Child Protective Services, CPS, has devastated and destroyed hundreds of thousands of families in America during the last thirty years leaving a trail of broken hearts, broken dreams, and shattered childhoods.
Rather than helping families, government agents have used unconstitutional laws in Juvenile Court to rip children away from their loving parents, break asunder God-given, natural, parent-child bonds, and adopt the children of the grieving out to others who profit financially with large monthly adoption subsidy payments.
Child Protective Services must be stopped! The law that started this, CAPTA, must be repealed. We must work tirelessly to inform the public of this very dangerous travesty of justice. We must keep faith knowing that if there is a God, there is an answer and a way to end this heartache.
Child Protective Services Agents - please come to your senses! Family destruction on false or trivial grounds is wrong, reprehensible, and inhumane.
Fosterers - be aware that for the money you get you are holding much-loved children away from their grieving families while the parents are forced to perform a service plan that is anything but a service to them. I call this hostage holding for the government. This is not kindness - to help misguided government agents destroy family relationships and break loving bonds.
CPS workers and fosterers - I ask that you now give up these unworthy professions and find something more dignified to do with your lives. Let the children of the innocent return to their homes where they are truly valued, adored, and loved by the parents God gave them.
Family rights are God-given rights. And they should not be ignored or postponed. Every moment these loving parents and children spend separated from one another is a torment beyond what anyone should ever have to bear.
It is unworthy of human dignity to allow this terrorism and torture of families to go on without saying something, speaking out, and trying to make a change.
Site mission: To provide information and support for families attacked by Child Protective Services and child welfare agents, especially those families facing false or trivial accusations of child abuse or neglect; and for researchers working to protect natural family rights.
State investigators are promising a full review of Child Protective Services before the end of the year.
Lawmakers are among those demanding a full accounting of CPS after the deaths of two San Antonio-area children recently. Both were under state supervision.
Some blame the problems on too many cases and too few workers.
The average case load for a CPS investigator is about 50 cases per month.
"There are significant challenges that are presented to the Child Protective Services system and the workers that are involved, serious issues about the safety of children who might be at risk of abuse or neglect," Albert Hawkins, commissioner with the Health and Human Services Committee, said.
Results of the CPS investigation are due in late December.
Sion Jenkins, jailed for life six years ago for the murder of his teenage foster daughter Billie-Jo, has won his appeal against conviction.
But he must now face a new trial.
Lord Justice Rose, sitting with Mr Justice Curtis and Mr Justice Wakerley, ruled that his original 1998 conviction was "unsafe" on the basis of fresh scientic evidence.
After delivering their 23-page ruling at the Court of Appeal in London, the judges adjourned the question of bail.
Jenkins, sitting in the dock, showed no emotion as the judges announced their decision in the packed courtroom.
He will stand trial at the Old Bailey and a fresh indictment will be preferred within 28 days. Jenkins will plead to that indictment within eight weeks from today.
Today's ruling means that, in the eyes of the law, 46-year-old Jenkins is again "innocent until proved guilty".
The retrial order came after a nine-day appeal hearing in which the judges heard a mass of fresh evidence and legal argument.
Jenkins, a former deputy headteacher, was convicted at Lewes Crown Court in July 1998 of battering his 13-year-old foster daughter to death with an 18-inch metal tent spike as she was painting a patio door at their home in Hastings, East Sussex, on February 15, 1997.
It was alleged at Jenkins' trial that, during a three-minute visit to the family house, he had an argument with Billie-Jo, lost his temper, hit her over the head up to 10 times and then drove off on a "spurious" shopping trip to a DIY store with two of his four natural daughters, Lottie and Annie. On his return home, it was claimed, he pretended to discover the dead girl's body on the patio.
"You may not have heard of the American Community Survey, but you will. The national census, which historically is taken every ten years, has expanded to quench the federal bureaucracy’s ever-growing thirst to govern every aspect of American life. The new survey, unlike the traditional census, is taken each and every year at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. And it’s not brief. It contains 24 pages of intrusive questions concerning matters that simply are none of the government’s business, including your job, your income, your physical and emotional [health], your family status, your dwelling, and your intimate personal habits."
OUTRAGEOUS BIG-BROTHERISM MUST BE OPPOSED
"Keep in mind the survey is not voluntary, nor is the Census Bureau asking politely. Americans are legally obligated to answer, and can be fined up to $1,000 per question if they refuse!"
RON PAUL TO THE RESCUE
"I introduced an amendment last week that would have eliminated funds for this intrusive survey in a spending bill, explaining on the House floor that perhaps the American people don’t appreciate being threatened by Big Brother. The amendment was met by either indifference or hostility, as most members of Congress either don’t care about or actively support government snooping into the private affairs of citizens."
"More importantly, they never envisioned a nation where the people would roll over and submit to every government demand. The American Community Survey is patently offensive to all Americans who still embody that fundamental American virtue, namely a healthy mistrust of government. The information demanded in the new survey is none of the government’s business, and the American people should insist that Congress reject it now before it becomes entrenched." Source: U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, M.D. (R-Tex.), Texas Straight Talk, 7/12/04
FULL Story and a call to Action at: http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/privacyinvasion.html
"You may not have heard of the American Community Survey, but you will. The national census, which historically is taken every ten years, has expanded to quench the federal bureaucracy’s ever-growing thirst to govern every aspect of American life. The new survey, unlike the traditional census, is taken each and every year at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. And it’s not brief. It contains 24 pages of intrusive questions concerning matters that simply are none of the government’s business, including your job, your income, your physical and emotional [health], your family status, your dwelling, and your intimate personal habits."
OUTRAGEOUS BIG-BROTHERISM MUST BE OPPOSED
"Keep in mind the survey is not voluntary, nor is the Census Bureau asking politely. Americans are legally obligated to answer, and can be fined up to $1,000 per question if they refuse!"
RON PAUL TO THE RESCUE
"I introduced an amendment last week that would have eliminated funds for this intrusive survey in a spending bill, explaining on the House floor that perhaps the American people don’t appreciate being threatened by Big Brother. The amendment was met by either indifference or hostility, as most members of Congress either don’t care about or actively support government snooping into the private affairs of citizens."
"More importantly, they never envisioned a nation where the people would roll over and submit to every government demand. The American Community Survey is patently offensive to all Americans who still embody that fundamental American virtue, namely a healthy mistrust of government. The information demanded in the new survey is none of the government’s business, and the American people should insist that Congress reject it now before it becomes entrenched." Source: U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, M.D. (R-Tex.), Texas Straight Talk, 7/12/04
FULL Story and a call to Action at: http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/privacyinvasion.html
I posted my story on 6-27-04 about how CPS took my kids for no reason. We had a court hearing today. It was the status hearing and everybody told me nothing would change and it was just to review the family plan. My attorney advised me not to ask the judge to listen to my side because that might make him mad, but I prayed before the hearing that God would let the Holy Spirit speak through me and that he would open the judge's heart to listen to our family.
The children's attorney(who has never even met with the kids) said it was all up to the therapist and if she recommends visitation, then he could see his kids at the CPS building without me. I told the judge how terrified my kids are of CPS and they wouldn't want to go to the same building they were taken to when they were taken from me. He agreed to supervised visitation at a park or McDonalds. Then I asked him if this is all about the kids why can't my husband and I have contact? I told him we all just want Daddy to come home. He's completed all the requirements of his probation and I've had 10 counseling sessions and the kids have had four and CPS is monitoring on a weekly basis. He lifted the no contact order betweeen my husband and I effective immediately.
God is good. It's a small step , but it's definitely a step in the right direction.
Don't be afraid to speak up in court. You have the right to speak for your family. No one else is going to do it. Even your attorney will just go along with whatever they suggest. Therapists don't know your family as well as you do and they won't ask for what you want. They're just going by statistics and treat everyone the same.
We are all different and every case is different. I will not be silent when it comes to my family. So my advice for anyone going through the same nightmare is: Speak up for your kids. You're the only one who can and will.
I've been calling counselors, attorneys and anyone who's involved and I will not quit until I get what I want. This is our family, not theirs. They don't care if these kids ever get their Dad back. Because if we got divorced they could make more money off us. Not gonna happen. And they've tried threatening and everything else to convince me that it would be so much better for me to be on my own. That's the easy way, but not always the right one. I believe in fixing problems and not running away from them. I want my family to be well and together.
God is on our side and we're going to win this battle against these people who don't care about our children. They just want to control them. Don't let them step all over you. Get all the facts about your case and by all means: Speak up! Be respectful, but let them know what you want for your family. They're only humans, too and they're not above the law.
God Bless You All.
Keep fighting for what's right. And don't ever give up your hope."
New Mexico: Soldier's family attacked by CPS while at war
Cheyenne writes:
DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE
My name is Cheyenne Griffee. I am writing this letter in hopes of exposing a very corrupt and biased family court system in Roswell New Mexico.
In December 2000 I got a divorce due to physical and emotional abuse in the relationship. I later remarried a man in the military in February of 2001. I had a daughter from a previous relationship which was proven by court ordered paternity test not to be my ex-husband's. I had one child with my ex-husband that was also proved by a court ordered paternity test. Ten months after her birth he began to harass me with phone calls, letters, and by petitioning the courts over 17 times in 18 months for various reasons including change of custody, contempt motions, and asking for more visitation (even though he seldom met the visitation that was originally set). He did this purposely around holidays or important dates to my family requiring me to drive round trip over 20 hours between Ft Hood, Tx and Roswell, NM each time costing me thousand's of dollars in travel alone and putting a substantial strain on my personal life. It also made it impossible for me to maintain employment of any kind and caused me to be fired twice and requiring me to quit my job on several other occasions.
He wrote the presiding judge three seperate letters each being about 10 pages long complaining about how unfair it was that he did not have custody. He never mentioned in them the fact that he had nothing to do with the children for 17 months and paid no child support of anykind. I became pregnant with my current husband's child in January of 2003 and he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April of the same year. As soon as word of this reached Roswell the real Family Court nightmare began. They appointed a guardian ad litem in May in the "best interest" of the children.
My husband was wounded in an ambush in Iraq on June 15 causing even more stress here. On July 21 the courts awarded custody of my two children to my ex husband siting that they were in an "unstable home"(without ever making a home visit of any kine) and that I had "alienated" my children from him (when in actuallity he had alienated himself).
I would like to state that at no time was the stability of our home or the care of the children ever questioned in Texas. They were seen regularly by their pediatrician, the WIC office, military officials at my husband's work, and by family friends. At NO time was their care or well being questioned.
In our home they had military health care, steady income, military housing, reliable transportation, a fenced yard to play in, play friends, and at least one parent at home with them. The courts felt this was unstable and elected to put the children in a home that was too small, and gave custody to a man with unsteady employment histories, who moved often, had an unreliable vehicle(at one point depending on a bicycle to get to work), and who depended on a vast network of "strangers" to care for my children. He is supporting my children so well that he continually uses my current husband's health insurance for the kid's medical needs (making it difficult for my husband to be treated for wounds recieved in Iraq) and is on wellfare.
The constant court harassment, required traveling, and the court's decision put considerable strain on my pregnancy that was already considered high risk and eventually put me in premature labor 16 days after losing custody.
Immediately following the birth of my baby girl there were false allegations of drug use on my part. I voluntarily took a urinalysis test to prove otherwise. They also notified my husband in Iraq that his daughter had been taken away because I was on drugs. This put considerably more stress on him in a hostile country.
On October 21, exactly three months after losing custody of my oldest two, I was baited to the Roswell Police Station by my ex-husband, a detective, and Roswell CYFD where they then took custody of my infant. They gave me 2 minutes to say good bye and took her from me. Their claim was that I was neglecting my infant daughter because she was late getting synogis injections (which was due to extenuating circumstances). They even went as far as taking my husband, fighting for his country in Iraq, to court on allegations of neglect and telling my husband that I lost custody because I was having an affair which was a total lie.
This again put added strain on our marriage and quite possibly helped result in him getting wounded again on November 11th. While she was in state's custody, she was over a month late for her 4 month check up and shots, put in a Spanish only speaking foster home (my husband and I are caucasian and don't speak Spanish), and was in a car accident but didn't recieve medical attention until 22 hours after it happened.
I lost visitation rights to my infant due to the allegations of an affair and one week later lost all rights to my oldest two daughters. Luckily and coincidently enough my infant was returned to me on February 19th 2004 after 4 months of foster care just 3 days before my husband returned from Iraq because all allegations were found to be false. I still have no rights to my oldest two.
The loss of my children and visitation rights has caused tremedous stress and depression in my daily life. It has put substantial strain on my marriage. It has also disrupted parent-infant bonding time, sibling relationships, and parent-child relationships. I feel that as the birth mother of my children I have been wrongfully stripped of providing for them and watching them grow. The guardian ad litem purposely abused her legal authority by ignoring what was in the best interests of my children. I have been left physically, mentally, and financially drained and have the feeling I have no where else to turn. I feel violated by the family court system and am hesitant and unable to seek legal help, but need help any way possible. I thank you for your time and attention in this matter.
Sincerely Yours,
Cheyenne Kim Griffee
51313-1 Tonkawa Ct
Fort Hood, Texas 76544
(254)-466-5816
cheyennegriffee@yahoo.com
I am Cheyenne Griffee's husband and am writing this to bring to light how the New Mexico CYFD and Family Courts violated my rights and attempted to rip apart my family while I was serving in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. I will start with giving you a brief background of myself. I am a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. I have served my country for the past 8 years and love very much what I thought this country stood for. I have been stationed in Texas for the past three years and have NEVER been a resident of New Mexico. I am a law abiding citizen and a caring father. Everything I do is for my children. I put my life on the line in defense of them and them alone. While serving in Iraq my Bradley section executed over 150 combat missions, detained more than 50 enemy personel, and seized over 1,000 weapons. I was and am responsible for the health and welfare of 7 soldiers and thier families and over $1,600,000.00 worth of equipment. I was awarded 2 Purple Hearts for wounds recieved in combat and the Bronze Star Service Medal. The citations read as follows:
Purple Heart for June 15, 2003: SSG Griffee was wounded while participating in Combat Operations to Liberate Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. SSG Griffee and his crew, while conducting operations as part of a night raid mission on a paramilitary complex, 15 Jun 03, came under direct fire from three enemy rocket propelled grenades (RPG's) with two striking his vehicle at Grid MC****** in the Al Taji area of operation. Upon initial contact from the enemy ambush, SSG Griffee received multiple lacerations across his face from shrapnel and temporary loss of hearing due to the attack. Despite his injuries, SSG Griffee and his crew identified and engaged four enemy dismounts, striking two with their 7.62 coaxial machine gun, and continued the mission despite his injuries suffered.
Purple Heart for November 11, 2003: SSG Griffee was wounded while participating in combat operations to liberate Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. SSG Griffee and his crew, while conducting an armed reconnaissance patrol in support of Operation Ivy Typhoon II, 11 Nov 03, were attacked with an IED at Grid MC********. Upon contact from 1-2 155MM rounds which were detonated by use of an UPS battery pack located 250-300 meters from the attack, SSG Griffee received a minor concussion and lacerations to his knee. Despite his injuries he made every effort to rescue his driver from the flames that erupted from the engine compartment. SSG Griffee was forced to evacuate himself and his gunner from the track as rounds began to explode within it.
Bronze Star Service Medal(summarized): Provided vital leadership to his crew and assisted forces of the 3rd Infantry Division in the capture of the former Secretary of Iraqi Intelligence, Fadil Salfi Al-Azawi, one of the "Top 100 Most Wanted Iraqis" during a house raid on 4 May 03. SSG Griffee's section served as the Quick Reactionary Force for Al Taji Airfield, Iraq. His team responded immediately to all enemy contact inside or outside of the Task Force's perimeter. On numerous occasions his team was quickly dispatched to stop looting, and sales of weapons in the local community which resulted in 26 personal being arrested and 27 Ak-47 assault rifles being confiscated. As the Battery Unit Movement NCO his efforts ultimately enabled the battery to execute a flawless deployment of 36 vehicles, 6 trailers, and 6 Quadcons by rail, sea, and air to the Central Command Area of Operations. SSG Griffee is a leader by example who continually earns the respect of the soldiers by his actions and not just his words. A consummate leader, warrior, and trainer, SSG Griffee's organizational skills, mature sense of judgement and warfighting ability clearly mark him as one of a very few noncommissioned officers who can manage complex, broad, and critical problems in any situation.
Now, these are documented citations about my actions in Iraq. While I was there fighting I recieved court papers petitioning to have my rights to my newborn daughter revoked stating that I neglected her and did not provide for her medical needs. CYFD also showed my mother paperwork stating "father abandoned child". When questioned about this they told my mother they listed that reason because there was no block on their form for "Father at War". The court papers were delivered to me days before the hearing was to take place. The only information I could get on the case was relayed from CYFD through my mother to me. Ginger Bowman told us that my wife was having an affair, my daughter was deaf, blind, and had cerebral palsy all of wich was NOT true. My mother went to visit my daughter and was told by the social worker Sherry Rosa, when asked, that no inhome visits to the foster mother were conducted in the first 6 weeks of her being in State custody. I need to add that I was in the desert and had limited access to internet or phone usage. When these luxeries were available, my access to them depended on mission temp, weather, and long lines of other soldiers waiting to use them also. I emailed Sherry Rosa several times trying to get information about my daughter but the response was that I needed to contact my court appointed lawyer and she continually instructed me that I needed to make "phone appearances" for court hearings. I repeatedly explained my communication situation to her but it always fell on deaf ears. Mysteriously, my infant daughter was returned to my wife mear days before my return to the United States and I have never recieved word one rescinding the false allegations aimed at us. In fact, if you look at the papers awarding custody back to my wife, I am not listed as getting custody back.
I would also like to add that I was the sole provider for Cheyenne's other two children for two years. They lived with me in Texas for those years and were cared for by my wife and I and utilized the benefits my carreer provided for them. As soon as I deployed to Iraq the New Mexico court "system" attacked my family and tore us apart.
I write this letter out of frustration. Yes, I was wounded twice in Iraq by enemy action. However, neither of those attacks were as painful or left scars as deep as the one that came from my own country. I never could have imagined that while I was overseas fighting America's war on Terrorism I would be attacked by domestic terrorists that hide behind the system I am sworn to uphold. I love our children very much and would do anything for our babies. This is why I am in the profession that I am in. My hopes after this whole ordeal is to return her two children to our family, prevent further attacks on my family, and to spare other mothers and fathers the pain of these evil people abusing their authority. Thank you for your time in this matter.
July 15, 2004
By DAVID ROYSE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A highly critical state report released Thursday details gifts, trips and entertainment accepted by officials of the Department of Children & Families from companies doing business with the agency.
Two top officials of the department promptly resigned. But the agency head, who stayed at the beach house of a contractor, said he had no plans to quit.
Secretary Jerry Regier apologized for actions he said had the appearance of impropriety, and said he takes full responsibility for problems outlined in the report released Thursday by Gov. Jeb Bush's inspector general's office.
The inspector general substantiated a number of accusations made by an agency whistleblower, most of which involved the way top officials at the child welfare agency have interacted with representatives of computer vendors and private organizations that are increasingly doing work the agency used to do itself.
The report found that Deputy Secretary Ben Harris and Information Technology Director Glenn Palmiere accepted gifts and free hotel rooms from vendors and "engaged in social relationships that were unethical or gave the appearance of ethical impropriety, with employees of InterSystems," a company that provides computer software to DCF.
Regier announced the resignations of Harris and Palmiere on Thursday.
The probe also found that Regier and other DCF officials attended a birthday party for Regier that was hosted by a friend of the secretary, Jim Bax, who at the time was director of the Florida State University Institute for Health and Human Services Research. The institute at the time had nearly $2 million in contract work from DCF.
On another occasion Regier and his wife stayed overnight with Bax at Bax's Longboat Key beach home.
"That was an unacceptable gift of hospitality and I really regret that," Regier said. But he added that he always reimburses people and doesn't accept free meals or other gifts.
"It's the appearance that I'm truly sorry for," he said.
Regier said he will not step down, but will ensure his agency follows the inspector general's recommendations, including an independent auditing process for contracts, better documenting of reimbursement for social events and meals and a complete review of DCF's InterSystems contract.
Bush on Thursday stood by Regier, whom he appointed in 2002 to rescue a department under fire over high-profile failures in which caseworkers lost track of children, left them in abusive situations and falsified reports.
"He has my confidence," Bush said in an e-mailed response to a question from The Associated Press about Regier's future at the agency.
Regier said Harris and Palmiere "exhibited a pattern of multiple inappropriate judgments with respect to accepting gifts, trips and entertainment."
Harris said in a statement that he never let social relationships influence decisions he made for DCF.
He added, "In the fast and furious pace of reform, I did not take a step back and question how my actions would be perceived by others, and for this I apologize."
A phone call seeking comment from Palmiere after hours Thursday wasn't immediately returned.
Regier said DCF would review all contracts involving Bax, who is no longer the head of the university institute.
A message left at Bax's home was not immediately returned Thursday.
Roseville police have charged a foster mother with child abuse.
Customers shopping at the Meijer store at 13 Mile and Little Mack contacted police Tuesday after they said they were shocked to see a woman hitting a little girl.
Police said Corinna Sanders, 35, of Grosse Pointe Park, hit her 10-year-old foster child in the face and then pushed her down to the ground. Witnesses said the two then went inside the store.
Sanders was arrested by police at the store.
The girl did not need medical treatment, but was put in another foster home temporarily, Local 4 reported.
Sanders was charged Wednesday with third-degree child abuse and was released on a $10,000 personal bond, the station reported. Sanders is not allowed to have any contact with children under 15 years old.
The Family Independence Agency was contacted about the incident because that is where the girl's case originated.
Sanders is expected back in court at the end of the month.
HARTINGTON, Neb. -- An Aug. 11 preliminary hearing has been set for a Hartington Public School principal and coach facing three charges alleging sexual assault of a minor.
Randy Stolcpart, 55, appeared Wednesday in Cedar County Court where he requested the preliminary hearing. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor, a Class II felony, and one count of attempted sexual assault of a minor, a Class III felony.
Stolcpart has served as elementary principal and has also coached volleyball and girls basketball. However, the alleged incidents involve Stolcpart's 17-year-old foster daughter and did not occur in a school setting or involve students in a school activity, according to court officials and records.
A Class II felony carries a sentence of 1 to 50 years in prison. A Class III felony carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
At a June 25 motions hearing, Stolcpart's bond was reduced from $200,000 at 10 percent to $100,000 at 10 percent. Stolcpart remains free on bond.
At that time, Judge Douglas Luebe also modified a prior condition that Stolcpart have no contact with children under 19 years old. Luebe approved allowing Stolcpart to have contact with "lineal descendants," such as grandchildren, under 19 years old.
At Wednesday's hearing, defense attorney Ron Temple of Norfolk, Neb., requested the court waive all restrictions on Stolcpart's contact with children. The restriction means Stolcpart cannot resume his school duties even though he is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Temple said.
"(Stolcpart) is being deprived of his opportunity to earn a living and to earn an income to support his defense in this matter at this point," Temple said. "This leaves him jobless and forces him to seek other employment. It's extremely difficult given that the charges just arose."
Assistant attorney general Steve Gabrial, serving as a special prosecutor in the case, opposed the defense motions. Instead, Gabrial asked that Stolcpart's bond be revoked because the charges involve sexual penetration of a minor.
"(Stolcpart) has appeared twice before the court, and the judge has already modified his bond and his contact with children under the age of 19," Gabrial said. "I oppose what the defense is asking for. If anything, his bond should be revoked."
Luebe denied the motion to further modify the bond conditions, but he did not revoke bond.
If Stolcpart is bound over to district court after the preliminary hearing, his earliest Cedar County District Court appearance would come Sept. 13, according to court officials.
After Wednesday's hearing, Temple said he plans to continue his request for changing the bond conditions, including contact with children.
"The bond's contact provision will be left open for another day. We will revisit it at the appropriate time," Temple said, adding he plans to enter a "not guilty" plea to the charges.
Stolcpart remains employed with the Hartington Public Schools, Temple said, but he would not comment further on his client's employment status. Court notes indicate Stolcpart has been suspended with pay.
Superintendent Scott Swisher declined comment Wednesday on Stolcpart's case or employment status.
Stolcpart was arrested last month in Cherry County, Neb., where he lives during the summer, said Cedar County Attorney George Hirschbach.
Hirschbach filed a motion that week in Cedar County Court, asking to be removed from the case. The request was granted, resulting in the appointment of assistant attorneys general Gabrial and James "Herb" Spears as special prosecutors.
The case has resulted in two special prosecutors because one will handle the Stolcpart case and the other will handle the placement of Stolcpart's foster daughter during the court proceedings, Hirschbach said.
The foster daughter will be placed with the Department of Health and Human Services, and a court petition will decide where she will live, Hirschbach said.
The complaint against Stolcpart was filed June 15 in Cedar County Court. The attempted sexual assault allegedly took place during October 2003 while the sexual assaults allegedly took place during January 2004 and April 2004.
In the affidavit for the arrest warrant, Hartington Police Chief Dan Johnson said he received information June 14 from the Cedar County Sheriff's Office of a fax sent to them June 13 from Project Harmony. The Omaha-based organization seeks to provide child-abuse assessment and investigation in a centralized location.
The Project Harmony fax indicated a juvenile female had been the victim of sexual assault and had identified Stolcpart as the perpetrator.
On June 14, Johnson arranged for an interview of the juvenile at the Mercy Medical Child Advocacy Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The victim was transported to the Advocacy Center by Johnson and Officer Wylie Dempcy.
Marj Sanderson, a forensic child interviewer, conducted the interview of the juvenile. The girl disclosed to Sanderson during the videotaped interview, which was observed by Johnson, that she was a foster child in Stolcpart's custody and was residing with him at a Hartington apartment.
On June 15, Hirschbach filed a complaint charging Stolcpart with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor. The complaint was later amended to include the charge of attempted sexual assault of a minor.
Temple said Wednesday his client is looking forward to his day in court and answering the charges. "(Stolcpart) is doing extremely well under the circumstances," the defense attorney said.
Pennsylvania: Foster child drowns... is this neglect?
You can bet your bottom dollar that if it were a natural parent there would be neglect charges pending and the other children would already be driven off to fosterincarceration to deal with their grief alone - but when it happens to a career fosterer its called an unfortunate household accident. -LJM
By SHAWN LEDINGTON
Daily Record/Sunday News
Thursday, July 15, 2004
The state's Department of Welfare is investigating the death of a 2-year-old foster care child who drowned Wednesday in his foster mother's in-ground pool in Shrewsbury. The boy was one of several foster care children in the care of Millie Bull, who has been a foster parent for more than 20 years, said James Rebert, executive director of York County Children and Youth Services. Rebert and police would not release the toddler's name.
Southern Regional Police Officer Charles Stahm said the family was eating lunch when someone realized the toddler was missing. They found him underwater in the back yard pool, which is surrounded by a fence.
Stahm and another Southern Regional Police officer, William Shafer, arrived three minutes after 911 dispatched the call of a boy found in the pool who was having difficulty breathing. When police arrived, the boy was not breathing, Stahm said.
Shafer, who is also an emergency medical technician, took over CPR already begun by the family. The boy was taken to York Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Stahm said the toddler managed to get through a "secure door" to get to the oval-shaped pool.
Rebert said Bull has a good soul and has taken care a lot of foster children over the years without any reported problems.
"It's sad," Rebert said.
Rebert said Wednesday evening that he is concerned the child was left unattended at some point, but said he's confident the death involved no foul play.
He believes it was a home accident, which is bound to happen with 2,000 children in CYS care.
Rebert said he just saw the boy last week when he was in the agency for visitation with his biological parents.
He declined to say how many other foster children are living in the home.
Foster care homes are licensed by the state annually and caseworkers visit the homes monthly.
Since York County Children and Youth works directly with Bull and other foster parents, the agency is not responsible for investigating the drowning, but his staff is working on the case, Rebert said.
Therapists from Children and Youth Services were at the home to help the family cope with the child's drowning.
Stacey Ward, spokeswoman for the Department of Welfare, said the state's first priority is to focus on the family.
The agency will review the facts of what happened as well as try to help everyone handle the emotions of the drowning.
Ward said they will also focus on the staff of Children and Youth Services, who are also affected when a child dies or is injured in their care.
"The county staff are the front line of our foster care system," she said. "Anytime you have something happen to a child in your care, people get very passionate about it."
Bull is divorced and has one of her adult children living with her, said Paul Nichol, a neighbor who has lived in the neighborhood for 26 years.
Don Fortner, who lives next door to Bull, said she kept to herself. She has been a full-time foster mother for at least 10 years, he said.
Whenever the children were outside, she was watching them, Nichol and Fortner both said.
Her yard, driveway and garage is strewn with dozens of toys and playground equipment.
A family member who answered the telephone Wednesday said because there is an investigation the family declines comment.
Some children have been moved among 30, 40, or even more all-too-temporary 'homes.' Some have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused while in the system; some have run away and joined the ranks of the missing. A few have even died at the hands of those entrusted with their care.
This report gives these children something they need -- "a voice". "The truth is that some of these children are no better off in the care of the state than they were in the hands of abusive and negligent parents," Strayhorn said.
"I am appalled at the conditions too many of our foster children must endure," Strayhorn said. "I challenge any defender of the current system's status quo to put their child or their grandchild in some of the places I've seen for one day, much less for a lifetime."
Responsibility for the broken foster care system rests with state government and the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS), now called the Department of Family and Protective Services.
"I saw children on alarming amounts of psychotropic medications and children who have not seen their caseworker in months," she said.
"We must end the current system that has the fox guarding the hen house," Strayhorn said. "We cannot tolerate a system where regulators regulate themselves."
Problems in DPRS include inefficient use of taxpayer dollars, inadequate licensing and contracting standards, ineffective investigations, heavy caseloads and high employee turnover, which prevent the agency from closely watching over the children in their care.
"I saw filthy living conditions, make-shift outhouses, unsanitary food storage, in so-called outdoor camps where children must sleep in sleeping bags - no walls, no fans, no heat - for months and months, and in many cases, year after year. That's not care. That's cruelty. That's not educating. That's endangering," Strayhorn said.
Strayhorn's report uncovers the harsh realities of the current foster care system and makes key recommendations aimed at improving the entire system. She recommends that the state raise the bar on quality, make the foster care system more accountable, ensure the health and safety of all foster care children, and provide a brighter future for foster children.
"It has been said that any society can be judged by how it treats its weakest members. My investigation shows that Texas can and must be judged harshly," Strayhorn said. "Foster care in this state has been studied time and time again; reports are issued, promises are made, and the children continue to suffer. That's unacceptable."
Strayhorn said she planned to monitor changes made, or not made, as a result of this special report and "for the sake of our forgotten children, I will report back to the people of Texas, in six weeks and six months and as long as it takes to fix this broken system and save all of our children."
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