Family Rights and Child Abuse News

Report: State took too many children from parents following tragic case

by Patty Pensa

"Foster-care panic" appears to be sweeping much of South Florida, according to a report released Tuesday by a child-welfare organization that tracked the increasing number of children pulled from their homes in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, based near Washington, D.C., faulted the Department of Children & Families in both counties for removing children in cases that don't amount to abuse or neglect. The so-called "panic" -- when caseworkers are overzealous in separating children from their families -- occurs after highly publicized deaths of children under state care, the report said.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

July 19, 2006

Department overpays 6.5m in child benefit

by Paul O'Brien

THE Department of Social and Family Affairs yesterday confirmed it had mistakenly paid out 6.5 million Euros in child benefit to people not entitled to the money.

But the department's director-general, Bernadette Lacey, indicated it was a small sum compared to the overall amount paid out. She rejected recent suggestions in a newspaper that the 6.5m had gone solely to immigrant families.

Irish Examiner (Ireland)

July 19, 2006

Accord Hikes Foster Care Budget

by Nancy Vogel

SACRAMENTO -- Assemblywoman Karen Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat, stood on a Capitol balcony several months ago talking about the plight of foster children, most of whom have been abused or neglected.

The realization that this sentiment existed on both sides of the political aisle led to a big boost in what the state will spend on foster children this year. The rare agreement of Sacramento Democrats and Republicans to increase social services spending makes foster youths one of the few groups to get more money this year than last, an increase of more than $83 million.

Los Angeles Times

July 18, 2006

Tina Marie Carlsen is no different than any one of us.

Tina did what any mother would do if she had concerns about the safety of her baby. She shared her frustrations that she was unable to find advocacy organizations to support her rights to seek alternative care for her child.

She was distraught that she was being cornered to make a decision she could not agree with. She knew she had done the best that could be done by making conscious choices to breastfeed exclusively, to take only organic foods in her diet to make the best breast milk and even during hospitalizations she used glass bottles to feed her baby knowing that the nutrients of the expressed milk would not cling to the bottle. She used cloth diapers to prevent diaper rash and the possibility of infection. She made all of the appointments that were assigned to Riley to check his blood work for the possibility of a failing kidney. She had been reassured by the medical community that these measures would be adequate to prevent something life threatening from going undetected. Riley had not had even a runny nose, cold, fever or an episode of diarrhea while in her care.

Help Baby Riley

July 14, 2006

Accomac teen, family await ruling on cancer treatment

by Elizabeth Simpson

ACCOMAC - A 16-year-old boy with Hodgkin's disease who is fighting for his life and his right to an alternative treatment wrapped up a two-day hearing Tuesday but will have to wait to find out whether he can continue his current medical regimen.

Judge Jesse E. Demps of Accomack County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court spent two hours Monday and nine hours Tuesday hearing testimony in the case of Abraham Cherrix and said he would deliver a written decision next week. The Chincoteague boy and his parents have been fighting in court to continue his treatment, despite a request from the Accomack County Department of Social Services that Abraham be forced to return to more conventional therapies.

The Virginian-Pilot

July 13, 2006