cps, caseworkers and money

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crazylife
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Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:38 pm

cps, caseworkers and money

Postby crazylife » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:27 pm

Does cps and the state really get money when they take the kids. I mean I know they need jobs but I keep hearing this and I want to know if this is really true. My daughter and grandson were taken and my grandsons caseworker is through a private agency and is really sweet, so when i asked her that question she said the state has to pay for the kids in the system and that they don't recieve anything. I hear from sites like this that they try to keep them in the system. Don't know what the truth is

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Eljay
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Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby Eljay » Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:01 am

Oh, yes. The states fund a basic amount of money and the federal government "matches" funds for foster care, parenting classes, etc. The first federal funding program was started in 1974 by (democrat) Walter Mondale and was called CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act). You can read about it here: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/reso ... ate-grants

The first line says.... "This program provides funds for States to improve their child protective service systems (CPS). "

Since then, there have been multiple additional funding programs, including the Adoption and Safe Families Act, oodles of Title IV-e funds, SSI, etc.

Here's a narrative history of funding streams:
http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/financinghistory.htm

All of those funding sources combined provide somewhere abound a million bazillion dollars a year as incentives for the states to take your kids. Some have LOTS of caseworkers on the payroll. I was just looking at statistics today and while Kentucky is less than 1/4 the size of Florida, they have about the same number of caseworkers... they have BIG payroll to meet so they spend a lot of time rounding up families for services. How does that work out for them? Well.... for ballpark numbers, the state gives a county a flat rate budget amount. Then they take a child and put the child in foster care. They bill the feds for matching funds of hundreds to thousands of dollars per month for these children, then pay the kin, foster care, group homes, treatment facilities, doctors, etc. Some facilities are getting about $10,000 a month for "special needs" children. There is a margin of "profit" in the funds being moved around, not that is going in anybody's pocket, but what they justify is needed for the administration of these funds.

The more children they captures, the more money they bring in, the more they claim they are overwhelmed with work, so they hire more staff, which they need to pay for by taking even MORE children. Well... there are only so many genuinely abused children so what they have done is "lowered the bar" to include a mere whiff of abuse (an unexplained bruise might send your child to foster care for a year or more!) and now the VAST majority of cases are for "neglect" (85% if memory serves). Even for the cases they have, it's really hard to prove "real" abuse or neglect so they lie, exaggerate, omit exculpatory evidence, twist parent's words, fabricate evidence and outright perjure themselves to justify their actions and cash their paychecks. I sometimes like to give the junior social workers the benefit of the doubt because it is management that is directing them, indoctrinating them into treating every minor hot-line call as if it's just scratching the surface of severe abuse and neglect that parents are really good at hiding. Those junior/new caseworkers sometimes buy into it, but many more can't take the deception and quit. The turnover rates for CPS workers are really high in some states -- over 30% in Arizona and Texas come to mind.

Oh, and the federal funding requirements are for locking you in for six months of services so all of the service plans run six months. "Why do we need 6 months of counseling... what if the counselor says we're fine after two months?" .... well, that's just the way they do it... it's all about the money. They don't get the funding unless you're locked in for 6 months.

So... that's the long answer to the short question. Yes, it's far more about the money than the kids.
Advice & opinions provided are no substitute for genuine legal assistance. Laws & rules vary by state/jurisdiction so do your homework and get
an education in CPS laws, rules & practices so that you can FIGHT for your children's rights. I am not a lawyer. Your mileage may vary.

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crazylife
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Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby crazylife » Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:48 pm

Thank you for your reply i appreciate it. I ask my grandsons caseworker these questions and she says there all about reuniting and so says my worker but hes through dhs and the other through private. My worker tells me he is new, i didn't get my plan for a couple months, he reschedules my visits or cancels constantly, seems he wants me out of the picture. this is frustrating. just want to know if this is some crazy game i'm getting into and if ru is possible?

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Eljay
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Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby Eljay » Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:31 pm

crazylife wrote:Thank you for your reply i appreciate it. I ask my grandsons caseworker these questions and she says there all about reuniting and so says my worker but hes through dhs and the other through private. My worker tells me he is new, i didn't get my plan for a couple months, he reschedules my visits or cancels constantly, seems he wants me out of the picture. this is frustrating. just want to know if this is some crazy game i'm getting into and if ru is possible?



Oh, sure... we want to REUNITE your family so we will do that by ripping the kids out of the home and sticking them in foster care for six months! THEN we can work maybe reuniting y'all. There is no money in visitations so they hem n haw, cancel and "reschedule." If they are court ordered, then make sure you let them know you expect them to follow court orders or else you'll ask the judge to sanction them for contempt of court.
Advice & opinions provided are no substitute for genuine legal assistance. Laws & rules vary by state/jurisdiction so do your homework and get
an education in CPS laws, rules & practices so that you can FIGHT for your children's rights. I am not a lawyer. Your mileage may vary.

----<>----<>----<>---- BREED WITH CAUTION ----<>----<>----<>----

crazylife
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby crazylife » Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:57 pm

wow thanks for that. i document most everything and have text messages saved. It clearly states what tiIme my visits are at on my plan, and I've missed none, but he on the other hand has missed a few or rescheduled at the last minute.Told his supervisor but she sticks up for him. even got my court appointed lawyer involved. I had to set up my own parenting classes and if it wasn't for me calling him to set up transportation for my daughter to join me at those classes, she wouldn't get there. It's like he's just sitting back and watching a show and laughing while we are in a circus jumping through hoops. Just seems like everybody is in on this, even the counselors( which i picked my own place ahead of time), lawyer, judge. I read foster forums on adoption.com and seems foster parents get the run around too. I'm not against getting help for things but when it seems like it's not gonna help and feel like everyone is against you, you feel like giving up. but i won't. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger i hope. I asked for a new worker as did my daughter to cw face, he replied you can ask but that won't get you anywhere. We're his first brand new case lord help me. Do you know of more support forums like this to talk to people going through the same thing? Thanks for replying, I've read some of your posts which are amazing!

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Eljay
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Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:01 am

Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby Eljay » Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:02 pm

If you're on facebook, we have a group there... can't vouch for the advice, but you'll find others in your situation, then find more groups to help you get the education you need.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/228239030646201/
Advice & opinions provided are no substitute for genuine legal assistance. Laws & rules vary by state/jurisdiction so do your homework and get
an education in CPS laws, rules & practices so that you can FIGHT for your children's rights. I am not a lawyer. Your mileage may vary.

----<>----<>----<>---- BREED WITH CAUTION ----<>----<>----<>----

crazylife
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby crazylife » Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:25 pm

thanks for your help

fatherofthree
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Re: cps, caseworkers and money

Postby fatherofthree » Thu May 09, 2013 4:44 pm

while there is foster money, ect. the case worker doesn't make any more or less when doing an investigation. Placing children should be a LAST RESORT and only when absolutely necessary for their safety.
DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney and am not providing legal advice.


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