary Anne Chambers
March 2	Third day of debate

Ontario's Ombudsman will not get oversight over Children's Aid. Once again, nearly half of the debate centered on First Nations. The only real opposition to the bill came from the NDP.

Addendum: Here is spin from the Toronto Star, suggesting the PC's are endangering children by holding up bill 210.

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Conservatives stall adoption bill
Mar. 2, 2006. 07:41 PM
STEVE ERWIN
CANADIAN PRESS
A Liberal adoption bill that could help thousands more Ontario children find permanent homes was stalled Thursday by Conservatives angry that Premier Dalton McGuinty hasn't asked a controversial cabinet minister to step down.
Tempers were running high on the last day of the legislative sitting as the Conservatives blocked legislation to lift restrictions on the adoption of Crown wards whose birth parents have a court-ordered right to maintain contact with them.
The bill has the support of the Conservatives, who chose to delay it on the eve of a three-week legislative break because the Liberals refused to extend debate on a separate matter: the reprimand of embattled Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar.
Two weeks ago, Takhar became the first Ontario cabinet minister to be reprimanded by the integrity commissioner because he failed to hire a suitably independent trustee to manage his business affairs while in cabinet.
The Liberals successfully moved Thursday to accept the commissioner's report without further debate on the matter, which the Conservatives have seized upon in recent weeks as grounds for Takhar's removal from cabinet.
Several angry exchanges erupted during question period, which saw Conservative critic Tim Hudak ejected from the legislative chamber and normally placid Child and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers spouting uncharacteristic vitriol.
After question period, Chambers accused the Conservatives of trying to "hold kids basically hostage" in an effort to give the Takhar controversy "legs."
"We have vulnerable kids and every day that this bill is held up is another day when we are not providing the very best protection for kids," Chambers said.
"It's just shameful that the Progressive Conservatives could see chasing Minister Takhar's ghosts as being more important than taking care of vulnerable kids."
Conservative house leader Bob Runciman accused the government of playing "the sleaziest kind of politics" he's seen since the Liberals took office in October 2003.
He accused the Liberals of using the legislation as a shield to discourage their Conservative rivals from using procedural tactics in protest over the government's decision to end debate over the Takhar controversy.
"They put us in a situation where we had no option," Runciman said. "If anyone's being shameful, it's the Liberals in the way they are conducting this and the way they are suggesting that we've held this up."
The adoption bill, if passed, would allow Crown wards whose birth parents don't take advantage of their rights to maintain contact with their children to be eligible for adoption.
The Liberals say almost 60 per cent of such parents never take advantage of their rights.
The bill is likely to pass final reading when the legislature resumes March 27.
Source: Toronto Star

Teenager Attacks Foster Mom

March 2, 2006

This story shows an opinion of a foster parent by the person who knows her best — her own foster child.

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Butler Woman Likely Assaulted By Foster Child Image
Ralph Iannotti
Reporting
(KDKA) BUTLER A woman who was thought to be the victim of a home invasion, may have been attacked by her former foster child.
Police say that Yvonne Cook’s former foster child, a boy she took into her home and cared for, is the prime suspect.
Terrance Lemont Clowney, 19, is wanted by police in connection with the weekend stabbing.
Cook was robbed and attacked early sunday morning after police say Clowney forced his way into her home through the basement door. She was robbed of about $140 and stabbed with a kitchen knife in the face, neck and hands.
“He was a foster child of my mother - I'm suprised after my mother had reached out - and offered up her home, and her time to help this child...that this is how he repays it,” Cook’s son David told KDKA’s Ralph Iannotti. I knew him as far as I've seen him down the house. I haven't had too many dealings with him, though.”
Clowney is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs about 145 pounds.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest on charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and, unlawful restraint.
Cook’s recovery from the attack has been more encouraging physically than it has mentally.
“The physical part, yes, the emotional part, I doubt very much a week in the hospital is going to heal that,” said (David) Cook. “We'll just take it one day at a time.”
Cook remains hospitalized at Allegheny General Hospital listed in fair condition.
According to a report from Butler City Police, at the tme of the home invasion, Clowney was either wearing a mask or had his shirt pulled up over his face.
Source: KDKA

Ontario Parents Won't Get Funds

February 28, 2006

Ontario is about to keep social services safe from parents who might care for their own children. The hundred dollar a month federal tax credit for parents of pre-school children will be taken back by the province.

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Ontario could claw back child-care benefit
Last Updated: Feb 28 2006 11:13 AM EST
Some of Ontario's poorest families might never see the monthly child-care allowance proposed by the federal government.
The provincial government is expected to deduct the annual $1,200 child-care benefit for every child under age six directly from social assistance or disability support cheques.
"I'd be horrified if they did," said Cynthia Wilkey, a lawyer with the Income Security Advocacy Centre of Toronto. "I would just be horrified. But would it surprise me? No."
The $100 monthly allowance is intended to replace the current national child-care funding deal with provinces, but Wilkey and other advocates for low-income families worry the province will claw back the benefits.

Stephen Harper reads to children at Copper House day care in Bolton, Ont. during the federal election in January. (CP Photo/Paul Chiasson)

The Ontario government already deducts the National Child Benefit Supplement from social assistance and disability cheques, despite a campaign promise to stop the clawback.
Sandra Pupatello, minister of community and social services, says the goverment has not yet decided if the benefit will be deducted, but refused to rule out the possibility.
"Our history since we became the government has been to try to make life better for people who are on social assistance, and I think that every single thing we've done since we've become the government has indicated that," said Pupatello.
She says the province is still focused on fighting to save the existing child-care deal signed with the previous federal government.
Source:
CBC

CBC Features Crown Wards

February 28, 2006

A CBC program will tell the stories of crown wards. The screening schedule is below. The CBC blurb is at Wards of the Crown, and we have a local copy (pdf). There is also a write-up at the National Film Board.

SCREENINGS On Television CBC NEWSWORLD (ET)

March 7, 2006 10:00pm CBC
March 8, 2006 1:00am
March 8, 2006 4:00am

Source: John Dunn

Mom Kept From Crippled Daughter

February 26, 2006

Haleigh Poutre was taken from her mother by Massachusetts child protectors (DSS) at the age of six and placed with her aunt Holli. Holli adopted the girl and later married Jason Strickland, who became the girl's stepfather. On September 11, 2005 Jason beat Haleigh severely placing her in a coma. Holli and her grandmother were found dead a few days later in a possible suicide pact. Massachusetts DSS and all parties involved wanted to have Haleigh's life-support terminated, but Jason resisted, since he would then face a murder charge.

Haleigh has become a pawn in the struggle over euthanasia with a court allowing teminiation of life-support just as her medical condition improved to where she could breathe without help.

On February 24 social workers held a party for Haleigh's 12th birthday. Her mother, Allison Avrett, was excluded.

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WPRI Providence
February 25, 2006
Severely beaten girl turns 12, mother uninvited
BOSTON The severely beaten girl the state wanted to remove from life-support turned 12 yesterday, and her mother says she wasn't invited to the party. Haleigh Poutre's birthday was celebrated at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston. Poutre has been receiving physical, speech and occupational therapy there since last month.
Poutre's mother, Allison Avrett of Westfield, wanted to attend the party, according to her lawyer, Wendy Murphy.
Murphy said she tried to contact the Department of Social Services for permission to attend birthday celebration. But she says the calls weren't returned.
Murphy says the snub left Avrett depressed and outraged.
Avrett is allowed to visit her daughter for 15 minutes every other Tuesday.
A D-S-S spokeswoman disputed Murphy's statement. She said a lawyer for D-S-S returned Murphy's call on Wednesday.
Source:
www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp
?S=4552574&nav=F2DO

Third Reading of CFSA Revision Bill

February 25, 2006

John Dunn has alerted us to the legislative schedule for action on bill 210, revising the Child and Family Services Act.

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Ontario Legislative Assembly Business for the week of February 27th 2006 (Monday)
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Hon. David Caplan (Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, Deputy Government House Leader): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: Pursuant to standing order 55, I'd like to give the Legislature the business of the House for next week.
On Monday, February 27, in the afternoon, second reading of Bill 53, the Stronger City of Toronto for a Stronger Ontario Act; in the evening, third reading of Bill 21, the Energy Conservation Responsibility Act.
On Tuesday, February 28, in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 210, the Child and Family Services Statute Law Amendment Act; in the evening, third reading of Bill 36, the Local Health System Integration Act.
On Wednesday, March 1, in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 210

Here are links to the legislative history and the discussion of bill 210 and the second reading of bill 210.

CAS Answers

February 23, 2006

CAS has responded to an earlier article about a group wanting CAS off the Six Nations land. We rarely respond point-by-point to the drivel coming from Children's Aid, but will in this case. Here is their response, exactly as published except that we have numbered the paragraphs.

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Caring for children at risk
By Shannon Korber, manager of Native Services Branch (Brant CAS)
The Hamilton Spectator (Feb 23, 2006)
Re: 'Group wants Children's Aid Society off Six Nations land' (Feb. 18)
1. The mandate of the Children's Aid Society of Brant, Native Services Branch (CAS/NSB) is to provide protection services to children deemed to be at risk of harm or to have been harmed.
2. The NSB staff understands the history of child welfare in Native communities (including the residential school legacy) and strives to implement a service that is fair, consistent and protects children's rights to live safely without risk of harm or neglect.
3. There are situations where, for a variety of reasons, children are unsafe in their current home situations and extended family members are unwilling, unable, or are deemed inappropriate to care for children. In some circumstances there is no, or limited, extended family. However not all children are in care as the result of apprehension. In certain cases, children are signed over to the care of the CAS on the consent of their parents who have identified their own inability to care for their children.
4. Within the structure of existing services, we are the service mandated to bring high-risk issues such as drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence forward as the very issues that devastate the lives of children and families.
5. The CAS receives reports from community members, teachers and school support staff, police, family members and other professionals, regarding protection concerns.
6. The reports are investigated and must be verified before a child is removed from its home and placed (when possible) in the care of an approved family member, with on-going but limited CAS involvement. If there is no family placement, the child is apprehended and placed in the care of the CAS.
7. The CAS must bring all evidence before a provincial family court judge for review. If the CAS does not provide concrete evidence to confirm child protection concerns, the children would be returned home.
8. This standard is outlined within the Child and Family Services Act, which is provincial legislation and guides other services within the Six Nations community such as day care, police and Social Services.
9. The NSB staffs plan to meet with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Six Nations Band Council to resolve service delivery matters until Six Nations endorses an agreement first negotiated in 1993, allowing community based-service delivery.
10. We would like to emphasize that the caring and protection of children is a shared responsibility. You can help by becoming a foster parent, an adoptive parent, or a volunteer. You are invited to contact our office at 519-445-2247. Together we can make a difference.
Source:
www.hamiltonspectator.com/
NASApp/cs/ContentServer
?pagename=hamilton/Layout/
Article_Type1
&c=Article&cid=1140648615780
&call_pageid=1020420665036
That has to make you feel warm and fuzzy about CAS. But here are some realities.
1. This is as it ought to be, not as it is. CAS gets most of its funding from the per-diem reimbursement for children in foster care. Protection of children is a smokescreen.
2. Here Mrs Korber acknowledges past abuses, inviting the reader to assume that things are better now. She did not say things are better, and they are not.
3. The real reason children are placed in foster homes in preference to relatives is that foster care generates funding for CAS, relative placement does not. The cases where children are signed over to CAS are never truly voluntary. We have interviewed dozens of parents who have signed "voluntary service agreements" with Children's Aid. Many are approached by a social worker explaining that a signature is needed to allow CAS to help the family, then the family discovers too late that they have relinquished their children. Others are threatened with court action if they fail to sign as demanded.
4 This is a high-sounding paragraph that makes you feel good about the author's intentions, but on on analysis, says nothing at all.
5. The CAS does indeed get lots of reports from professionals who come in contact with children. Those who fail to report are prosecuted, and CAS has made those prosecutions well known among all targeted professions. They act not out of concern for the welfare of children, but fear for loss of their livelihood.
6. CAS does no real investigation before snatching a child. In actual court cases, most of the justification for keeping a child is from evidence gathered after the apprehension.
7. CAS is not required to present evidence to a court before taking a child. The court proceedings are only about whether the parents can get their children returned. For most parents, those lacking the means to hire competent legal counsel, the hearings are a sham and they have no opportunity to oppose Children's Aid.
8. The Child and Family Services Act is a one-sided law that gives powers to Children's Aid. There is not a single paragraph protective of the rights of parents.
9. CAS/NSB intends to negotiate until the Band does what CAS says.
10. CAS appeals to you to help them, in what must be a worthy cause. Fund appeals by CAS raise insignificant amounts of money, but serve to dupe more members of the public the same way. In hundreds of families interviewed, we have yet to find a single parent or child who has anything favorable to say about his experiences with Children's Aid.

CAS Uses Enron Accounting

February 23, 2006

When a private company fakes its books, shareholders are hurt, and management can be sued or prosecuted. But when a public agency fakes its books, no one really cares.

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Accountants probe allegations of over-billing at N.S. Children's Aid Society
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, Wednesday, February 22, 2006
HALIFAX (CP) - The organization that represents Nova Scotia's chartered accountants is trying to determine whether provincial auditors conducted a proper investigation of alleged expense fraud at the Children's Aid Society in Cape Breton.
A spokeswoman for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia refused to comment on the case, but the man who made the allegations says the initial audit was slipshod. Jim MacNeil, a former society supervisor, says he called the institute when he learned auditors with the provincial Finance Department had not conducted an in-depth, forensic review of the society's financial records.
Linda Laffin, a spokeswoman for the Community Services Department, said the government is aware of MacNeil's complaints, which came after he was fired for alleged incompetence in 2003.
However, she denied the initial audit was bungled and she insisted the department took MacNeil's allegations seriously.
"We're satisfied the Department of Finance did what we asked," she said. "They did the audit. We take their advice. In their opinion, they reviewed it and there's nothing further to look at."
Meanwhile, the chairman of the society's board of directors said the society conducted an internal investigation in 2003 before the provincial auditors were called in. That investigation determined there were errors in the society's records but they were not the result of wrongdoing.
"It would be very difficult to prove that (someone) cheated the agency," said Jack Coffin.
MacNeil's complaint dates back to 1999, when he was told to review the expense reports of a junior case worker in the society's mentoring program.
He concluded that the Cape Breton-Victoria Children's Aid Society had been over-billed by as much as $5,000 during a nine-month period. He urged his supervisors to launch a wider investigation.
"I was trying to get them to look into the whole mentoring program because I think what I found was the tip of the iceberg," MacNeil said.
He said the society's former executive director refused to pursue a further investigation and instead issued a written reprimand to the employee in question.
"I was threatened with dismissal if I pursued the matter, so I just backed off," MacNeil said.
"In my career, I've seen foster parents who were forced to repay overpayments. I just felt this wasn't right."
In 2003, MacNeil broke his silence after he was fired and lodged a complaint with the Community Services Department, which oversees children's aid societies throughout the province.
Since the children's organization receives all of its funding from the provincial government, an audit by the province's Finance Department was ordered. That investigation found the society's bookkeeping was sloppy, but noted some improvements had been made.
MacNeil said provincial auditors didn't speak with him during their investigation.
"I asked them to do a forensic audit to verify what I had found," he said. "That's not what happened. All they did was a paper audit of how management handled things. There's been no attempt to see what money may have been missing."
Source:
canada.com

Parent Degraded by CAS

February 22, 2006

Even parents not reported for abuse are humiliated by Children's Aid. In this case, CAS claims to be the guardian of all Canadian children, with oversight over parents. It appears Stockley is the correct name, not Stockwell.

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The Independent
Local mom says dental program is 'demeaning'
LISA TALLYN, Staff Writer, 02/22/06 00:00:00
A Georgetown woman doesn't mind being told her son has dental problems that need attention, but having to provide proof that the dentist did the work is going too far, she says.

Emy Stockwell of Georgetown, shown here with her son Matthew, believes a form sent to her home after her son received a dental screening at school requiring her to get a signature from a dentist stating he had initiated dental treatment on her child is an invasion of her privacy rights, and intrusive. She refused to have the form signed.
Photo by TED BROWN

Emy Stockley believes that the aspect of the dental screening program administered by Halton Region Health Department requiring her to get her dentist's signature verifying that work has been started or completed on her child is an invasion of privacy.
"Violated, humiliated and interfered with," is how she said she felt when she received the form requiring the dentist's signature after her son's teeth were checked at school last month.
"Although I did appreciate the screening and notification, I feel that having to report back to the department, and the embarrassment of asking the dentist for his signature was interfering, intrusive and demeaning," she said.
Stockley received a letter from Halton Health Department last month stating that her 10-year-old son Matthew's teeth had been checked at the school and he needed immediate dental attention.
Stockley said she already had a dental appointment booked for her son the day following the screening, and the work was done.
After receiving the letter she called Halton Health Department to discuss the program.
"I don't have any objection to this screening," she said she told the official. "I have an objection to being enforced to report his treatment to the Halton Health Department."
She said she will allow her son to be screened again at school, "but again I will not be demeaned, humiliated or forced like a child to get a dentist to prove that I have sought dental health for my child. I have done so of my own accord."
She said the region official told her that by law she was required to report to the Children's Aid Society (CAS) that she hadn't returned the dental form.
"I have accepted that the incident will be reported to Children's Aid and that the municipality justifies their intrusion on my private life and that of my children's lives because it benefits their ability to follow up with those in need of treatment, but I will not give up my right to privacy, my right to freedom from unreasonable interference in my private life."
Gisele Franck, manager of dental health for Halton Region, said most parents are very happy with the dental screening program, which she said is mandated by the province.
She said the goal is to ensure children's dental health is looked after.
The form sent to parents includes an option they can check requesting financial assistance to cover basic dental treatment.
"I think it's fair, it's a service mainly provided to the parents," said Franck.
She said the region makes every effort to work with the parents.
"If they provide us with the name of the dentist, we can call the dentist's office," she said.
She said parents have 100 days to get the dental work done on their child and the health department follows up with a re-screening of the child.
She said at that point if the dental work is not complete the matter is referred to the CAS.
"Dental situations that are not treated are deemed neglect by law," said Franck.
She said last year of the 16,000 kids screened across Halton, less than .01 per cent were referred to the CAS.
Greg Flood, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Promotion, which oversees the program, said the signature of the dentist is a "legislative requirement."
He stressed people shouldn't lose sight of the purpose of the program.
"It's a very important program," said Flood. "It's about ensuring that youth are having appropriate dental services and that's why this program is offered by the government."
He added the program enables parents who can't afford dental services to get them for their child.
He said since the program has been administered by his Ministry he has never heard of a complaint similar to the one raise by Stockley.
Source:
www.northpeel.com/br/gi/news/
story/3336250p-3860952c.html
found by a Dufferin VOCA reader

Rape in CAS Custody

February 22, 2006

Canada Court Watch today reports on the rape of a girl in CAS custody. Court Watch never uses names, but has been truthful in its reports.

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My daughter was raped while in the care of the Durham and Quinte CAS!
(February 22, 2006) Court Watch received a call from a mother today who described her daughter's horrendous experiences while in care of the Durham CAS. Not only was this woman's daughter sent around to multiple group homes, but she was raped while in CAS care and could not trust CAS workers enough to tell them. The mother reported that CAS workers were giving her daughter birth control pills at 13 years of age which obviously meant that workers were condoning teen sex. Court Watch received another call where another young boy was raped while in the care of the Durham CAS due to worker negligence and cover-up. Luckily, the culprit was identified and caught. The bottom line is that children are getting raped, drugged and abused while in the care of CAS, yet the taxpayers keep paying through the nose for this. Corporate donors such as Canadian Tire Corporation are also get duped into donating monies to the CAS. More on this story to follow. It's time to put an end to the mess with the CAS! This could be yet another lawsuit coming up.
Source:
Canada Court Watch

Addendum: Here is an audio recording of the mother (mp3), telling the story in her own words.

Baby-stealers in Pain

February 21, 2006

The following story deals with the howls of pain from Ontario's baby-stealers cut off from their funding. Ontario's children will be fortunate if Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty stand firm in their refusal to fund Ontario's child-care boondoggle.

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PM's deal with Quebec has Ontario fuming
Province vows to fight for child-care funding
Kate Jaimet, The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will face strong opposition from Ontario if he cancels the $1.8-billion child-care deal with the province -- especially if he keeps the agreement to send $1.1 billion to Quebec, Ontario Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said yesterday.
Ms. Chambers said she's unhappy with reports indicating that child-care money may continue to flow to Quebec, even as it's cancelled for other provinces.
But she said she's in the dark about the Tory government's intentions, because federal Human Resources Minister Diane Finley has not returned her phone calls.
The Citizen was unable to reach Ms. Finley for comment yesterday.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Sunday the federal-provincial child-care agreements signed by the former Liberal government will be cancelled as of 2007.
However, in an earlier meeting between Mr. Harper and Premier Jean Charest, a commitment was apparently made to satisfy Quebec.
"They agreed that there will be solutions on the table, and we are confident," Louise Bedard, press attache for Quebec's Minister of the Family Carole Theberge, said yesterday.
But the mood at Queen's Park and in Ontario municipalities is anything but confident, Ms. Chambers said. "We're very concerned," she said. "We need funding from the government of Canada to make this (child-care program) a reality.
"Ontario is not in a position to pick up the slack financially," said Ms. Chambers. "Ottawa is the government with the surplus. Ontario is the government with the deficit."
Source:
canada.com

Social Service Agency Failing

February 19, 2006

Family Services Hamilton is facing bankruptcy and may shut down. The FSH website, one of those with nothing but smiling faces, may disappear from the internet soon.

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Family Services shutting down
Bankruptcy rescue attempt fails
By Peter Van Harten, The Hamilton Spectator (Feb 18, 2006)
A rescue attempt to keep financially-indebted Family Services Hamilton afloat has failed and the non-profit community agency is heading for bankruptcy.
About 66 employees will lose their jobs when the agency shuts down -- perhaps as early as next week.
Family Services Hamilton (FSH) provides counselling for victims of abuse and domestic violence, day care for about 30 troubled pre-schoolers, a housing help program and a money-losing day care centre.
FSH, which dates back to 1923, has faced deadlines and ultimatums from its main funders in past months to come up with new business and debt-reduction plans to resolve its ongoing financial crisis.
The three main funders, the city, the Ontario Community and Social Services Ministry and the United Way, have stressed, however, that contingency plans were in place to have alternative agencies look after the people helped by Family Services.
"It's unfortunate that the agency has been unable to address its serious financial and governance issues," said ministry spokesman Paul Doig. "We are taking steps to ensure the continuity and delivery of service."
Linda Dayler, executive director of Catholic Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth, said her agency is prepared to help any FSH clients as early as Monday.
FSH's latest crisis came to a head Thursday when Mac Carson, the new president of the agency's board of directors, was ousted by the other directors.
"I learned a lot, mainly never try to help somebody; when they are drowning, you can't do much to pull them out," he said.
Carson, a former Hamilton-Wentworth Region chief administrative officer, said he had been working on a bankruptcy protection plan, extension of funding and other rescue efforts but they were rejected by directors when there was finally a quorum for a "hectic" meeting Thursday.
"The board voted no confidence in me," he said. " I tried several things but they didn't want to take the road I suggested."
The board then voted to go into bankruptcy, Carson said.
LaFerne Clarke, the executive director of FSH, could not be reached for comment.
Carson said he scurried about in past weeks to improve the cash flow at FSH but bills piled up and there was currently only enough money to pay employee wages up to yesterday.
"Everybody got paid today but nobody got severance pay which I think is disgusting," he said yesterday.
Carson blamed the agency's problems on inadequate management and a governing board of directors that was seldom able to meet quorum requirements and take action.
"We couldn't do anything but go into bankruptcy," he said. "There was no leadership and co-operation inside."
Carson, who joined the board in past weeks, said the three main funders gave the agency every possible chance to survive. "They tried far beyond the call of duty to keep the organization going."
Family services has a current deficit of about $100,000 including a $19,000 payment due next week to the receiver-general of Canada. FSH has a total debt of about $800,000.
In past years and months, Family Services Hamilton has experienced tumultuous and fractious board of directors meetings and resignations of directors.
In addition to its funded day care program for troubled preschoolers, the agency provides fee-for-service employee assistance programs.Its other for-profit day care program is losing money and was set up with $200,000 in borrowed money.
The agency provides housing subsidies for about two dozen families but lost provincial funding for its second-stage housing program a decade ago and was unable to make up the lost funds.
Dayler at Catholic Family Services said workers from her agency would be available at 905-527-3823, ext. 269 to assist any FSH clients Monday or at 447 Main Street East, Unit 201.
pvanharten@thespec.com
905-526-3328
Source:
Hamilton Spectator
Pointed out by K Karolak

Transcript Faked

February 19, 2006

A man reports that the transcript in his case was altered, protecting the crown from disclosure of its wrongdoing, and denying him any possibility of appeal. Canada Court Watch made the recording on February 16, 2006.

Get Rid of CAS!

February 18, 2006

The following article gives some reasonable sounding quotes from CAS Executive Director Andrew Koster, while his critics have to remain anonymous. Bear in mind the habit of child protectors as pointed out by Edward Wernecke, that they say in public the opposite of what they do in secret.

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Group wants Children's Aid Society off Six Nations land
By Carmela Fragomeni, The Hamilton Spectator, OHSWEKEN (Feb 18, 2006)
A group of parents angry that the Children's Aid Society at Six Nations has taken their children away wants the band council to kick the agency out.
The parents had planned to show up unannounced to the band council meeting this week to present it with a wampum, but the meeting was moved to another location. The group vows to return for next week's council meeting Tuesday.
A wampum is a belt of beads and shells that is considered sacred and is used to convey messages and represent agreements -- in this case, a historical agreement by colonizers and natives not to interfere in each other's business, according to clan mother Sandy Miller.
A man whose children were taken by the CAS said the reason given was that he and the children's mother were doing drugs. He has been meeting with other upset parents to work on strategies for getting their children back. The man cannot be named because doing so would identify children in the care of a CAS.
The children's protection services on the reserve are provided by native services branch of the Brant Children's Aid Society, which was invited by the band council to set up in Six Nations.
Brant CAS executive director Andrew Koster said staff at the branch are all from Six Nations, so it's not a case of a CAS from outside dictating to a reserve.
Koster says there are some people who now want Six Nations to take over these child services "and we support that."
Whether Six Nations develops its own community type of care or not, "the bottom line is these kids have to be safe."
In the meantime, he said the Brant CAS tries, wherever possible, to place children in foster homes that have the same spiritual beliefs. Many of the children are also placed with family members, he said.
Koster said the CAS has 60 reserve children in its care, a relatively low number when compared with Six Nations' 14,000 population.
Koster admits there is a negative history of First Nations dealings with Children's Aid Societies and this makes individual issues more difficult.
Miller said the parents' group intends to take their children back and the wampum gives them that right.
She also said the CAS model is not suitable to aboriginal kids. "It's traumatizing those children and the parents and they tear their hearts out. They are hurting the children."
cfragomeni@thespec.com
905-526-3392
Source:
Hamilton Spectator

Addendum: The Hamilton Spectator published a response from Shannon Korber.

Institutions Harm Children

February 17, 2006

Parents, children and even wild animals have known for a long time that parental care is superior to institutional care. Now science has discovered the same thing.

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Long-term care 'harms children'
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter, St Louis
Placing children in long-term care is in itself "an act of abuse", according to a leading professor of paediatrics.
Speaking at a science conference in St Louis, US, Professor Dana Johnson said that even a week in an institution could be detrimental.
The University of Minnesota scientist said that children placed in these facilities could suffer serious physical and emotional health problems.
The findings come from an ongoing study of children conducted in Romania.
Professor Johnson, from Minnesota Children's Hospital, said long-term institutional care should be a last resort, and then only with a view to placing children with foster families.
But he explained that in the Bucharest Project, children placed in a more nurturing environment showed considerable improvement.
"The conclusions are that nothing replaces a family," Professor Johnson told the BBC.
"Children in institutional care have deteriorations in many things that we want to see children improve in during the earliest years of their life," he said.
"Their cognitive abilities are lower, their growth is terrible and their brain development is abnormal as well."
Emotional scars
What is even more surprising is that Professor Johnson puts the problems down to emotional deprivation affecting the children's hormonal balance.
The study found that children in institutions fall behind the norm in terms of their stature, brain and weight.
"As children get to two or three years of age, their weight starts to recover, but their height continues to deteriorate," Professor Johnson said.
"So up until puberty, you can predict how short children are going to be by the time they have been in the orphanage. They lose about one month of linear growth - or stature - for every three months they have spent in the orphanage.
"I think putting a child in long-term institutional care is an act of abuse."
Professor Johnson would like to see an end to all long-term care institutions for children.
"There is always going to be a place for short-term facilities. But I think we need to underline 'short-term'. These kids cannot stay in those facilities for longer than necessary.
"A few days in an institution should be as long as children are asked to endure," he added.
"Children need to be in a family; they need it for their physical and brain development to be in a nurturing environment," Professor Johnson said.
Details of the research were presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/02/17 10:58:00 GMT
Source:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/
nature/4723158.stm
Found by Aneurin Ellis

Open House

February 17, 2006

Dufferin Child and Family Services Open House

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Wednesday, March 1st, 2006
3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
655 Riddell Road
Orangeville ON

Irene Beazley (519)941-1530 ext 225
Please RSVP by February 24, 2006

You are invited to our Open House.
Come visit our new home, have a tour
and meet the staff.

Body Unclaimed

February 16, 2006

The first story below of a boy murdered by his adoptive parents is not so unusual, but the second is. The adoptive family contains the boy's only legal relatives but none of them want to be reminded of the shameful events leading to his death. The natural mother, the one genuinely bereaved, is not a legal relative, cannot claim the body, and is not even entitled to notification of her son's death. Ontario's proposed changes to the Child and Family Services Act provide that a protection order ends with the death of a child. That looks like a good idea.

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Ricky Holland's Adoptive Parents Charged with his Murder
Created: 2/7/2006 5:37:26 PM
Updated: 2/7/2006 6:48:52 PM

Mason, Ingham County - Murder charges in the death of 7 year old Ricky Holland... his adoptive parents are accused of the crime.
After months of searches and investigation, police found the boy's body in rural Ingham County on January 27, 2006, after Tim Holland pointed the way. He and his wife Lisa are now both charged with his murder.
Tim and Lisa Holland were to appear in court Tuesday to face obstruction of justice charges relating to their son's disappearance and death. Instead, prosecutors upped the charges.
Judge Thomas Boyd heard the evidence against Tim and Lisa Holland in a closed courtroom, and agreed to charge both with open murder.
Lisa Holland's attorney, Michael Nichols, says the charges are not a surprise, but he hopes prosecutors are not rushing to judgment. He says, “You know, it took seven months to find out the fate of Ricky Holland, and five days to decide to charge both of his parents with open murder."
Tim Holland is also charged with open murder. His attorney, Frank Reynolds says, “He's devastated with the entire situation. If you had an opportunity to see him in there today, you could see from his expression how he's reacting to this." Now, the work begins to build their defense. Reynolds says, “We had probably a thousand pages given to us late yesterday. And there's a great deal more that's out there that we haven't seen yet."
Although investigators previously said the two pointed the finger at each other, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III says if the case proceeds against both adoptive parents, Tim and Lisa Holland could be tried together. He says, "I would anticipate, if they were tried together, that we would have two juries. One jury to consider his case and one jury to consider her case."
For now, both Tim and Lisa Holland are being held without bond.
The judge did give two orders today to keep the facts of the case private, to avoid tainting the potential jury pool. Evidence presented Tuesday will not be made public. Also, the lawyers and investigators were told not to talk about the details of the case.
Source:
www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx
?storyid=50232

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Holding funeral for Ricky complicated by court case
Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News
February 15, 2006
Seven months ago, hundreds of volunteers searched for Ricky Holland, on foot, by helicopter, even underwater.
Today the body of the slain 7-year-old lies unclaimed in a Michigan State University forensics laboratory, and strangers have stepped forward offering to pay for the funeral of the child whose adoptive parents are charged in his death.
Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko said Monday that he can't release the body, which was found Jan. 27 in a rural Ingham County ditch, until legal issues are worked out. But his office was swamped with offers from strangers anxious to provide the child with a dignified end.
The issue is determining who in the family gets the remains," Sienko said. "Typically we contact the next of kin, (but) this is complicated.
"Since he was adopted, his biological parents have no rights to his body.
"So now we have to work through the adopted families, and we will proceed in the normal line of succession. It's my responsibility to determine the next of kin."
Sienko said no family members have requested the remains. To do so, they would need to file a petition with the state Department of Human Services. If nobody claims the body, it would be up to Human Services to provide a burial or cremation.
Meanwhile, several people also called The Detroit News with offers to provide final rites for Ricky.
One church pastor wrote to say he would provide the services, and others called willing to start fundraising drives to support a memorial or scholarship fund in Ricky's memory.
Ray St. Clair of Brighton was among those moved by the story of the hungry and abused little boy.
"We've got to put a park bench up for this kid or something," he said. "This hit me in the heart."
You can reach Karen Bouffard at (734) 462-2206 or kbouffard@detnews.com.
Source:
www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
?AID=/20060215/METRO/602150330/1003

Marin Wants CAS Oversight

February 14, 2006

Ontario's Ombudsman has issued another press release in his campaign to get jurisdiction over Children's Aid Societies. A contrary view follows the press release.

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PRESS RELEASE
Ombudsman Ontario
FEBRUARY 14, 2006 - 12:30 ET
Ombudsman Ontario: Proposed Legislative Changes Fall Short of Extending Independent Oversight to Children's Aid Societies
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Feb. 14, 2006) - The Ministry of Children and Youth Services' proposed amendments to Bill 210, the Child and Family Services Statute Law Amendment Act, fall far short of what is needed to ensure independent, third party, investigative oversight of Children's Aid Societies, according to Ontario's Ombudsman, Andre Marin.
In a letter sent to the Minister on Monday, the Ombudsman wrote: "The Ministry's proposal falls far short of what the citizens of Ontario, in particular, children in need of protection, deserve."
Mr. Marin, who has called on the legislature to extend Ombudsman oversight to Children's Aid Societies, expressed concern and disappointment at the proposal which includes additional internal complaints mechanisms and expanding the mandate of the Child and Family Services Review Board.
"It's a stop-gap measure, which does not go far enough," said Mr. Marin. "All it does is add another layer of bureaucracy to internal processes. "
The Ombudsman also pointed out that the Child and Family Services Review Board, which will operate under a limited jurisdiction, lacks both investigative powers and the power to address systemic issues affecting children and families. "You are talking about protecting our children. How many more cases like Jeffrey Baldwin will there be before the government wakes up and sees that we need stronger accountability, the kind that comes from having an independent watchdog with strong investigative powers?
"This proposed scheme still leaves us at the back of the oversight pack," said Mr. Marin, referring to other provinces in Canada, which have independent oversight of child welfare matters. "I was hoping we would move forward, instead we've gone nowhere."
Mr. Marin further noted that Ministry officials were unable to provide him with any answers as to why the proposal to bring Children's Aid Societies under the umbrella of Ombudsman oversight was rejected. This is something which has received wide public support and which makes eminent sense. "What are they afraid of?" he said yesterday upon reviewing the Government's proposed changes to Bill 210.
This press release is also available in French.
The Ombudsman is an officer of the Legislature and is independent of both the political process and government administration. Generally an office of last resort, the Ombudsman investigates and resolves complaints about provincial governmental organizations and recommends corrective action. Services are free and confidential. Other languages can be arranged. For further information, call 416-586-3300, TTY 1-866-411-4211 or visit our website: www.ombudsman.on.ca
Backgrounder
Re: Independent Oversight of Children's Aid Societies

Children's Aid Societies do not come within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction.
The Ombudsman received 436 submissions and complaints from January 1, 2005 to February 13, 2006 regarding the need for greater oversight and accountability of Children's Aid Societies.
Types of complaints:

concern about care of children by CAS
concerns about dealings with CAS
denial of access to grandchilden
threat of removal of child
sexual abuse by CAS staff
concerns about CAS allegations
concern about child abuse register administration
refusal to disclose information
concerns about CAS removal of child
concerns about access and custody

Bill 210

Bill 210 provides an opportunity to enhance independent oversight of Children's Aid Societies by extending the Ombudsman's jurisdiction to complaints about Children's Aid Societies.
The Ombudsman investigative process provides a credible accountability mechanism for the child protection system. Administrative conduct of Children's Aid Societies has the potential for seriously and dramatically impacting the lives of Ontarians and it should be subject to independent investigation and systemic review of administrative practices.
The costs of implementing expanded jurisdiction of the Ombudsman in this area would be minimal, given that the infrastructure and experience already exists.

Other Jurisdictions
Five other provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) have Ombudsman oversight of child welfare issues including child protection

In Alberta, the Ombudsman has jurisdiction to review the conduct of government officials who administer the child protection system in that province with the exception of First Nations child protection services.
In British Columbia, the Ombudsman has authority to investigate children's services provided by the Ministry as well as services provided by private agencies.
In Manitoba, the Ombudsman can investigate children's aid societies and other childcare agencies because of their responsibility to the Crown under The Child Welfare Act.
In New Brunswick, the Ombudsman has jurisdiction over child welfare issues, which are the responsibility of a department of provincial government.
In Nova Scotia, in accordance with s. 2(a) of the Ombudsman Act and the Designation of Agencies Regulations, child welfare agencies and child-caring facilities licensed under the Child and Family Services Act are within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. The Act was amended in May 2004 and new regulations approved by cabinet in December 2004 to provide the Ombudsman with clear jurisdiction over these bodies.

Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador have independent investigative oversight of child protection issues through separate offices:

In Saskatchewan, the Ombudsman has jurisdiction to consider complaints about the child protection system, which is administered through a government ministry. Generally, the Children's Advocate, which is essentially a specialized Ombudsman, deals with issues affecting children. However, the Ombudsman does consider complaints relating to child services brought by others e.g. parents.
In Quebec, child protection services are provided through another oversight body with investigative authority.
In Newfoundland and Labrador has a Child and Youth Advocate that has investigative powers.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Ombudsman Ontario
Gail Scala
Manager, Communications
(416) 586-3402
gscala@ombudsman.on.ca
www.ombudsman.on.ca
Source: press release from Ombudsman

Earlier in this debate, the OACAS issued a report Ontario's Children's Aid Societies are Highly Regulated and Accountable. In case of expiry, here is our local copy of their holocaust denial.

Addendum: Here is a letter to the legislature on the same subject:

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From: Dolores A. Sicheri
To: anne_stokes@ontla.ola.org
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 9:07 AM
Subject: Bill C210
Members of the Social Policy Committee of Ontario Legislative Assembly:
Gentle men and women
Minister Mary Ann Chambers' proposed amendments to Bill C210 do not go far enough to protect the rights of parents and children of Ontario. As an advocate for families, I respectfully request that the Ontario Ombudsman be given the oversight right of public watchdog with appropriate funding to fulfill the role.
The "private corporation" administrative setup of Children's Aid Societies has the potential for abuse. These corporations, funded with public dollars, should be subject to an independent and public review of its practices.
Five other provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) have identified the need for increased independent monitoring and have already given the Ombudsman oversight in child welfare issues including child protection.
The taxpayers of Ontario deserve transparency and accountability.
Dolores Sicheri
311 Taylor Drive
Lakeshore, Ontario N8N 4K9
519-735-7818

Don Bortz on DFCS

February 12, 2006

When baby Dylan Bortz died from an accident (the autopsy cannot determine a definitive cause), Georgia child protectors snatched the other child from the family. The family has established a blog at www.savejacksonbortz.com/. The entry for February 11 is an essay on child protection. The second half, not dealing with the facts of his own case, appears below. We can confirm his conclusion, in six years and hundreds of families interviewed, we have not found a single parent or foster child who reports a good experience with child protectors.

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You have no business being in 70% of your cases from the get-go, let alone the amount of cases where you "substantiate abuse", and later find that judgment was a wrong one. Those are thousands of families you do, YOU DO TERRORIZE, persecute, and wrongfully abuse. As long as DFCS continues to wield a broadsword for a neurosurgery situation, they will continue to destroy family by family. Thousands of families in danger because your protocol works on a system of unfairness, biased opinions, non-existent paperwork, and this idea that all children are in need of saving.
What is the need to seal the child's name in a deprivation case? Please explain. The reason Jackson is known is because he has so many hands trying to pull him away from this system.
Our children have no faces, no names. They get kidnapped and muzzled. They are removed from us under false pretenses, false paperwork, and empty threats and at no time does DFCS concern themselves with their rights. My son represents a percentage pay increase to someone's annual paycheck.
How is that his best interest? The more kids in the system, right or wrong, it doesn't really matter, the more money YOU make. From Case worker to Foster parent, it is a business; from government funds to garnishing wages for child support (even in relative placement where things can be handled privately.)
If anyone from DFCS wants to work WITH us and not AGAINST us, we welcome it. But we tried that in the beginning. You were innocent; you proved yourselves guilty. I wish we had been given that same chance.
Bottom line is - Our children are placed in danger by this system.
Children have a right to an identity in deprivation cases. They have rights that need ensuring. There is no bonus check for ensuring those rights, is there? No, I don't get a check for trying to save my son from YOUR system of shadows, do I? I bet I do it because I love my child.
I bet that's why an enormous amount of families fight this system.
When a system is established that gives those identities back to the children, when we have a system that is not over-zealous, when we have a system where the accused families can face those that accused them, when we have a system that holds its operators accountable for their lack of judgment and their mistakes, when we have a system that operates with some common sense, then we have arrived at THE STARTING POINT of a system that works.
You are facing families that you have wronged. That you have refused to not just believe, but to listen to in the first place.
A lack of due process in this agency is what keeps the Smiths from their child. A lack of common sense by this agency is what keeps Ms. Gomez from her baby. An over abundance of biased opinion by this agency is what keeps the Lane family and the Barnett family sundered. Stubbornness by this agency is what keeps the Bortz family apart.
I am still waiting for one post, just one post from someone who has benefited from DFCS intervention. You call this website "one-sided", why aren't any persons you have "helped" stepping forward? The truth is NO ONE sees all the great magic wonderful things in a child when you strip them of identity and rights. You DO see a lot of tears, pain and anguish.
If you do not like being called terrorists, then do not terrorize. Revise the system.
Don Bortz
Father of Dylan and Jackson
Source: Save Jackson Bortz website, entry for February 11, 2006

Other links follow the story

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Court awards woman $1M over abuse allegations
Janice Tibbetts
CanWest News Service
Saturday, January 28, 2006
OTTAWA -- A former social-work student whose says her world collapsed after her university professors wrongly accused her of child sex abuse won more than $1-million in the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday.

CREDIT: Canadian Press
Wanda Young (right) says her life was ruined by wrongful accusations of sexual abuse

Memorial University of Newfoundland was ordered to pay Wanda Young $839,400, plus interest and court costs. More than $400,000 is for pain and suffering, which is believed to be one of the largest awards of its kind in Canada.
In a unanimous decision, the court chastised professors for "nothing more than speculation and conjecture" when they reported Wanda Young to child welfare authorities, based solely on information in a term paper.
Although Young was never charged with anything, her name eventually ended up in a sex offender database and she was blacklisted by the Newfoundland social work community.
"Justice was served today," Young, 34, said Friday in an interview. "Now the highest court in the land has told them that they've done wrong and I expect an apology. That's all I ever wanted."
Young's lawyer, Gilian Butler, said the university will have to pay "well in excess of $1 million."
The ruling, which found two professors and the university to be negligent, concluded that professors have a special duty of care toward their students.
"Those whose professional responsibilities include the exercise of power over the careers and future lives of fee-paying students are required to take the necessary care to get their facts straight before taking a potentially career-ending action in relation to a student," said the ruling, written by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and Justice Ian Binnie.
The decision overturns the Newfoundland Court of Appeal and restores a 2003 jury award to Young, who is now a provincial bureaucrat in St. John's. Her damages include $430,000 for pain and suffering for anxiety, embarrassment, insomnia and depression, and another $409,000 for lost income and future care.
Young's path to the Supreme Court began in 1994, when she was a 23-yearold student taking correspondence courses in hope of being admitted to the university's social work school. She submitted a term paper on juvenile sex offenders to her professor, Leslie Bella, in which Young included a case study from a class textbook detailing an anonymous woman's account of sexually abusing a child.
Young added the source in her bibliography, but neglected to footnote it in the main body of her paper.
Bella, suspecting the first-person account was "a cry for help," did not raise her suspicions with Young, but instead took the matter to her department head, William Rowe, who reported Young to provincial child welfare authorities.
Over the next two years, the false allegation was passed on to the RCMP and to at least 10 different social workers, many of whom knew Young. Her name was also added to a sex offender registry, where it remained for years.
"Dr. Rowe acted on nothing more than speculation and conjecture in making his report which, as director of the school of social work, he must have known would have serious consequences within the small community of social workers in Newfoundland," said the Supreme Court.
Young had no idea that she was under suspicion.
Source: Saksatoon Star Phoenix

Two other links:

Petition

January 28, 2006

There is a new petition calling for an investigation into the practices of Canadian child protectors. In the past petitions, even with thousands of signatures, have fallen on deaf ears, so we do not have great hopes for this one. You may read and sign the original petition online.

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To: Prime Minister of Canada
CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES DO NOT PROTECT CHILDREN, THEY DESTROY FAMILIES!!
They have been dealing with and kidnapping young children for no legal and proper reason for many years from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. These Societies have switched their efforts from beating the NATIVES in our country as they had no recourse or legal rights at that time, to beating the less fortunate in our country those in poverty, with no legal or possible chance for legal representation to stand up for their rights as CANADIAN citizens. They are doing this all over the country with Gestapo tactics and Police State tactics by removing children from their families. CAS needs to be held accountable for their actions. DEMAND a PUBLIC INQUIRY into the corruption and tactics of the Children's Aid Societies of this country.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Adopt Or Else!

January 26, 2006

Child protectors in Alberta have been ordered to meet adoption quotas or lose pay.

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Adoption staff face fines over quotas
Child-welfare managers docked pay for missing targets: internal report
Susan Ruttan
The Edmonton Journal
Sunday, January 22, 2006
EDMONTON -- Child-welfare managers are being coerced by threats of lost wages if they don't meet quotas for placing children in adoptive homes, says a confidential internal government report obtained by The Journal.
The 54-page Children's Services report, A New Casework Practice Model, says some child-welfare managers have been financially penalized if they don't meet their adoption quota.
"It is somewhat unsavoury to link individual financial recompense to the adopting out of dependent children," the report states.
"This type of thinking does not engender permanency for children. If anything it may place them in a more vulnerable position, as breakdowns in adoption are more likely when there is pressure to rush adoptions."
The report, dated December 2005, was prepared by the Child Intervention Planning and Implementation Office of Children's Services. It was mistakenly e-mailed to a number of people within government. They were then told to delete the e-mail and were warned they would be reprimanded if they printed the document.
The report outlines how the work of child-welfare staff must be adjusted to meet the goals of the new Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act. The act came into effect in November 2004, replacing the Child Welfare Act.
See ADOPTION / A12
Source: Edmonton Journal

Adoptive Family Killed

January 26, 2006

In this tragedy, seven adoptive children died in a traffic accident.

Normal families have to wait years to adopt one child. In previous cases of many adoptions in one family, the state has used the family as a dumping ground for its problem children. We await further news on this case. A check with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows that a fifteen-year-old may hold a learners license but not an operator's license.

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CBC World News
7 adopted children killed in fiery Florida school bus crash
04:35:11 EST Jan 26, 2006
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. (AP) - Seven children who had been adopted by a single family were killed Wednesday in a fiery crash when their car was crushed between a truck and a stopped school bus in rural northern Florida.
The children, ranging in age from 15 years to 21 months, were alone in the car, headed toward their home about three kilometres north of the crash site. The truck hit them from behind, pushing the car into the bus and causing the car to burst into flames, police said. "It's a very chaotic scene," said Lieut. Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol.
"It's just a mangled, charred mess."
Everyone in the car was killed, including the 15-year-old girl who was driving illegally. All the youngsters had been adopted by the same family and lived together, police said.
It was unclear why the children were unaccompanied.
Evidence from the scene showed the truck, which was carrying bottled water, did not brake before hitting the car on the two-lane road, Burroughs said.
The bus ended up 60 metres from where the car struck it and the cab of the truck lay overturned near the scene, Burroughs said. The bus was at an approved bus stop but it was not immediately clear whether children were getting on or off.
Nine students were on the bus and three were thrown from the vehicle by the force of the crash.
State police said three were seriously hurt and six others suffered minor injuries. Hospital officials said they received five children, two of whom were in fair condition late Wednesday and three who were in serious condition.
The drivers of the bus and the truck were also taken to hospitals. The truck driver suffered minor injuries and authorities planned to interview him. The bus driver was thrown from the vehicle and her condition was not immediately known.
The car was driven by 15-year-old Nicki Mann, who was with siblings Elizabeth Mann, 15; Johnny Mann, 13; Heaven Mann, three; Ashley Kenn, 13; Miranda Finn, eight or nine years old; and Anthony Lamb, almost two years old. Lamb was in the process of being adopted, Burroughs said.
Joy Clemmins, who lives next to the crash site, said she heard the collision and ran out of her house.
"It was horrible. People were screaming, children were wandering around, two were laying the middle of the road," she said.
"It is like they were walking around in a dream."
The bus was operated by the Union County school district, which has three schools from pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 in the area about 100 kilometres southwest of Jacksonville.
School Supert. Carlton Faulk said extra grief and guidance counsellors will be on hand Thursday to help children deal with the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators.
Source: CBC

Federal Election

January 23, 2006

In today's federal election, here are the results for candidates with a family law connection:

John Baird (Conservative), former Ontario Minister of Community and Social Services, was elected in Ottawa-West Nepean.
Dorian Baxter, running for the PC (Progressive Canadian) party in Newmarket-Aurora got 729 votes out of 58,799 cast.
Cynthia Cameron (NDP), a mother of an autistic child featured in last year's the report "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by André Marin, got 5455 votes out of 56,034 cast in Etobicoke-Centre.
Jim Flaherty (Conservative), who was the Attorney General of Ontario sponsoring bill 117, was elected in Whitby-Oshawa. The bill allows a woman to get control of a man's assets in a court hearing in which the man cannot participate. The bill was enacted in 2000 and has sat on the Lieutenant-Governor's desk without signature since then.
David Laird (NDP), a Children's Aid caseworker, got 8081 votes out of 64,940 cast in Burlington.
Anne McLellan (Liberal) former Canadian Attorney General who kept equal-parenting out of the proposed divorce reform, was defeated in Edmonton-Centre.
Svend Robinson (NDP), author of the law making criticism of homosexuals a hate crime, who fell from grace after being caught in the act of stealing jewelry, was defeated in his comeback attempt in Vancouver-Centre.
Maret Sadem-Thompson (NDP), former director of OACAS and Durham Children's Aid, got 8720 votes out of 66,793 cast in Whitby-Oshawa.
David Tilson (Conservative), CAS champion, was reelected in Dufferin-Caledon.

Family law became part of the campaign when Stephen Harper proposed giving parents of pre-school children a tax credit of $100 per month. Scott Reid, Paul Martin's communications director, suggested parents would squander the money on beer and popcorn. Mr Harper incorporated the insensitive remark into his campaign speech.

Deadbeat Agency

January 21, 2006

It is not only natural parents who can be deadbeat dads. Here is a child protection agency that fails to pay for its wards.

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Newsday
Foster parents say they're owed money
BY LAUREN TERRAZZANO
STAFF WRITER
January 20, 2006
Dozens of New York City and Long Island foster parents say they have been cheated out of thousands of dollars to care for abused or neglected children placed in their care by the city's embattled Administration for Children's Services.
In an effort to crack down on problems with private foster care agencies that funnel money from the city agency to families, the city terminated contracts with several of the agencies. Some families say the agencies were only paying them a fraction of what they were legally owed.
"The city has to make due and reimburse us for any money that is outstanding," said Catherine Walker, 52, of Massapequa, a former foster mother of seven children who said New York City owes her nearly $150,000. She ultimately adopted the seven special needs children, who require round-the-clock care, but was reimbursed by the city at a lower rate that didn't account for disabilities that she said range from attention deficit disorder to mild retardation.
The city agency has come in for heavy criticism since the Jan. 11 death of Nixzmary Brown, 7, whose case was under ACS investigation for months before her stepfather allegedly killed her. The foster care complaints come on the heels of a federal review that said the cases of New York State's foster children aren't being reviewed enough.
The city spends about $200 million annually on contracts with foster agencies for the estimated 17,000 children in foster care. The number of city foster children is at an all-time low, reflecting a policy shift that aims to keep families together.
The rate paid to a foster parent to care for a child who does not require special services is $17.49 a day, or more than $500 a month, city officials said. A family caring for a child with special needs is eligible to receive about $1,000 a month per child, depending on the child's age.
"I'm very frustrated. I don't want this to happen to anyone else," Walker said, explaining she lost her job as a counselor to homeless people because of absences incurred by shuttling the children to and from medical appointments. Last week, a Brooklyn Family Court hearing officer ruled that the city must reimburse her.
"If the court has ruled that the city owes money to the foster parent, it's our job to ensure we comply with that," ACS spokeswoman Lisi deBourbon said. She said the agency can't comment on specific cases.
One of the agencies that placed the children with Walker was terminated by the city in February, deBourbon said. Walker also said she still is owed money from 1995 from an agency the city ended its relationship with in 1997.
Such contract terminations have left foster parents with little recourse.
Eugene and Betty Moses of Roosevelt were awarded $16,000 by Brooklyn Family Court after an ACS-contracted agency paid them only the average daily rate for their foster children, ages 5, 7 and 9, even though they later were determined to be eligible for a higher "special needs" stipend.
"One of the boys shoved a pencil into his ear and then later tried to kill himself with a scissors," said Eugene Moses, 61. Moses said he blames the city for not adequately assessing his needs. "We had to learn the hard way," he said.
Source: Newsday

Legal Pot Users Harassed

January 21, 2006

Here is another case of parents engaged in a legal non-mainstream activity who are harassed by Children's Aid. The article is from Now Magazine January 5-11, 2006.

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Children's aid cases against pot-smoking parents are usually prompted by complaints from former spouses or info turned over by cops.
Photo By Laurence Acland

Father knows buds
Watch out, parent tokers - reefer-mad children's aid societies could come knocking on your door
By MATT MERNAGH
Given the medicinal qualities of cannabis, one could argue that toking parents might be more relaxed caregivers, more capable of handling screaming teething babies or puberty-confused teenagers.
But don't tell that to child protection agencies across the province currently dragging parents — including those using the herb medicinally — to court for allegedly endangering their children's well-being.
How many pot-related cases are currently before the courts or on child protection agency files is difficult to estimate. These agencies say they don't keep such stats. But the number is in the dozens, according to medical marijuana users who've been visited by social workers. The cases are usually prompted by complaints from a former spouse or info turned over by police who've busted medical users for growing their own.
Several Toronto Compassion Club (TCC) members are currently under the watchful eye of the Catholic Children's Aid Society. They decline to speak on the record to NOW about their experiences for fear of reprisals from CCAS. But such encounters with child protection agencies across the province suggest that social workers' personal views on pot are skewing their decisions about whether cannabis impairs parenting skills.
"It's a never-ending battle because parents have to prove their use is medicinal," says TCC executive director Jim Brydges.
Just ask medical pot user Travis Azzopardi how nasty CCAS can get. He's willing to talk publicly now that his case has been settled. He says CCAS demanded he undergo 365 urine tests over a three-year period — weekly, biweekly, then finally randomly. "They stuck a microscope up my ass for two and a half years," he says.
Azzopardi's non-verbal autistic son Brandon is 18 years old and just recently learned to use the toilet.
"They said I might get stoned and pass out, and he'd turn on the stove and burn the house down," explains Azzopardi, who's on a disability pension and smokes to alleviate pain from severe migraines. "The doobies barely make me normal. But they didn't give a damn about it being medicinal, even with two doctors' letters."
Steve Bacon, another licensed medical user investigated, says child protection officials he dealt with for eight months never noticed when he showed up medicated to meetings. Yet he says they were making decisions about whether he could keep his daughter based on the assumption his marijuana use was impairing his ability to care for her.
"I told them I'd been smoking before every meeting. Last I ever heard from them."
Like Ontario's building inspectors and animal control officers, Children's Aid workers can enter a dwelling sans warrant.
The one guard against overzealousness built into the system is the requirement that a worker appear before a judge within five days to explain his or her reasons for entering a premises.
The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies created the "eligibility spectrum" as a tool for assessing whether a child is being abused and how severely. But "the spectrum is not intended to replace worker judgment," according to the document outlining its applicability.
Suset Silva of the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto responds to questions about pot cases via e-mail.
"The level of concern [about marijuana] would depend on the level of the use, the exposure of the children to the use and the impact of the use on the ability to parent," she writes.
"It is not possible to comment on the frequency [with which] the society might request drug testing for a client. It could happen on an individual case, but would depend on several factors that would be taken into consideration when assessing risk to the child(ren) and planning for a desired outcome."
But does cannabis consumption adversely affect parenting skills?
Not according to McMaster sociology prof Andy Hathaway, who's also a researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and recently completed a study on the stigma associated with pot use.
"Cannabis doesn't impair parenting," says Hathaway, but stereotypes surrounding its consumption are having a negative impact on parents.
"We're hesitant to be open about cannabis because the social stigmas are still there. Weeds or That '70s Show, may be expressions of pro-cannabis culture, but temperance is setting social policy directives," Hathaway says. "I don't think it's that uncommon for a mother to test positive for cannabis and then have her child taken away, because it's very much a temperance issue. She smokes pot, hence she must be a bad parent."
But lawyer Roselyn Zisman, who specializes in family law, says she would be shocked if the CAS were taking the children of pot-puffing parents into custody.
"Generally, a social worker wouldn't consider this a concern if it's just recreational cannabis. Marijuana is still illegal, but social workers are not the police. Is there a different agenda with these cases? I've never seen it."
Still, Zisman adds, agencies can be "very intrusive."
Chris Goodwin, a recreational user and activist who runs the Up in Smoke Café in Hamilton, knows that all too well.
Area child protection workers, he says, came calling for a hair sample and asking about his son this past summer after he took part in an anti-prohibition rally at which he gave away a quarter-pound of weed. The agency was responding to a police report in which he admitted smoking in front of his son Chris.
Goodwin is not about to let the ordeal shut him up. He says it's the police who are actually putting his son in harm's way by threatening to have CCAS remove him, not his pot smoking.
"Some people say I'm playing with fire. But I never brought this one on me," Goodwin says. "It's different down at the store. There, I'm an activist, but I'm a dad and husband at home."
Source: NOW

F4J Canada Approaches Candidates

January 20, 2006

Fathers-4-Justice Canada is still alive. Kris Titus has appeared as Wonderwoman in F4J demonstrations in the Toronto area. Today she approached the leaders of the parties in next week's Canadian federal election. Liberal leader Paul Martin rebuffed her enquiries while Conservative leader Stephen Harper was more receptive.

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January 20, 2006
Hi all. Kris Titus and I went to Oshawa's Judy Longfield's riding office where they had Paul Martin giving a speech. After the speach, Kris was able to very briefly speak a few words about our cause.
Then we decided to go to Colbourg with Gary for Paul Martin's next stop. As we got there, the RCMP recognized wonder women and asked her why she was there and then asked what she has planned. Needless to say, the RCMPs were very nervous. In the end, we got to tell Paul Martin that we need equal rights for children and fathers after divorce. But, as in Oshawa, no real response from him.
I got on the phone with Kris this afternoon and she told me that she was able to speak to Stephen Harper and his entourage at a stop in Toronto this morning and they were very receptive to what she had to say. Kris told me that she was going to be at this evening's conservative rally in Oshawa and will let me know about her evening later on tonight or tomorrow.
Just wanted to keep you informed.
Guy
Source: Guy Lavigne 4theone@sympatico.ca

CCAS Experiences Wanted

January 19, 2006

Another CBC reporter is requesting information, this time about the CCAS of Toronto. John Dunn has asked to have this enquiry distributed as widely as possible.

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Dear Mr. Dunn,
My name is Gillian Findlay and I work for the CBC-TV investigative program, 'the fifth estate'. I was given your name and email address from Amanda Reed.
I'd been in touch with Amanda because we are looking into doing a one hour documentary about the short, sad life of Jeffrey Baldwin - with particular emphasis on the failings of the CCAS.
I gather from your website that this is an issue near and dear to your heart as well.
I am very interested in talking to you about all of this and wonder if you might be available for a chat in the next few days.
I'm completely at your disposal.
The best number to reach me at is my office: 416-205-5521. Please call collect.
If you'd prefer, you can email me back with a time that would be convenient for me to call you.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Gillian Findlay
host - 'the fifth estate'
CBC Television
416-205-5521 (w)
gillian_findlay@cbc.ca

Foster Punishment

January 19, 2006

In this case a judge acted on knowledge universally understood but never uttered: that foster care inflicts harm on a child. In this case, the harm was punishment for a crime.

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TheKansasCityChannel.com
12-Year-Old Sentenced In Carjacking
3 Children Inside Car When It Was Forcibly Taken
POSTED: 12:24 pm CST January 18, 2006
UPDATED: 5:50 pm CST January 18, 2006
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A 12-year-old boy was sentenced in Wyandotte County Juvenile Court Wednesday for a carjacking in August 2005.
Court papers show that on Aug. 25, Chico Kelley carjacked a Honda Accord at Fifth Street and Quindaro Boulevard. Three children were sitting in the vehicle at the time; their mother was inside a nearby store. After forcing the children to exit the car, the then-11-year-old got in and drove away.
A judge found Kelley guilty of aggravated robbery. KMBC's Robb Yagmin reported that Kelley was sentenced to one year with a foster family. He must also pay $300 in damages and perform 20 hours of community service.
"I asked the juvenile be placed in the juvenile version of prison. It's a locked facility," said Vicki Meyer, Wyandotte County Assistant District Attorney.
"I feel it was a cry for help. It's about the environment he was in and he was looking for attention. It was a call for help," said Geneva Brown, whose son was in the carjacked Honda.
"A lot of people have sympathy for Chico because he's 11. As a parent, it pulls at your heart," Meyer said.
The victims of the carjacking said that they accept and agree with the sentence.
"I forgive him. He's a young kid, searching for love. Something's lacking in his life," said Penny Brown, whose car was taken.
Yagmin reported that Kelley's mother was in court and cried throughout the hearing. The judge said she must go to parenting classes if she wants her son back. She must also demonstrate that the home is crime- and drug-free.
Source: Kansas City Channel

Foster Care Failure

January 19, 2006

Here is the story of a man raised in the Charles Manson tradition. The damage done by separating a child from his family cannot be undone by later payment of conscience money.

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WESH.com
Accused Killer Was Receiving Money From State
POSTED: 6:25 pm EST January 18, 2006
UPDATED: 6:34 pm EST January 18, 2006
OCALA, Fla. -- The teenager suspected of killing two college students in the Ocala National Forest may have funded his crime spree with cash from the state.
Investigators said Leo Boatman used money he got for being a former foster child to buy gear and bus tickets to carry out his murder plot, WESH 2 News reported.
Marion County investigators are finding out more every day about what they call a plot to kill. The targets were the two unknowing 26-year-old students, Amber Peck and John Parker.
Boatman just got out of jail four months ago and started collecting on money owed to him because he spent so many years in the foster care system.
Investigators said they are certain Boatman cashed the state check worth $875 and bought a bus ticket to Ocala and camping gear once he got there. They think he then tracked down two victims in the forest in a popular camping area and shot them to death.
"He was receiving that money, approximately $500 monthly, and then it was recently increased because he had enrolled at St. Petersburg College," said Maj. Chris Blair, of the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Boatman told a fellow customer at a camping store near the crime scene that he was enrolled in veterinary college.
Police said two movies may have influenced Boatman -- The Silence Of The Lambs and Cape Fear. Both movies have plots that revolve around killers. Boatman rented those two films about a week before Peck and Parker were shot to death.
Blair said that Boatman revealed to a friend and an uncle that he wanted to commit a murder or even more than one.
"Our interviews were that he made numerous statements about where he wanted to commit a homicide to see exactly what it felt like," Blair said. "He talked about how he wanted to be a serial murderer."
The money Boatman was getting comes from a mix of state and federal dollars. Former foster children get the money once they turn 18, and then they get even more while they are enrolled in college.
Investigators said Boatman's uncle said once he enrolled in college he thought the teen was turning his life around after having spent several years in juvenile custody.
Boatman's case goes before a grand jury on Jan. 27 to determine if he could receive the death penalty.
Source: WESH

Fathers-4-Justice Disbanded

January 18, 2006

In today's edition the tabloid The Sun in the UK published an article saying police had broken up a plan by fathers-4-justice to kidnap the five-year-old son of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The original article appears below.

Curiously, there were no arrests in the plot, and no plotters were named, suggesting the plot may not have been serious. But regardless of its truth, F4J founder Matt O'Connor has announced the disbanding of the organization. This action leaves the Canadian F4J orphaned. A press release by Hal Legere for F4J Canada follows the article.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The Sun
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
In the name of the Fathers
By MIKE SULLIVAN
Crime Editor
SPECIAL Branch cops smashed a plot to kidnap little Leo Blair while monitoring a small band of fanatical dads, The Sun can reveal.
They stumbled across the startling plan as they investigated the activities of men on the lunatic fringe of the Fathers 4 Justice group.
Tony Blair and his wife Cherie were told about the threat to five-year-old Leo — the youngest of their four children.
A security source told The Sun: "They were naturally very concerned, as any parent would be. But they have been assured the police are on top of the situation."
A security assessment of the Prime Minister's family was carried out by Special Branch after the plot was uncovered.
It included analysis of the protection given to the Blairs' other three children — Euan, 22 tomorrow, Nicholas, 20, and 17-year-old Kathryn.
The source said: "Appropriate steps have now been taken."
The snatch plot chillingly demonstrates how extreme elements have attached themselves to Fathers 4 Justice.
It will horrify the group, which campaigns for dads from broken families to have better access to their kids, as it is bound to damage their cause.
And the conspirators may be from the breakaway camp which has threatened founder Matt O'Connor with DEATH because he is "not radical enough".
Special Branch came across the plan to abduct Leo just before Christmas.
No details of how the fanatics intended to snatch the child have been disclosed.
But it is understood the men only wanted to hold Leo for a short period of time and were not intending to harm him.
The security source said: "Fortunately we think we have nipped this in the bud at an early stage. There have been no arrests although inquiries are continuing. It was good intelligence work."
In the past Fathers 4 Justice dads have hurled purple powder at Mr Blair in the Commons.
They demonstrated dressed as superheroes and scaled St Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye.
And in 2004 "Batman" protester Jason Hatch, 32, scampered on to a Buckingham Palace ledge.
But the kidnap plot marks a sinister new tactic that would never be condoned by mainstream members of the group.
The growing threat posed by extremists was highlighted in November by an ITV documentary called Dad's Army.
It was based on a 12-month investigation of group members.
One man was secretly filmed boasting about beating up his ex-wife's lover — and threatening to kill the woman unless she allowed him access to his kids.
He was also recorded bragging about plans to vandalise court buildings.
Alarmed by growing extremism, Special Branch began monitoring the group three years ago. And their efforts intensified as some dads pressed for more "direct action".
Mr O'Connor, a 38-year-old dad of two, said in an interview late last year: "We exist to act as a positive force of change.
"But there are all manner of groups calling themselves Fathers 4 Justice who have nothing to do with us whatsoever."
He added: "I understand fully the anger and bitterness that drives people to think of extremes. But this is not the way forward for our movement."
Police refused to comment on the Leo plot.
Source: the Sun (UK)

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PRESS RELEASE
18 January 2006 (For Immediate Release)
The media worldwide have been reporting that Security officials in the United Kingdom have reported discussions by "persons on the fringe of Fathers-4-Justice" in which the kidnapping of the son of British Prime Minister Tony BLAIR was the topic of the discussion. The reports we have seen indicate that this apparent discussion was merely "pub talk" and that no planning or actions taken to further this idea.
Fathers-4-Justice (Canada) in conjunction with Fathers-4-Justice organizations worldwide vehemently denounce even the thought that anyone would use a child as a tool for personal or political purposes.
The very existence of Fathers-4-Justice (Canada) and other like organizations worldwide is founded on the very principle of preventing the use of children as tools in any dispute or disagreement, whether by particular individuals, organizations or in fact state entities.
It is our belief that the existence of Fathers-4-Justice worldwide has created some hope for parents that the future holds some promise that the treatment of children as pawns in family disputes will soon be a footnote in history. We believe that it is in fact the existence of Fathers-4-Justice will give some desperate people hope and thus prevent the type of talk and or actions outlined in these reports.
Fathers-4-Justice (Canada) will take every action possible to ensure that no child is unnecessarily taken from his or her parents.
We sincerely regret that the name of our organizations has been used in this unfortunate incident. We regret that any parents, including the parents of young Leo, would be subjected to the fear that their child might be taken from them.

Contact: Hal LEGERE
National Director
Fathers-4-Justice (Canada)
(778) 837-1224

Fathers-4-Justice (Canada) is a non-violent direct action organization committed to the establishment of a fair and balanced family rebuilding system based on equality for all, the true rule of law, and the obvious premise that in the vast majority of cases children should never have a parent removed from them by state action.
Source: Hal Legere

CAS Client Exonerated

January 17, 2006

A grandmother has been exonerated by in independent investigation, but it is unlikely CAS will apologize.

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Independent review says the CAS was wrong
It took two years for a London woman to clear her name, now she wants an apology
MARDY BACIGALUPO, The Londoner

Carol Richardson was accused by the Children's Aid Society of hitting her granddaughter.
Carol Richardson could not have asked for a better Christmas present than the one she got. A couple of days before the big day, Mrs. Richardson received a package from her lawyer in Ottawa. After an extensive investigation, he found she is innocent of allegations made by the Children's Aid Society (CAS) of London.
For more than seven years, Mrs. Richardson has had a court order to care part-time for her granddaughter. Two years ago, her granddaughter told a social worker her grandmother hit her with a wooden spoon and her hand. The girl claimed to have a small oval-shaped bruise to prove it.
That night, Mrs. Richardson received a devastating phone call from CAS. They told her access to her granddaughter would be denied. However, she was adamant she was innocent. Now, this report from the lawyer appointed to her case by the ministry of child and youth services substantiates her claim.
"This lawyer did not mess around," she explains. "He saw through it from the very beginning. What he's saying is (CAS) screwed up. And they did. That was the best Christmas present ever."
Paul Conlin of the Ottawa firm Conlin & Payette came to London and spent a few days interviewing Mrs. Richardson, her psychologist, her granddaughter's CAS social worker, as well as some of Mrs. Richardson's friends.
Among other things, the report states, "The flawed CAS investigation led to a flawed verification process as great reliance was placed on the social workers investigation, but the verification committee ought to have been more vigilant."
Mrs. Richardson couldn't agree more. She says when her granddaughter told her social worker about the alleged striking, it took three or four days for her to arrange a doctor's appointment to have the bruise examined. Also, the social worker did not make any formal recordings -- on a tape recorder for example -- of the girl's claim.
Mr. Conlin recommends the CAS apologize to Mrs. Richardson and remove any such allegations from their records. They are currently reviewing the report.
"I don't expect to get an apology because they told me last summer, if the procedures were all followed properly on their end, they don't apologize. These procedures weren't followed in my opinion," Mrs. Richardson says.
Mrs. Richardson says CAS received the report on the same day she did.
She believes they are trying to find a loophole, something the lawyer must have missed. Mrs. Richardson doesn't see how that will be possible.
"I plan to take them to court for defamation of character. Whether I get the letter of apology or not, they have to be held accountable," she says. "If their review is anything like their verification process, which is nil . . . what they put me through should not happen to anybody else and people should know. We have the right, as taxpayers, to know what is going on. I think it is no wonder that so many people are disillusioned about Children's Aid."
Diane Cresswell, director of communications at CAS for five years, says they will be looking at what recommendations the report makes and any steps the society needs to take.
"We will be reviewing the report and as soon as we have done our review we will be further in touch with the grandmother at that time," Ms. Cresswell says. "We need to consider the review seriously and the information in that."
Ms. Cresswell was unable to comment on whether the society has ever been in this situation before. She was also unable to say how long the review would take.
"We are taking this report from the review very seriously and we will be taking action and looking at the recommendation as soon as we can," she explains.
Mr. Conlin states in his report "the CAS has every right to voice their opinion as to whether Mrs. Richardson's conduct amounted to inappropriate discipline or excessive corporal punishment, but in doing so, having concluded that the conduct did not raise a protection concern, it (CAS) stepped outside its legislative mandate".
More than a year ago, Mrs. Richardson paid to have a polygraph test done. She passed. The four-hour test is considered to be 96 per cent accurate. CAS did not even consider the results from this test in their investigation.
Source: the Londoner

Addendum: Paul Conlin's resumé is available online. He holds an Ontario private adoption license, making him a part of the child protection apparatus. So his finding against CAS is remarkable. One Dufferin VOCA reader praises Mr Conlin because he mediated her adoption of her niece.

Adoption Story on Oprah

January 17, 2006

Lawyer James Marsh acts as lawyer and publicist in this story of an adoption gone wrong. Follow the link in the announcement below for the whole story.

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On Tuesday, January 17, 2006, Masha will tell her story live on Oprah at 4 PM EST.
On Wednesday, January 18, 2006, her attorney, James R. Marsh, Esq., and advisor, Maureen Flatley, will appear on Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News at 8 PM EST.
On Thursday, January 19, 2006 ABC Primetime will air an update on Masha's story at 10 PM EST.
On Friday, January 20, 2006, the Oxygen network will air Oprah After the Show. Learn more about Masha's story at 7 PM EST.
For further details contact Marsh & Gaughran LLP at (800) 592-2251 or visit www.MashaStory.info.
Source: James R Marsh

Whistleblower Coming

January 16, 2006

We may be getting some inside information about Children's Aid shortly.

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CAS whistle-blower contacts Court Watch
(Posted Jan 16, 2006). Just this past weekend, a CAS whistle-blower has contacted Court Watch and reported a number of chilling stories about CAS operations in Ontario. Readers will be advised and information disclosed to appropriate law enforcement authorities, once evidence has been properly validated by Court Watch, Based on initial information from this inside source, a number of CAS workers, including professionals, could be taking a permanent holiday from their jobs. Stay tuned folks for more to follow on this story. If you are a CAS worker (past or present), a child or a parent who has information about abuse of power and authority by CAS workers and agencies and would like to share your information for the purposes of helping to stop the abuse of other children and families in Ontario, then please contact Court Watch at: info@canadacourtwatch.com

Since the Dufferin VOCA webmaster is a computer professional, we can also post information with anonymity, when required.

Adoption Lawyer Absconds

January 13, 2006

A Chicago adoption lawyer has hid her fees in Switzerland and fled her jurisdiction. What kind of a lesson does this give the children she steered through the adoption process? The large amounts of money show how lucrative the adoption business can be.

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Chicago Tribune
Fugitive lawyer indicted in tax evasion
By Michael Higgins
Tribune staff reporter
Published January 13, 2006
A Chicago lawyer disbarred for overbilling state child-welfare officials evaded more than $640,000 in federal taxes, partly by moving $2.6 million in assets to a Swiss bank account, according to a federal indictment made public Thursday.
Joyce F. Britton, 55, failed to file tax returns for 2001 and 2002 despite receiving more than $2.2 million in legal fees from the Department of Children and Family Services during those years, according to the indictment.
She also failed to file tax returns for 1999 and 2000, according to the charges. Britton was charged with two counts of tax evasion and four counts of failing to file tax returns.
Britton is a fugitive believed to be living out of the country, said Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago. He said federal investigators are pursuing leads and hope to find and extradite Britton.
Prosecutors had no further comment Thursday on the case.
The charges against Britton allege that from September 2002 to November 2003, she sent about $2,569,950 worth of U.S. assets "to be liquidated and deposited into a Swiss bank account that she held." In December 2002, she destroyed her business records, the indictment said.
The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred Britton last year, following the recommendation of a hearing board of the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
According to the hearing board's report in 2004, Britton was a lawyer in private practice and a member of the Cook County Adoption Attorney Panel from 1999 to 2001.
As a member of the panel, she contracted with DCFS to handle "special needs" adoptions, the report said. Those cases involve children who have been, for example, physically or sexually abused or born exposed to drugs or alcohol.
Britton's job was to help prospective parents understand the adoption agreement and to advocate on their behalf, helping them to obtain certain state subsidies and medical benefits.
----------
mjhiggins@tribune.com
Source: Chicago Tribune

More F4J Stunts

January 12, 2006

Fathers-4-Justice is back in action. Yesterday Batman, Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk unfurled a banner from the top of the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria British Columbia, doing so in spite of rain. Today wonderwoman hung a banner from an overpass visible to traffic on highway 401 near Brimley. The press release follows.

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WONDER WOMAN'S LASSO CAPTURES PAUL MARTIN
Wonder Woman, a Fathers-4-Justice Activist and Spokesperson has the best view in town for Prime Minister Paul Martin's arrival and appearance on CTV's Canada AM this morning.
She is at this moment perched atop a highway sign on the Westbound 401 at Brimley Road.
Her message to Canadian voters is clearly displayed on a 4' x12' banner
VOTE EQUAL PARENTING
Her message to Paul Martin and his Liberal cohorts is that Fathers-4-Justice is far more than a handful of angry men as stated by his office. In fact members include many women and grandparents, all of whom support equality and are fed up with the Liberal's failure to act on the inequalities in family law.
Wonder Woman says, "It is very interesting for me to hear Paul Martin vehemently purport to defend the Charter of Rights while systematically denying thousands of children their right to "freedom of association" with their own parents. Mr. Martin's own Justice Minister has publicly stated that parents have no rights vis a vis their children. I can only ask who does have rights with respect to our children, and who is it who will defend the children's rights. Mr. Martins proposal to do away with the notwithstanding clause is no surprise to me, there is no need for it if you just ignore the rights of children anyway.
Perhaps Wonder Woman should strive to tie up all of the politicians in her truth lasso.
Children deserve the right to both parents.
Children deserve truth, justice, and equality.
Source: Hal Legere

Family Court Procedures

January 9, 2006

Since Ontario family courts operate behind closed doors, the only way to know how they operate is by listening to participants. Canada Court Watch has posted the story of a man who got a lawyer for his son (mp3 audio). The lawyer appointed through the Office of the Children's Lawyer breached her client's confidence, then made up a story getting the judge incensed. The father was not allowed to view the discussions between the lawyers and the judge, and got no opportunity to present his case.

Kentucky Adoption Racket

January 9, 2006

A Kentucky Newspaper is exposing the adoption practices in one of its counties. Is this the way so many highly placed political personalities get their adopted children?

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Lexington Herald-Leader
Hardin adoptions prompt investigation
Advocacy groups report favoritism, wrongful removal
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
FRANKFORT - The Kentucky Inspector General's Office will investigate state child protective services in Hardin County after a study by advocacy groups alleged that some staff were improperly allowing children to be adopted.
A report by the Louisville-based National Institute on Children, Youth & Families Inc. and Kentucky Youth Advocates found that the most serious allegation was that children, especially infants, were being wrongly taken away from their biological parents and steered toward adoptive placements after investigations of abuse or neglect.
The report's authors, at a Frankfort news conference yesterday, called the practice "fast-tracking."
As part of their research, the advocacy groups were told that in Hardin County prospective adoptive families aren't chosen for the benefit of the child, but are hand-picked because families have connections or could possibly benefit the agency.
In addition, there were allegations that white infants, in particular, are placed with families to whom the agency owes a favor or with families who have connections.
"The evidence we have is a system of favoritism and race-based" decisions, said Kentucky Youth Advocates Executive Director Terry Brooks.
David Richart, director of the National Institute, said one veteran social worker in Hardin County told of being forced by supervisors to keep children away from birth families until birth families became disheartened and allow children to be adopted.
Eugene Foster, undersecretary for the state Cabinet for Families and Children, said he asked the state inspector general to launch a thorough and objective investigation after learning of the findings.
"The allegations were serious enough to warrant an investigation," he said.
"We are not assuming that there is wrongdoing. We will wait for the report before taking action," said Foster.
But Foster said "if wrongdoing is found, we will take decisive action. There is zero tolerance" for the type of behavior described in the report.
As a result of cabinet improvements, such as better training, Foster said there is a reduced likelihood of the problems recurring.
The six-month comprehensive review of the state's system, including a telephone and Internet hotline that drew 255 responses, showed that the problems with state adoptions were occurring all over Kentucky, but there was "a concentration of concerns in Hardin County."
One-fourth of the calls to the hotline were directed at problems in Hardin.
Richart said that in 35 years in child advocacy, "I have never seen as bad practices as I've seen in Hardin County. It is extraordinary and unprecedented."
The advocates said they were particularly concerned because Hardin's office was the subject of a yearlong investigation in 2001 and most people thought the problems were fixed.
"They tried to fix it, but those efforts failed," said Brooks.
Many of the complaints were directed at Hardin County supervisors and administrators, rather than front-line workers.
The report alleged that some, "but not all social workers in Hardin County," had conflicts of interest, refused to coordinate with other professionals or social agencies, and inappropriately responded to allegations of abuse.
Other allegations included violations of confidentiality statutes, perjury, discriminatory behaviors toward certain families, misinformation provided to client-families, and falsifying paperwork.
In addition to the investigation by Kentucky's inspector general, Richart said he will send a letter to Daniel R. Levinson, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"As far as we can determine, many of the issues we raise ... are not primarily a result of actions taken by line workers, but occur at higher levels within the local and regional office," Richart wrote in the letter.
Federal officials could not be reached for comment. But Foster said Kentucky's Inspector General's Office would work with federal officials if they decide to launch an investigation.
Meanwhile, Richart said there also are allegations of state adoptions administered by officials in Northern Kentucky being expedited in order to get federal funding.
That concern was alleged by a former state social worker in Kenton County who filed a federal lawsuit in September.
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader

Felony Excused

January 9, 2006

A Florida social worker committing felonious record falsification is is let off by a judge.

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Judge shows mercy to ex-DCF worker who falsified reports
A finding of guilt was withheld so she could try to become an elementary school teacher
By MELISSA E. HOLSMAN
melissa.holsman@scripps.com
January 6, 2006
STUART -- A case worker fired from the Department of Children & Families in May for falsifying records convinced a judge Thursday not to find her guilty of the felony charge to which she pleaded no contest.
The judge's action means Angela Christine Edgerton, 32, could one day work as a public school teacher.
Edgerton, of Stuart, a pre-school teacher at a day care center, was ordered to serve two years of probation followed by 200 hours of community service.
In November, Edgerton pleaded no contest to falsifying records related to several cases she'd been assigned to investigate while employed by the DCF. She was arrested in August after Stuart police investigators uncovered 13 cases with "some type of falsification," including home visits that never occurred, court records show.
In court Thursday, Edgerton, a single mother, pleaded with Circuit Judge Robert Belanger to withhold a finding of guilt so she could realize her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.
"I've never been arrested before; this is my first time in trouble," she said. "I would greatly appreciate another chance in life, not just for me but for my child."
Defense attorney Michael Kessler, who noted that no child was "actually hurt by her conduct," nonetheless called her behavior "a tremendous mistake in judgment."
"She had a caseload she simply couldn't keep up with," Kessler said.
He was critical of the DCF.
"They're under-funded; there are people who are frequently under-trained and under-supervised and assigned too much work," Kessler said.
Assistant State Attorney David Lustgarten, who urged that Edgerton be adjudicated guilty, said the state only agreed to a plea deal because he was convinced no children in her charge were harmed by her actions.
"There's no greater responsibility than protecting our children in our society," Lustgarten said. "This defendant, not only did she fail that but she lied."
Stuart police investigators, who tracked the case for months, noted Edgerton got away with the fake reports because they were so detailed, right down to describing posters in children's rooms. But a fellow DCF case worker following up on one of Edgerton's cases became suspicious after the family involved said they'd never met her.
Source:

Social Worker Jailed

January 6, 2006

A Kentucky judge has jailed a social worker for contempt. This is an indication of waning respect for social workers.

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Louisville Courier-Journal
Friday, January 6, 2006
Social worker is jailed by judge
Contempt charge sparks concerns
By Deborah Yetter dyetter@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal
A Jefferson County social worker was jailed for 30 hours for contempt of court last week after she tried to persuade a juvenile judge not to release a girl who has a troubled history.
Tricia Mack, 33, a social worker for nine years with the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said she was stunned when Jefferson District Judge Michelle Stengel called her forward after the Dec. 29 hearing and ordered her jailed.
"I felt like I was just advocating on behalf of the child," Mack said yesterday.
"I've never been arrested. To be placed in jail in the process of doing your job -- that's even worse."
Stengel declined to comment yesterday, saying the case is in juvenile court where proceedings are confidential. She also described as confidential the separate portion where she sent Mack to jail after everyone else had left the courtroom.
"It's a closed proceeding," she said. "I can't talk about what happened."
In a tape of the hearing that Mack provided to The Courier-Journal, she attempts to tell the judge that the cabinet doesn't have a safe place to house the girl, who has a criminal history that includes drug use and fighting and has run away repeatedly. The girl was in court for a routine review of her case and was scheduled to be released from detention.
"She's a high AWOL risk," Mack said. "She's shown that time and time again."
But Stengel said she had no legal grounds to hold the girl and expressed frustration that the cabinet can't find appropriate placements for children committed to it, initially suggesting that she might hold the cabinet itself in contempt.
"They should have found a placement by today," Stengel said. "It's as simple as that."
Stengel sentenced Mack to 30 days in jail, but suspended 29 days of the sentence -- which she could reinstate if she finds any other problems with Mack's behavior.
Mack stayed in jail from around 1 p.m. Thursday to about 7 p.m. Friday.
Mack said the girl is in a residential center.
'It has scared me'
Mack's jailing came just before local youth advocates released a survey Thursday that found that social workers across the state are burned out and worried about lack of resources and support from the cabinet.
"This is certainly no confidence builder," said David Richart, director of the National Institute on Children, Youth and Families and author of the report.
Mack's case has outraged local social workers, who said it's the job of such employees to present information about children to judges. As a result, supervisors have directed Jefferson County social workers not to appear in juvenile court without a supervisor for back-up.
"We don't know what to do," said Nelson Knight, the assistant administrator for child welfare in Jefferson County. "We feel like we need to be there to support our kids, but if we can't talk, we can't support our kids."
Tom Emberton, commissioner for social services, said he is looking into the matter but wants to assure employees of his support. "My intention is to make sure we are accessible, available and behind them all the way," he said.
But other workers said the incident shows a lack of support from the cabinet, which they said did little to help Mack.
"We're really upset about it," said Patricia Pregliasco, an eight-year social worker in Jefferson County. "We're trying to get some kind of answer from the cabinet about the lack of response that Tricia got."
Angela Simmons, another Jefferson County social worker, said the event has left workers wondering whether the cabinet will back them up.
"It has scared me and a lot of other social workers," she said. "We go to court all the time."
Cabinet has no policy
Cabinet officials said yesterday that they are reviewing how lawyers handled the matter. But they said that a state lawyer called Stengel on Thursday and tried to persuade her to release Mack.
When the judge refused, "there's nothing we can do about that," general counsel David Fleenor said.
Fleenor said the cabinet has no policy on how to represent workers in such situations and said the cabinet did all it could by advising Mack that she was free to hire her own lawyer.
But two local defense lawyers, Thomas Clay and James Green, a former Jefferson District judge, said contempt orders can be appealed immediately to a circuit judge. And in any event, someone accused of contempt is entitled to notice of the charge and is supposed to be given an opportunity to defend herself, they said.
"She has a right to counsel," Clay said. "You can't just say, 'You're in contempt -- take her away.' "
No legal representation
On the tape of the proceeding, Stengel conducts a brief hearing at which Mack is not allowed to speak and then lectures her about her courtroom conduct.
"You don't speak up unless you're asked a question," Stengel tells her.
Then Stengel orders Mack to leave the courtroom, but as Mack walks out, the judge apparently changes her mind and orders the courtroom deputy to "take her into custody."
But first, Stengel admonishes Mack.
"When you walk into this courtroom you need to show the ultimate respect," Stengel said. "Otherwise, you need to find another job."
Mack said yesterday that she isn't sure what she did other than to argue briefly that the girl she represents should not have been released from the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center, where another judge had ordered her held temporarily. "I've been doing this over nine years, and I've never been disrespectful to a judge," she said.
After Stengel ordered Mack into custody, the social worker said she had to change into an orange jump suit and spend the night in a cell. She was provided a blanket, soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush, but no pillow.
Other inmates were incredulous that a social worker was in custody, she said. "They said, 'Are you serious?' "
Reporter Deborah Yetter can be reached at (502) 582-4228.
Source: webiste of Louisville Courier-Journal

False Accusations of Child Abuse

January 5, 2006

Yesterday the CBC reported on false accusations of child abuse. The program was The Current, with Anna Maria Tremonti and Karin Wells (real media) broadcast January 4 2006, running time 23:33. It mildly suggests not that there are big flaws in the system, only small ones.

Reporter Wants Drug Cases

January 5, 2006

Another reporter is doing a story on CAS. This time the subject is drugs. If you want to contribute, send an email to us at rtmq@stn.net and we will forward it to the reporter.

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I need your help. I'm working on a story about how CAS wards are being drugged needlessly. I'm talking pharmaceuticals. I'm looking for parents, foster parents, CAS workers (Former or present) or former wards who had been put on pharmaceutical drugs as chemical restraints. I'm looking for people who would tell me their story. I've got one family who actually put their kid through detox after they got full custody and he's completely off the drugs ... I need to find others to show this is not a one off.

New CAS Building

January 2, 2006

This is the new home of Dufferin Child and Family Services, 655 Riddell Road, Orangeville Ontario, directly opposite their brothers-in-arms, the OSPCA. The picture was taken in December 2005, after completion of the structure, but before it opened for business. It is by far the largest office structure in Orangeville, built at a cost in the millions. How many children will they have to take to get enough reimbursement to pay for this building?

Family Loses Girl

January 1, 2006

This story shows a family destroyed by Children's Aid. A girl has run away from abuse in CAS care, and is too street-smart to fall for a promise of amnesty.

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Brampton Guardian
Family story is heartbreaking
12/28/05 00:00:00
It is hard to imagine Gayle and Luke Beaudet's heartbreak. Their granddaughter, Danielle, has been missing since August 30, 2004. That's close to 1 1/2 years and no one seems to know for sure if she is alive or dead.
She is 16 years old, and was just 14 when she ran away from a Peel Children's Aid Society foster home. Her family has not heard from her since.
It is obvious they love her very much, and they want-- they need-- to know she is safe. They had hoped Christmas would bring a phone call. She is a troubled soul, a chronic runaway, but her grandparents want her to know that there is nothing that can't be forgiven and forgotten.
Their plea for her to call them is touching. And what better time of year for forgiveness and new beginnings than Christmas.
The 'whys' of the situation are not as important as knowing she is okay. She may be smart, and she may be very streetwise, but she is still just 16 years old, and she needs to know that, despite her troubles in the past, she has a family, she is loved, and she is wanted.
The Beaudets have agonized over this for far too long. Christmas was just another reminder that Danielle is still missing.
The search for her continues, although it has changed slightly. She is no longer a ward of the CAS, she is free to come-- or go again-- as she pleases. Her family and Peel police just want to know she is okay. Police resources are being spent trying to determine she is safe, but they could be used on other cases of missing children. All they are asking for is a phone call, no strings attached, and we hope they get it.
We know this case isn't that unusual in this day and age. In fact, it's far too common.
Even if it's only for a minute, just to say, "I'm alive and everything is okay," now is the best time to make a quick phone call to estranged loved ones.
It certainly can't hurt.
Source: webiste of Brampton Guardian

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