Unbiased Reporting

What I post on this Blog does not mean I agree with the articles or disagree. I call it Unbiased Reporting!

Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly

Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly
In Memory of my Loving Husband, William F. Knightly Jr. Murdered by ILLEGAL Palliative Care at a Nashua, NH Hospital

Monday, August 29, 2016

Happy 11th Birthday to my beautiful Granddaughter Isabella

My Birthday Poem to my beautiful STOLEN Granddaughter Isabella Brooke Knightly-Born 08/31/05-Stolen by Nashua, NH DCYF on 10/03/05-Adopted out ILLEGALLY by the State of NH.

Today you're eleven,
Your special day,
It’s been eleven years,
Since they stole you away.
I rocked you, I sang to you,
I loved you night and day,
Then DCYF came and took you,
On your Grammy’s birthday.
They took you from your Mommy,
Your entire Family too,
They chose fake parent’s for you,
Who didn’t have a clue.
They couldn’t have their own kids,
So they came after you.
They wouldn’t let me see you,
Or sing to you on the phone,
They knew how much I loved you,
They wouldn’t let me take you home.
DCYF lied to the stranger’s,
The Family Court Judge too,
They slandered Grammy and Grampie,
Without any proof.
My fight for you will never end,
Your fake parents are running scared,
They should never have listened to DCYF,
Who never even cared.
They took you illegally,
With their lies and false report’s,
No proof of guilt is needed,
In NH Family Courts.
Happy Birthday Isabella,
We still celebrate your day,
It’s been eleven, long painful years,
Since that horrible day.
Our love for you will never fade,
We miss you every day,
We can’t wait to see you,
Some day you’ll come home to stay.

Love forever and always, Grammy and Grampie xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Pasco child protection investigator accused of falsifying drug test results

Pasco child protection investigator accused of falsifying drug test results | Tampa Bay Times:

NEW PORT RICHEY — A Pasco sheriff's child protection investigator was arrested on Wednesday, accused of falsifying the results of drug tests for people she was investigating.

Man who fostered at-risk children, charged for sexual abuse

Man who fostered at-risk children, charged for sexual abuse - Story | WJBK:

 - He's supposed to be an advocate for vulnerable kids, serving on the Macomb County Adoption Board and fostering children in his home for years. But now the 61-year old man is  charged with sexually abusing one of his adopted children.

Child-welfare bill in Congress would put more kids at risk

Child-welfare bill in Congress would put more kids at risk - Orlando Sentinel:

Tragic stories about abused and neglected children hit the headlines nearly every day throughout our country. When we hear accounts of kids sleeping in office buildings because state workers have nowhere to send them, it not only breaks our hearts; it prompts us to demand changes to our nation's child-welfare system and re-examine the options for kids in dire situations.

Dayton pastor indicted in 2-year-old Foster son's death

Dayton pastor indicted in 2-year-old's death | Dayton News | www.daytondailynews.com:

DAYTON — 
UPDATE @ 4:50 p.m. (Aug. 26): Torace D. Weaver, a Dayton pastor accused of murder, was 2-year-old Stanley Thomas’s foster father but he and his wife had not adopted the boy, Kevin Lavoie, spokesman with Montgomery County Children Services, has confirmed.

Building An Empire On Foster Care

Building An Empire On Foster Care:

For-profit foster care agencies seek to maximize income and reduce expenses, like any other business.

Children and minors have faced constant disadvantages for ages; they are the most under-represented among all groups. Minors do not receive the same respect, and their concerns are considered naive. Add not having parents to advocate for you and your well-being, and we have foster children. Foster children are severely neglected and face constant disadvantages within the foster system, specifically in regards to the for-profit foster care system.

Cracks in the child welfare system

Cracks in the child welfare system | Various | wcnc:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- So far this year, nearly two dozen kids have died within one year after an allegation of abuse or neglect was investigated by North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services. And the number for 2016 is only expected to go up.

Lawmakers are Criminalizing Busy Parents

Lawmakers are Criminalizing Busy Parents | Heat Street:

What’s wrong with this admonition from the Department of Child and family Services in Illinois, which states, “NEVER LEAVE A CHILD ALONE IN THE CAR — IT’S THE LAW” ?

'My baby is gone,' Fort Worth mother cries after infant dies in foster home

'My baby is gone,' Fort Worth mother cries after infant dies in foster home | Dallas Morning News:

A Fort Worth mother wants answers — and authorities are investigating — after a 10-month-old girl died in foster care this week.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Why Do We Judge Parents For Putting Kids At Perceived — But Unreal — Risk?

Why Do We Judge Parents For Putting Kids At Perceived — But Unreal — Risk? : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR:
Many parents who grew up playing outdoors with friends, walking alone to the park or to school, and enjoying other moments of independent play are now raising children in a world with very different norms. In the United States today, leaving children unsupervised is grounds for moral outrage and can lead to criminal charges.

CPS needs to redefine how it identifies chronic child neglect, study finds

CPS needs to redefine how it identifies chronic child neglect, study finds | WBFO:

While child protective services workers spend a lot of time working with troubled families, a new study from the University at Buffalo finds those workers need new tools to spot families in which there is chronic child neglect.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Foster Homes And The Risks Of Child Sexual Abuse

My Community Workplace:

An 18-year-old girl sued a foster agency and the city for allegedly ignoring her and her sisters when they informed the agency that they had been sexually assaulted for several years.

Winnipeg family reunites after kids taken in Sixties Scoop

Winnipeg family reunites after kids taken in Sixties Scoop - Aboriginal - CBC:

A family ripped apart by the Sixties Scoop more than 40 years ago was reunited for the first time in Winnipeg on Friday afternoon. Lena Woodhouse had six of her children taken from their Winnipeg home after she went out one afternoon in the early 1970s.

Correctional officer charged with sexual battery on foster daughter

Correctional officer charged with sexual battery on foster daughter - News - Northwest Florida Daily News - Fort Walton Beach, FL:

WEWAHITCHKA — A correctional officer in Gulf County has been charged with multiple felonies pertaining to sexual battery on his underage foster daughter.

Clinton's new Ad-“Standing up for families and children has been her life’s work,” NOT!

Clinton rolls out new ad campaign in 7 states:
Hillary Clinton’s campaign is launching a new ad on Friday emphasizing the Democratic nominee’s concern for children and families in seven battleground states.

My comment:
 “Standing up for families and children has been her life’s work,” What a crock! Standing up for Foster stranger's has been her life's work! If it weren't for Hillary and her hubby, families wouldn't be needlessly torn apart.  Making sure the States have an incentive to steal our un-abused children and rewarding them with even more blood money to adopt them out! Our once happy, healthy children wouldn't be traumatized and drugged like Zombies to make them forget they have REAL families.It does NOT take a village to raise a child. The Govt. needs to butt out. Our children are NOT for sale!

NH Supreme Court says child abuse suit against DCYF can be filed openly

NH Supreme Court says child abuse suit against DCYF can be filed openly | New Hampshire:

CONCORD — The state Supreme Court has ruled that a civil lawsuit pending against the state’s child protection agency, in a case involving child sexual abuse and pornography, does not have to be filed confidentially.
Rus Rilee, a Bedford attorney representing the adoptive parents who are planning the lawsuit against the Division for Children, Youth & Families, called Friday’s ruling “a big win.”

Friday, August 19, 2016

CPS removes nephew for Child Abuse; turns out it is Vaccine Injury

CPS removes nephew for Child Abuse; turns out it is Vaccine Injury. — Steemit:

This is one of the SADDEST and most horrible stories that I have ever heard.This poor woman, Tyler, is now raising her brother's son, because Doctors and Social Workers convinced her that her brother had physically assaulted and abused her little nephew. She believed these "experts" rather than believing her own brother.

Keeping Children in the Family Instead of Foster Care

Keeping Children in the Family Instead of Foster Care | Family Studies:

As the first American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games, 19-year-old Simone Biles has not only brought international acclaim to the U.S. gymnastics program but has also drawn attention to the power of adoption. Simone spent her early years in and out of foster care after she and her three siblings were removed from the care of their single mother, who struggled with drug addiction. When she was six years old, her maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his wife, Nellie, adopted Simone and her younger sister (her older siblings were adopted by another relative).

Foster dad to head to trial in sexual assault case

Foster dad to head to trial in sexual assault case:

MARATHON COUNTY, Wis. (WSAW)-- A judge has ruled there is enough evidence to send a 31-year-old Marathon County man to trial on allegations he sexually abused a foster child in his care.

Baby P boss Sharon Shoesmith’s ex-husband revealed as paedophile as she cashes in on her disgrace with book deal

Baby P boss Sharon Shoesmith’s ex-husband revealed as paedophile as she cashes in on her disgrace with book deal:

Geoffrey Shoesmith was given a 16-month suspended sentence after he admitted making and distributing of child abuse imagery

New prosecutors assigned to case against former Abilene CPS worker

New prosecutors assigned to case against former Abilene CPS worker - KTXS:

ABILENE, Texas - The Texas Attorney General’s Office has assigned two new prosecutors to the case against former Child Protective Services supervisor Martha ‘Bit’ Whitaker. Whitaker was charged with tampering with evidence in 2014 in connection with a case in which a 22-month-old child died in 2012 in Abilene. The child’s mother, Tiffany Klapheke, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for injury to a child by omission.

CPS Twice Investigated Texas Mom Who Drowned Her Children, Hid Bodies

CPS Twice Investigated Texas Mom Who Drowned Her Children, Hid Bodies:
HOUSTON, Texas — The Houston mother who drowned her two children and then hid the bodies under a neighbor’s house appeared in court on Wednesday. Her attorney says she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and severe depression in 2012. In April 2014, Child Protective Services (CPS) asked a judge to release the children to the mother and the court signed off on the order.

Sheborah Latrice Thorn Thomas has a history with CPS and the police have been out to investigate on five occasions in the last four months, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Louisville judge opens confidential family court hearing involving foster children to public, media as part of new law

Louisville judge opens confidential family court hearing involvi - WDRB 41 Louisville News:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Jefferson Family Court judge has ordered that a previously confidential hearing involving foster care children be opened to the public and media as part of a new law passed this year to allow for more transparency and accountability in the state judicial system.

Brutally honest confessions from people who have been in foster care

Brutally honest confessions from people who have been in foster care - AOL:

According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, nearly half a million children are currently in foster care.

A Family Matter

A Family Matter — The Atavist Magazine:

Each year, California’s child protective services agencies remove thousands of kids from their homes. The story of how some parents decided to fight back.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

The Classroom: A Place Of Failure For Children In Foster Care

The Classroom: A Place Of Failure For Children In Foster Care:
School.. It is a place of frustration, loss, failure and reminder of loss to a child in foster care.
It is a place of humiliation, bullying, shame and sorrow for those who are placed in a foster home.
Yet, so few recognize the many challenges and disruptions that kids in foster care face each and every day they are in a classroom setting.

Youths complain Michigan foster system hinders sibling ties

Youths complain Michigan foster system hinders sibling ties:

Kyrstin Hale went months, sometimes up to a year, without speaking with her 15-year-old sister, Kaitlynn.That didn’t come by choice, she says. It started when the 19-year-old entered the foster care system at 15.

47 foster kids removed from group homes after allegations of sexual abuse

47 foster kids removed from group homes after allegations of sexual abuse | New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV:

GILBERT, Ariz. — The Arizona Department of Child Safety confirmed Monday that dozens of children have been removed from several group homes in connection with an ongoing investigation.

A Foster Child Was Put On 23 Different Psychiatric Drugs — And It Wasn’t A Rare Case

A Foster Child Was Put On 23 Different Psychiatric Drugs — And It Wasn’t A Rare Case | California Healthline:

The latest installment of “Drugging Our Kids,” the Bay Area News Group’s ongoing investigative series, tells Tasia Wright's story.

Arizona foster kids removed from 6 homes after sexual allegation

Arizona foster kids removed from 6 homes after sexual allegation:

State officials removed dozens of children in foster care from six group homes amid an investigation by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

Power of Parents! California Judges in Spotlight as Audit is ordered

Petition update · Power of Parents! California Judges in Spotlight as Audit is ordered · Change.org:

AUG 11, 2016 — Passionate parents were successful this week in having California's state legislature order an audit the Commission on Judicial Performance .

Protect abused kids, not the agencies failing them

Protect abused kids, not the agencies failing them - San Francisco Chronicle:

The children who die while under the supervision of state child protective services are glaring instances of official failure. But what about other youngsters growing up in abusive households who are nearly killed even though social workers are supposedly looking out for them?

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Barbaric foster mum who battered toddler to death leaving her with 153 injuries set to appeal life sentence

Barbaric foster mum who battered toddler to death leaving her with 153 injuries set to appeal life sentence - Mirror Online:

A 'barbaric' foster mum who battered an 18-month-old toddler to death is set to appeal her life sentence. Little Shi-Anne Downer was left with 153 scars and bruises after being beaten to death last year.

Community pushes for foster care system changes

Community pushes for foster care system changes | WKRC:

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – Ten years after thousands of people searched Julifs Park, a few came back to remember Marcus Fiesel. Fiesel was 3 years old when he was reported missing by his foster mother, Liz Carroll.

Judge rules grandparents can't adopt Morris County child

Judge rules grandparents can't adopt Morris County child:

MORRISTOWN - A Superior Court Family Division judge has ruled that a set of out-of-state grandparents cannot adopt a 3-year-old Morris County girl and went further, likening the adoption complaint to "the absurd scenario" of a babysitter entrusted to care for a child trying to institute adoption proceedings.




Milford man accused of threatening, spitting at DCF workers

Milford man accused of threatening, spitting at DCF workers - Connecticut Post:

A Milford man who allegedly threatened and spat at two state workers will appear in court Monday, Aug. 15 after being arrested in Orange earlier this month.

Mom: My Son's Daycare Provider Reported Me to CPS. Because of a Birth Mark

Mom: My Son's Daycare Provider Reported Me to CPS. Because of a Birth Mark. - Hit & Run : Reason.com:

It's been quite a week for Tamara O'Haire, a cowgirl and online fitness trainer from Bozeman, Montana. O'Haire is a mother to a 9-month-old boy. On Monday, she put him in daycare for the very first time.

Adult adoptees getting more access to birth records from states

Adult adoptees getting more access to birth records from states | Political Fix | stltoday.com:

For many years, adults adopted as children who wanted to find out who their birth parents were ran up against a brick wall because they had no legal right to simply get a copy of their original birth certificate in most states.

NSW child protection system probed

NSW child protection system probed - Yahoo7:

Hundreds of NSW children in state care could be at risk after some Department of Families districts failed to meet the government's own criteria for a child-safe organisation, an inquiry has heard.

Kathleen Danby continues to defy secret courts who tried to stop her from seeing her family

Kathleen Danby continues to defy secret courts who tried to stop her from seeing her family | Daily Mail Online:

  • Kathleen Danby's granddaughter Janine is forced to live in care home 

  • She ran away to Kathleen, 75, but was made to return to the home

  • Kathleen jailed for three months in 2014 after caught hugging Janine

  • She now faces further investigation after her granddaughter stayed over 



  • LOIS HENRY: CPS secrecy amended out of bills

    LOIS HENRY: CPS secrecy amended out of bills - The Bakersfield Californian:

    It looks like legislation that would have shrouded how child protective agencies handle abuse and neglect cases where children nearly die has been amended to keep the public in the loop. Two bills, Assembly Bill 855 and Senate Bill 1625, would have made the release of documents in near-death cases subject to an arbitrary “relevance” standard.

    Mother wins court battle against CPS but it cost her and taxpayers thousands

    Mother wins court battle against CPS but it cost her and taxpayers thousands - Story | KRIV:
     - “You are guilty until you prove yourself innocent,” said Barbara Marks. Child Protective Services spent many months and an untold amount of tax dollars trying to terminate Mark’s parental rights.
    CPS officials also point out in every case where children are removed they file to terminate parental rights.

    Monday, August 15, 2016

    Parent Released After Serving 18 Years In Prison on False Child Abuse Allegations Related to Custody and Divorce

    Parent Released After Serving 18 Years In Prison on False Child Abuse Allegations Related to Custody and Divorce – Custody Calculations 702-675-5120:

    February 2016, a Lake County man convicted of sexually abusing a child was released from prison after his alleged victim, his daughter, recanted the testimony she gave when she was 10 years old. The man, Luther Jones, spent 18 years behind bars. A judge set him free after his daughter told Lake County District Attorney’s Office investigators she had lied at the behest of her mother, who at the time was battling Jones over custody of their  daughter.

    California’s foster care prescribers fuel the medication of vulnerable kids with antipsychotics

    California’s foster care prescribers fuel the medication of vulnerable kids with antipsychotics:

    Editor’s Note: Southern California Group’s sister publications in the San Francisco Bay Area produced this report, the latest installment in their series investigating doctors’ use of powerful anti-psychotic drugs to control the behavior of the state’s foster children.

    Social worker accused of faking qualifications 'panicked'

    Social worker accused of faking qualifications 'panicked' (From Herald Scotland):

    A GOVERNMENT child protection adviser facing a disciplinary probe over allegations she falsely claimed to be a had a PhD said that she was scared of the consequences of owning up.

    Hancock toddlers sexually abused, infected with STD while in DHS custody

    Hancock toddlers sexually abused, infected with STD while in DHS custody | SunHerald:

    While the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office was occupied with a forgery complaint leveled against state child-services workers in 2015, Bay St. Louis attorney Edward Gibson met with a client whose two children had been sexually abused and infected with gonorrhea while in state custody.


    Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/special-reports/dhs/article95079077.html#storylink=cpy

    Foster mom gets 2 years for not protecting teen from man

    Foster mom gets 2 years for not protecting teen from man | Local News - KETV Home:

    BEATRICE, Neb. —A Beatrice woman who authorities said should have prevented a man from having sex with her teenage foster child has been given two years behind bars.

    America’s Foster Care Population is Growing — Again

    America’s Foster Care Population is Growing — Again - The Annie E. Casey Foundation:

    America’s foster care population grew by 13,000 children and youth — to more than 415,000 kids total — from 2013 to 2014, according to the KIDS COUNT Data Center.

    Parents Get CPS Visit For Letting Kids Play In The Rain

    Parents Get CPS Visit For Letting Kids Play In The Rain - WFXB:

    A woman called CPS because she saw her neighbor’s children playing outside in the rain. Greg and Cyndi explain.

    Child Protection: Infant Died After Visit From Caseworker

    Child Protection: Infant Died After Visit From Caseworker - ABC News:

    Officials with Mississippi's Child Protective Services say an infant found dead on the floor of a D'Iberville apartment was living in a home that was already under investigation by state child-service workers.

    Can DHS take your kids if you make them do too much homework? This couple says it happened

    Hancock County couple fights back after DHS claims they mentally abused their children | SunHerald:

    Four months after child-protection workers showed up at their home to investigate an anonymous complaint, Jennifer and Scott Berry began packing — they couldn’t get out of Hancock County fast enough.


    Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/special-reports/dhs/article95083217.html#storylink=cpy

    Wednesday, August 10, 2016

    47 foster kids removed from group homes after allegations of sexual abuse | New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

    47 foster kids removed from group homes after allegations of sexual abuse | New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV:

    GILBERT, Ariz. — The Arizona Department of Child Safety confirmed Monday that dozens of children have been removed from several group homes in connection with an ongoing investigation.

    Foster parents charged in abusing 14-year old girl

    Foster parents charged in abusing 14-year old girl - News - News Eagle - Hawley, PA - Hawley, PA:

    GREENE TWP. - A Greentown couple who were foster parents of a 14-year old girl they allegedly abused has been arrested. The girl was allegedly deprived of her bed to sleep on, and kept from reaching her clothes or food, as means of punishment.

    Trial begins for north Okanagan foster father accused of sexual abuse

    Trial begins for north Okanagan foster father accused of sexual abuse | Globalnews.ca:

    Testimony in Vernon Supreme Court Tuesday was at times difficult to listen to as the trial of a foster father accused of sexual abuse began.

    Drugging Our Kids: Legislation to halt overmedicating foster children faces key votes

    Drugging Our Kids: Legislation to halt overmedicating foster children faces key votes - Mercury News:

    California's sweeping efforts to curb the overprescribing of psychiatric drugs to foster children face crucial votes in Sacramento this week, as legislators scramble to negotiate behind the scenes with doctors' groups and the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown whose support is key to the fate of the reforms.

    Child welfare expert accused of falsely claiming PhD

    Child welfare expert accused of falsely claiming PhD - BBC News:

    A child welfare expert accused of falsely claiming to be a doctor is facing a disciplinary hearing. 

    Susan Stewart ran Scotland's Child and Family Assessment Centre and gave evidence before the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee.She is accused of falsely claiming to have a PhD in psychology from Stirling University and presenting herself as a doctor between 1995 and 2012.

    Collins: Abuse of foster children demands Legislature's help

    Collins: Abuse of foster children demands Legislature's help - Mercury News:

    One child swallowed a handful of nails, hoping they would pierce his intestines and he would die. Another teenager took every pill she could find in the cabinet, believing those surely would do the trick, and she would be free of her nightmares. What do these two children have in common? Both were foster children -- and both survived their attempts -- and neither of them was considered at serious risk by a mental health system that declined to treat them.

    Oregon foster parents who starved preschoolers get 2½ years in prison

    Oregon foster parents who starved preschoolers get 2½ years in prison | OregonLive.com:

    McMINNVILLE — John and Danielle Yates, a rural Yamhill County couple, were sentenced Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in prison for nearly starving two foster children to death when the sister and brother were between 1 and 5½ years old.

    Questions Swirl Around State Agency in Case of Missing Girl

    Questions Swirl Around State Agency in Case of Missing Girl - ABC News:

    Records show that a woman who told a Miami judge in July that her missing toddler is dead was on Florida's welfare agency's radar when the girl and her twin brother were born in April 2014.

    NY Mom Dasia Bartee Allegedly Beat Baby Samia Before Stuffing The Toddler In The Freezer

    NY Mom Dasia Bartee Allegedly Beat Baby Samia Before Stuffing The Toddler In The Freezer:

    It seems news of abuse resulting in the death of children, especially toddlers, has run rampant lately. Earlier this week, baby Samia Yusef was reportedly beaten repeatedly with closed fists by her mother, Dasia Bartee, then possibly placed in the freezer. It is unclear if the baby girl was still alive when her tiny body entered the frigid temperature of the freezer. Dasia Bartee (some news sites spell her name as “De’Asia”) has been indicted on charges of first degree manslaughter.

    LOIS HENRY: Government secrecy only helps the government

    LOIS HENRY: Government secrecy only helps the government - The Bakersfield Californian:

    By now, I shouldn’t be amazed (disgusted) at the lengths to which some government agencies will go to keep the public’s business out of the public’s eye. But the California Department of Social Services stands out for its relentless efforts to shield itself and its social workers from public scrutiny.

    Missing Toddler Angela Dufrene Tragically Overlooked By DCF

    Missing Toddler Angela Dufrene Tragically Overlooked By DCF:

    Missing Miami toddler Angela Marjorie Dufrene has been the subject of much speculation in the news lately as the nation waits with bated breath to hear news of the baby girl’s fate. Newly released records from the Florida Department of Children and Families show that the organization was aware that Angela and her twin brother were about to be born into a dangerous home shortly before their birth and chose to do nothing about it.

    Foster care survivor forced to move 50 times during childhood; brings her story Downriver

    Foster care survivor forced to move 50 times during childhood; brings her story Downriver - thenewsherald.com:

    Social activist and former foster care youth Shenandoah Chefalo was forced to move 50 times during her childhood, and that experience coupled with her ideas to improve the foster care system that she survived resulted in her book, “Garbage Bag Suitcase.”

    A Broken Family Court System: 'What are You Prepared to do?' -

    A Broken Family Court System: 'What are You Prepared to do?' -:

    Ignorance is bliss in some scenarios, and as a father having been involved in a contentious divorce and custody ordeal it was a luxury I found myself longing for at times. Facing a situation where one’s back is against the wall, in a court environment overtly hostile towards those who represent themselves, as a pro selitigant is a place parents should venture with extreme caution. In my situation it came to a point where in keeping up with my own case at times I began to become curious and observe what I knew to be odd behavior and activity within the court and its players. 

    Monday, August 8, 2016

    Exclusive: California foster child wanted love; instead she got powerful antipsychotic drugs

    Exclusive: California foster child wanted love; instead she got powerful antipsychotic drugs - Mercury News:

    Growing up in foster care in Southern California Tasia Wright remembers there were frequent visits with psychiatrists, and when she met with Dr. Eliot Moon, she remembers getting a sweet, a prescription for drugs to deal with her "bad behavior" and being sent on her way.

    Now 27, Tasia is sharing the story of her emotionally fragile childhood under the care of one of California's highest prescribers of antipsychotic medications to foster children - the latest installment of the Bay Area News Group's ongoing investigative series "Drugging Our Kids."

    Medical Kidnapping in Los Angeles: 2 Day Old Infant Seized at Hospital From Mother Using Medical Marijuana

    Medical Kidnapping in Los Angeles: 2 Day Old Infant Seized at Hospital From Mother Using Medical Marijuana:

    A California mother had her newborn child kidnapped in Los Angeles earlier this month (July 2016). Lori Ibrahim had her 2-day old infant seized from her right after giving birth at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center. Apparently, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and doctors at Kaiser determined that this mother, who already was parenting a five year old son that she was awarded sole custody in a divorce case, was a danger to her newborn son, and removed him from her care while she was trying to breast-feed him.

    Foster Parent Says Kids Taken Because Parents Are Poor

    Foster Parent Says Kids Taken Because Parents Are Poor:

    Many times I’ve pointed out that child protective workers often are faced with the hard job of figuring out whether a child has been neglected by a parent or whether the parent is simply poor and unable to, for example, be home at the precise minute the child returns from school. The poor tend to rely on public transportation which can be unreliable. So maybe Mom and Dad had a plan to be home when the child arrived, but Metro nixed it.

    Overprescribing Antipsychotics for Children Slows, Other Treatments Lag, Study Says

    Overprescribing Antipsychotics for Children Slows, Other Treatments Lag, Study Says:

    New federal and state policies may have helped drive down the rate at which powerful psychiatric medications are prescribed to children, including those in foster care, a recent study finds. The study finds that while prescription rates for antipsychotic drugs are slightly trending down, appropriate mental health interventions to accompany the drugs are frequently absent from the treatment plans.

    Fostering Profits: Abuse And Neglect At America's Biggest For-Profit Foster Care Company - Finance Guide To Everything

    Fostering Profits: Abuse And Neglect At America's Biggest For-Profit Foster Care Company - Finance Guide To Everything:

    A BuzzFeed News investigation identified deaths, sex abuse, and blunders in screening, training, and overseeing foster parents at the nation’s largest for-profit foster care company.

    Yolo County’s Child Welfare system under microscope

    Yolo County’s Child Welfare system under microscope:

    Yolo County’s Child Welfare Services system may go through substantial changes in the coming months as county supervisors take a deeper look at its operations. The agency, which falls under Yolo County’s Health and Human Services Department, came under fire earlier this year after Supervisor Matt Rexroad made an impassioned speech pointing out the agency’s defects.

    Public advocate pushes for foster care abuse settlement

    Public advocate pushes for foster care abuse settlement - NY Daily News:

    Ignoring a booming chorus of opposition, the city's Public Advocate Letitia James Friday urged a federal judge to approve of a settlement agreement she had made with state officials to impose a special monitor on the city's foster care system.

    Reforms sought by foster youths separated from siblings

    Reforms sought by foster youths separated from siblings:

    Dominique Martinez says she was around 9 and her half-brother was a year younger when she saw him for the last time.The two children were split briefly into two foster homes, then by adoption when he joined a family who didn't want him in touch with his biological family, Martinez said. She couldn't visit, find out where he was or say goodbye.

    The Drug Docs: State’s top foster care prescribers fueling medication of vulnerable kids

    The Drug Docs: State’s top foster care prescribers fueling medication of vulnerable kids

    For years, few questioned how doctors treated the emotional trauma of California’s abused and neglected children — and nobody monitored how often they handed out psychiatric drugs that can turn fragile childhoods into battles with obesity and bouts of stupor.



    Israel's Stolen Babies: Shocking Story of a Decades-old Secret

    Israel's Stolen Babies: Shocking Story of a Decades-old Secret | News | teleSUR English:

    As many as 5,000 Mizrahim Jewish babies, mostly Yemenis, were reported missing in Israel between 1948 and 1954. Families say they were given away.

    Woman gives up fight to adopt niece

    Woman gives up fight to adopt niece | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
    A Cameroonian woman who spent the last two years in the United States fighting in the Allegheny County court system to adopt her niece will head back to her home next week alone. Catherine Gana was unsuccessful in her efforts to adopt the 6-year-old girl who has spent the last four years in foster care with a woman in Penn Hills.

     Again Relative Placement is ignored by the Family Court Judges who make up their own rules!!!!! Abolish Title IV funding and see how fast these Judges uphold the Law!
    Again Relative Placement is ignored by the Family Court Judges who make up their own rules!!!!! Abolish Title IV funding and see how fast these Judges uphold the Law!Again Relative Placement is ignored by the Family Court Judges who make up their own rules!!!!! Abolish Title IV funding and see how fast these Judges uphold the Law!


    Again Relative Placement is ignored by the Family Court Judges who make up their own rules!!!!! Abolish Title IV funding and see how fast these Judges uphold the Law!

    Again Relative Placement is ignored by the Family Court Judges who make up their own rules!!!!! Abolish Title IV funding and see how fast these Judges uphold the Law!

    Ohio social worker less trusting a decade after boy's death

    Ohio social worker less trusting a decade after boy's death - Clay Center Dispatch On-Line: State:

    HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio social worker says he's less trusting a decade after a 3-year-old special-needs child he was in charge of died when the boy's foster parents bound him with duct tape and placed him in a tiny, hot closet for several days without food or water.

    Royal commission finds South Australian child protection system must be overhauled | Australia news | The Guardian

    Royal commission finds South Australian child protection system must be overhauled | Australia news | The Guardian:

    South Australia’s “toxic” child protection system has failed the state’s most vulnerable children and must be overhauled, a royal commission has found.In her final report after two years of investigations, the former supreme court justice Margaret Nyland has called for dramatic changes to what she has described as a system in crisis.

    Adoptive Parents accused of child abuse, jailed in Pike County

    Parents accused of child abuse, jailed in Pike County - News - poconorecord.com - Stroudsburg, PA:

    EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to add the age of the child, and to update the status of the parents as adoptive. The criminal complaint had described the parents as fosters.
    Two Pike County parents are being held in Pike County Correctional Facility after police responded to their home and discovered the 14-year old child they were supposed to be caring for was being abused, their criminal complaints say.

    Lawmakers begin study of Idaho's foster care system

    Lawmakers begin study of Idaho's foster care system | News | magicvalley.com:

    LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — Idaho foster care parents are urging lawmakers to reform the current state system, saying that foster care bureaucracy has caused unnecessary heartache and frustration.


    Saturday, August 6, 2016

    I-TEAM: Foster-child deaths contribute to crisis shortage of foster parents

    I-TEAM: Foster-child deaths contribute to crisis shortage of foster parents - Story:

    CINCINNATI – Every time a foster child dies from abuse or neglect, many good foster parents drop out of the system, Moira Weir says.

    10 years later, impact of Marcus Fiesel's murder still felt

    10 years later, impact of Marcus Fiesel's murder still felt:

    HAMILTON - It could have ruined him. Marcus Fiesel was murdered 10 years ago, bound with tape and placed in a tiny closet at his foster parents' home in Clermont County.

    Mothers call for forced adoption inquiry and apology: 'If Australia can do it, we can'

    Mothers call for forced adoption inquiry and apology: 'If Australia can do it, we can' | Stuff.co.nz:

    The Anglican Church has agreed to open its books in an inquiry into historical forced adoptions, but the Government has declined to do the same. The impasse has left mothers to pursue their own legal action over claims that their babies were stolen to fill married couple's cradles.

    Local couple helped raise son’s kids, but after his death, they can’t get custody

    Local couple helped raise son’s kids, but after his death, they can’t get custody | Belleville News-Democrat:

    When Kevin Phelps and his wife Mignon divorced in 2004, he got custody of their two little girls. Mignon Phelps, now known as Mignon Biggs, got visitation.


    Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article93966587.html#storylink=cpy

    On CPS reform: We must start somewhere

    On CPS reform: We must start somewhere | The Star-Telegram:

    The Texas child welfare and foster care system is a mess — that’s a fact few would dispute. How to go about reforming it is a much more complex and nuanced issue — one for which “there will not be a quick or easy solution.”







    Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article94053307.html#storylink=cpy

    I-Team: Grandmother believes child abuse claims against parents of grandson is conspiracy

    I-Team: Grandmother believes child abuse claims against parents:

    North Newton adoptive parents plead not guilty to child abuse

    North Newton adoptive parents plead not guilty to child abuse:

    NORTH NEWTON, Kan. (KWCH) A North Newton couple entered not guilty pleas to child abuse in Harvey County on Monday morning.

    Four years' prison for pervert foster father who abused girl he was supposed to look after

    Four years' prison for pervert foster father who abused girl he was supposed to look after - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk:

    A CO DOWN foster father who sexually abused a young girl placed in his care was jailed for four years yesterday.

    Ex-foster parents plead not guilty

    Ex-foster parents plead not guilty | Crime | timesdaily.com:

    FLORENCE — Former Florence foster parents, facing a number of sexual assault and child abuse charges in Florida, have pleaded not guilty to the offense, while a local investigation is underway.

    Man guilty in foster baby's death

    Man guilty in foster baby's death:

    OCALA, Fla. (AP) -- A north Florida man has been convicted in the death of a foster baby. 28-year-old Jesus Mata was convicted Friday of aggravated manslaughter. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

    Judge commends 'tremendous' efforts to engage parents who attacked services on social media

    Judge commends 'tremendous' efforts to engage parents who attacked services on social media | Community Care:

    A judge has praised a local authority who went ‘far beyond what would normally be expected’ to work with parents who campaigned on social media against the ‘kidnapping’ of their baby.

    A Wiradjuri grandmother’s sad story: ‘The Stolen Generations have never stopped’

    A Wiradjuri grandmother’s sad story: ‘The Stolen Generations have never stopped’ | Asia Pacific Report:

    Laura Lyons is a 48-year-old Wiradjuri woman living in Sydney. She alleges that three of her children as well as four of her grandchildren have been stolen from her by the Australian government. Laura is a member of Grandmothers Against Removal (GMAR), a group of grandmothers who are fighting to get their stolen children and grandchildren back. This is Laura’s story in her own words as told to Camille Nakhid.

    Court rules foster parents can adopt abused child instead of grandmother

    Court rules foster parents can adopt abused child instead of grandmother - News - The Times-Tribune:

    A Lackawanna County judge who granted a grandmother’s petition to adopt her abused granddaughter ignored overwhelming evidence that the toddler was better off with the foster parents who sought to adopt her, the state Superior Court ruled.


    Thursday, August 4, 2016

    How Child Protective Services made a family's tragedy worse

    How Child Protective Services made a family's tragedy worse:

    In a field filled with subjectivity and bias, it’s sometimes assumed that one determination is easy: figuring out if a death was caused by child maltreatment.In fact, that’s often as subjective as everything else. I usually illustrate this with the following hypothetical.