Six months

[amsnwoo]

Well it has been six months since they took my son, Chance. My visit last week was awful. When he cried no byebye and starting crying I wanted to strangle the social worker.
I wrote previously about how my son got i black eye in the foster home. Both my husband and I expressed our concern to the CW about another child tht is in the same foster home. My son comes to visites and telss me Sasha hurts him. The CW just said that they never have had any other complaints about the other kids! I just want to scream, I'm so furoius!! They has to be something I can do!! I miss my son so much...Life seems so empty wthout him. Can anyone help/???

[sob900]

I have been asking the same question over and over again, can any one help. Seems to me that every one has some good suggestion, but no real help, so it looks like I'm on my own to blindly navigate my way through all of this corruption.
Dan

[sedwards]

i may be able to help have you filed any paers yet i cant remember everyone i have working on them sorry .. i am now keeping a journal on that though .. When is your next court date and what is in your case plan and what have you completed in it.

[Bob_Lynn]

In a "normal" situation, if you feel a child is being abused, you would call the police and report it. Child abuse is a crime and a police matter, period. In a "normal" CPS case done the right way, any report of abuse must be investigated.

If someone reported that you abuse your child, CPS would certainly would take immediate action, regardless that it is true or not. In this case, because it's a foster parent, the caseworker is obviously covering for the foster parents by dismissing the allegations and offering the lame excuse that there were no other reports of complaints about the other kids. Your reply should be that it's irrelevant because there is a complaint with your son and demand that it must be investigated as any other reported abuse must be investigated, it has nothing to do with the "other kids".

[Dan Sullivan]

[quote="amsnwoo"]Well it has been six months since they took my son, Chance. My visit last week was awful. When he cried no byebye and starting crying I wanted to strangle the social worker.
I wrote previously about how my son got i black eye in the foster home. Both my husband and I expressed our concern to the CW about another child tht is in the same foster home. My son comes to visites and telss me Sasha hurts him. The CW just said that they never have had any other complaints about the other kids! [/quote]

Well, then your complaint is number one.

This "never had any other complaints" is their standard answer.

You do realize that if they say that to five people who express their concern about children in a foster family and then choose to let it go... guess who's letting children be abused while in their custody?

I've noticed that on the TV show Judging Amy, the mother CPS worker has been saying "Foster care, more often than not, is a nightmare."

The only way to get an investigation started is to anonymously call the hotline and make a report. Make no mention that your son is in FC in the home.

It'll get squashed anyway.

And your CW will be even more antagonistic towards you.

You've gotta get you son out of there.

What was the story how he got the black eye?

Later, Dan

[Frustrated]

That is a REAL Problem with the Foster Care System that they are in fact abusing Kids from "within" the Agency. It is disgusting!

I have thought about the same thing, the only way it will get started with real investigation is to call the hotline and say that those Foster Parents are giving maltreatment to the Kids. If you know the names of Foster Parents, then great, it will get the investigation started.

You could always write to the Supervisor to address your concerns, put down dates, names, and when he got black eye.....and keep the copy in your file and make sure tell the supervisor what the CW said.

Yup they would say "nothing happened, and it is not of great concern" is pretty standard...they are covering up their arse. It is VERY VERY embarrassing when you would notice Kids come in with infections, black eyes, bruises, emotion withdrawals, etc...etc....should they be happy Kids????? why is it the opposite!? why it is always happening in Foster Care system with abuse and infections??? they don't take care of Kids and don't care of Infections, bruises, etc...that is neglectful.

I would think the Foster Parents should be monitored and investigated ONCE a month by an independent Inspector. Just like Food Inspector in Restaurants....why ever not???

[Michael]

I recommend contacting the CASA worker and the atturney Ad Litem. The CASA is a volunteer but the Ad Litem is paid for all his/her time spent on the case. They usually like to get reports to investigate. At $75.00 an hour.

[Rainsong]

I say make the hot line call. Document every little mark on them at each visit. Document each time they are sick during a visit.

TAPE RECORD the visits. After each visit put the tape in an envelope seal it and write the date on it. Mail it to yourself if you have to. DONT open it till court. One taper per visit dont cheap out and put two visits on a tape.

Take lots of pictures at each visit. If asked about it you want memories of this age of your child dont you? Make sure you get the marks on a picture. Preferably a time/date stammped camera.

Tape record any and all phone conversations with your social worker. Only give her your land line number.

Now you can go to Radio Shack and get this recorder that hooks to your phone. The phone rings start the tape before you pick up. they take normal size cassette tapes. I would suggest one tape a month or week what ever. Treat those tapes like you would recorded visits. Cost about 100.00$

Pictures. Believe me a cheap digital camera is the way to go. They have time/date stamps on them. You can take the little memory card to Wal-Mart Walgreens and some other places to develope it. Print two sets and save to CD. Treat the pictures like you would a tape. Cost about 50.00$ and up for the camera. For developeing any where from 8.00$ and up depending on how many pictures.

Taping visits: Again go to RAdio Shack and get a small pocket tape recorder. Not digital they can be altered. When you buy it make sure at the end of the tape it does not make a loud noise. You dont want them to know you are taping. The tape has about 60 minutes on it. If your visits are longer then an hour, at 55 minutes excuse yourself to go potty and flip the tape over. Buy 2 if you can afford them more if you can cost 20.00$ and up.

Have a cassette recorder in your purse diaper bag what ever. make sure it will record clearly thought the material. Play with it you can come up with a way to tape. Have one sitting near the front door so you can turn it on when you answer the door. Have one for your spouse.

Cassette tapes are cheap, buy a buttload of them. Make sure you have batteries.

Be real sure to check the tape recording laws in your state. One party means you dont have to tell them they are being recorded. Two party means you have to tell them. If you have to tell them make sure you say something like "I am taping this visit/meeting." they can object but you ahve thier objection on tape.

Now you cant this advise or leave it. I hired an investigator because of my current issues. He told me even if its a two party state (NC is not) tape them any way. This is why you need more then one recorder. One they see one they dont. Its a way to remember exactly what happened so you can put it in your visit notes.

[Chaco]

Curiousity question.

What if the CW says she doens't want to be taped in a "two party" consent state? Personally, I wouldn't "ask," I'd "tell" him/her they were being taped. If they don't want their words taped, then "GOOD BYE!" Doesn't the law simply state that all parties are to be made "aware" of the fact it's being taped?

Has anyone ever had this problem?

Chaco

[Momof31995]

If they refuse to be taped then you have it recorded always have the recorder on and tape their refusal then shut it off and cancel the meeting .........refusal looks like they have something to hide to a judge.