Kentucky: The Truth Comes Out
This column is a reaction to the recent report in Kentucky about corruption in the child welfare industry. This was published on kentucky.com - I am unable to locate the author’s name. - ljm
Repulsive mess
Social-services scandal needs strong cleaner
Fri, Jan. 19, 2007
Sadistic and criminal aren’t words usually associated with social workers. But they come to mind while reading the results of a yearlong investigation into a Kentucky child-protection bureaucracy that was allowed to go rogue.
Social workers gave each other nicknames like “The Queen of Removal” and “Terminator” and laughed as they stripped children from their parents.
Workers and supervisors lied and falsified documents to cover up their misconduct and misled an accrediting agency. Those who protested or tried to report the abuses were targeted for retaliation, while some of those responsible were rewarded.
Not all, or even most, of the social workers in the eight-county Lincoln Trail area, based in Elizabethtown, are guilty of the abuses of government power detailed by Inspector General Robert J. Benvenuti III.
And such abuses are not confined to Lincoln Trail.
But that’s not much consolation.
It underlines the “luck of the draw” quality of life-changing decisions being made about children and their families. “Kentucky’s Other Lottery” is the apt title of the report by child advocates that launched the Inspector General’s investigation.
The good news is that the scathing review was commissioned by the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers Lincoln Trail and the rest of Kentucky’s community-based services offices.
If the cabinet is willing to air its nasty linen, maybe it will also deal aggressively with the problems the report revealed. A lot of people are watching to see how the cabinet responds.
Kentucky’s social workers expose themselves daily to great danger for little pay while making difficult judgment calls on which the safety and well-being of children hinge.
Social worker Boni Frederick was killed last year while supervising an in-home visit between a foster child and his biological mother.
No one is criticizing the judgment calls required in the course of a day’s work. But what developed within Lincoln Trail was pernicious and rotten — an “attitude of supremacy” toward clients and the public, according to the IG’s report.
The report identified 13 possible criminal violations that were turned over to a local prosecutor, along with various violations of cabinet policy.
The inspector general also issued a list of recommendations, some of which would require legislation and some of which the cabinet could accomplish by itself.
A blue-ribbon task force was already at work on reforms aimed at correcting abuses in the processes for terminating parental rights and adoption.
But no amount of legislation or reorganization can clean out all the rottenness that this investigation exposed.
The responsible parties should be held accountable.
.
This is so true. I’m speaking from experience.
Comment by Cindy — September 18, 2007 @ 11:51 am
i also feel the same way because they mis treated us wrong because we was black.so ask why can cps do us wrong i think rev al sharpton would like to know .so let keep it real
Comment by lewis valentine — January 30, 2008 @ 7:12 am
ALSO CPS MAKE YOU THINK YOU DID WRONG ALL YOU DID WAS BE A GOOD PARENT .BUT DONT WORRY WE WILL GET THEM BY LETTING AMARICA KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO US LET STAND UP.
Comment by lewis valentine — January 31, 2008 @ 7:25 am
you people in Kentucky when Hilary Clinton comes to your state ask her about parental rights tell her about this website.
Comment by Terri — April 26, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
My niece has been in state custody since 2002. My brother fought for full custody of his two daugters in divorce court, but was denied full custody- he was awarded joint custody. Shortly after, his ex-wife neglected and abandoned his children and one ended up with his ex in-laws and the other in state custody. He received a notice in the mail of termination of his rights and has been fighting ever since for the last 5 yrs. He has been through numerous judges, court hearings and caseworkers. His daughter was placed with a couple that is a adoptive home. He has met all of his family plans and spent over $40,000.00 in lawyer fees, and lost several jobs from traveling to Kentucky to meet their demands. He has has passed all hurdles- yet they continue to deny him his daughters! The state of Kentucky has held his daughter’s captive- they have acknowledged their wrong doing over 4 years ago, but are unwilling to relinquish their hold. The adoptive parents are moving toward one goal- and are not helping with communication or reunification. His lawyer has not accomplished anything in the 3 years he has had the case. They threw my brother in jail 3 times to be able to proceed with the TPL. He is now considered a felon because he was charged with non payment of child support- which we proved he had payed and he was released, but is still a “felon” and on probation. They extradited him 3 weeks and across several states with federal inmates and when he shows up to court they released him- claiming they had made a mistake. The last time he was jailed was in 2005.He has passed home studies and CASA recommended he be given custody because the state clearly made mistakes. The games never stop! Today he sees his daughter for a visit for one hour and the foster parents were allowed in the visit!- His little girl called them her “mom and dad.” To begin with the CPS sabatouged the meeting to have him scheduled to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Today there was a court hearing and he was not notified of it! Where does this stop? We have documentation and real evidence to prove all we have stated! We need a lawyer that is willing to fight this corrupt system and have REAL results. The evidence we can produce is overwhelming! This has gone on for over 5 years, does anyone care? Why is this government agency allowed to cause this family so much grief? His other daughter is with the ex in-laws and they have cut off communication- we have asked his lawyer to approach the courts to get her- but he has always wanted to get the youngest out of CPS first!
Comment by Sheila — July 9, 2008 @ 8:44 pm
At this moment in my life I know heart ache like I’ve never known before. I’ve lost both my parents and my only sibling to death… the grief I’m feeling at this time seems to far out weigh what I thought would be the most tragic things to happen in my life time… the loss of a loved one to death. Today i grieve for the loss of my grandchildren, not to death but to a court system. A system that terminated my oldest daughters parental rights based on lies. Lies!
I have stood face to face with a social worker who lied to me. Watched as she lied to the judge.
A year ago when all of this began I asked her why I couldn’t have my grandchildren. Why they couldn’t come live with me. She told me it was because “social services had been called on me.” I have 4 children under the age of 15 and a very angry ex husband. Each time he called they could not substantiate the charges.
This same social worker told me my daughters case had nothing to do with me. ME??? If not for me my grandchildren would not be here! I gave birth to their mother! She shut all of us out. My granddaughter is 8. My youngest son is 9. My children share in my heartache. It’s so unfair!!!
My grand babies suffered from horrible care in the foster care system here in Ky. My granddaughter had Merca (sp?) to the point her second foster parent thought she had polio because of the way she walked! Her brother was covered in sores. Did Child Protective Services (CPS) ever compare the medical care my daughter provided for her children to the care they provided for them?
I can’t help but feel this case became a personal vendetta. At one point I called the CPS worker just to get an update. Find out where things stood etc. She told me it was my daughters case and had nothing to do with me. She would never discuss her case with me again. The next thing I heard was a dial tone. She hung up on me! The next time she came to my house asking questions ‘where is she?’, ‘does she still stay here?’,
‘where does she stay when she isn’t here?’ It had nothing to do with me so I shut the door in her face. The next time I saw her in court she was telling people I slammed the door in her face.
I am so heartbroken. So lost and so are my children and grandchildren…
Comment by Vivian Gallion — August 5, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
To Dothory torres I hopping you are reading this!!!!
The night that I called your office, you may not have relized it was friday and the kids are to be returned on saturday morning, you told me to call the hot lkine they would get in touch with you, before I sent them back that wa why I called some many times.
I took you at your word you are just like the rest of them, I thought you were better then them , you said if I found out what had happened you would take care of it before my kids went back to mom, I had hours, if it were wednesday, or thursday I would have waitting till the next day, CPS let my son be choked by cheasley and did nothing about it.I was told your office was one of the wroste in the state I think that is ture. you people think you are ubove the law, you are not! your S#!T smell just like the rest of us only you have to live with your smell, GOD IS WATCHING YOU maybe after the lies you told on me, and now the lies you are cover up so you dont get in trobble, I am glade I didnt go thru with that eval,that would have just sealed the deal, that was why you got so made that I cought it before you set me up all the way.
san mateo county CPS If I find out your are smell in my drection one time. hell will come down on CPS and I will be ridding his back. you people could not get me on anything so you lied and now you will answer for. when you meet you maker just to let you know he is red and on fire so you know what creature, you were S#!T from
Comment by AaronShinabery — August 5, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
These Judges who believe CPS are just as guility they know that CPS lies in court 150 years ago there was a civil war to end slavery and splitting up families there should be another war like that again to get our children back does anything know what I am trying to say splitting up up families so that they can make a fast buck like they did years ago history repeats itself. these people should be cursed because they do evil they are nothing but the devil.
Comment by Terri Rote — August 14, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
I just want everyone to know what didn’t happen.
NOBODY got fired. Six social workers got paid leave until it was determined that they wouldn’t be fired.
NOBODY at the Cabinet enacted any of the OIG suggestions. It was all for nothing.
Comment by Amy — September 8, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
My 16 year old daughter was taken out of our loving home for 3 months all because my 17 year old son came in after midnight and tried to hit me and then ran away so I took him to the sheriffs office and I went to jail and he went back to where he ran away to. Him and 3 of his loser friends made up lies about me giving them drugs and alcohol so social services took my 16 y/o daughter and never I mean never visited my nice home. I have been a paramedic for 18 years and coached hundreds of kids in little league baseball, football, and basketball for more than 7 years. This is an outrage. They need to be stopped from playing the all mighty with their power.
Comment by Roger Duty — September 29, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
If everyone whose families have been torn asunder by The Cabinet for Children and Families unjustifiably would unite and file a class-action lawsuit against the Cabinet, the guardians at litem, the prosecutors and the judges, something might get done. If nothing else, it would arouse so much national attention in the media, that social pressure might initiate some type of reform. When our child reaches legal age of 18 come February 2009, she plans to file a lawsuit against the abovementioned entities for what was done to her in the so-called “interest of her protection”…Jefferson Family Court judges Patricia Walker FitzGerald and Dolly Berry have such poor discernment it’s surprizing that either woman is able to get her brassiere pointing in the correct direction each morning when getting dressed. Dolly Berry is little more than a blonde bimbo in a black robe…those who have known her from all the way back in middle school will attest to the fact that she is stubborn and inflexible, and that once she makes her mind up about something she’s inclined to remain bullheaded. This type of closemindedness is not the trait of a good judge. She also made what we hope will prove to be a fatal blow to her career as family court judge by denying my spouse and I due process during one of our court dates by allowing our attorney to examine a witness (a licensed clinical social worker) because “this case had already taken up too much time” and she had “a docket full of other cases”. I could go on and on…I wish that here was a way all of the individuals here could contact one another. Reform needs to begin with us forcing those with the power to be held accountable.
Comment by SJBGrossman — October 14, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Addendum to the above: the text above should’ve read “disallowing our attorney to examine a witness…”
Comment by SJBGrossman — October 14, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
SJBG… have you checked the Kentucky page at AFRA? http://www.familyrights.us … you might find contact information there.
Comment by Linda — October 15, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
The corrupt social workers should be put in prison; This is illeagal. Just because they are govt employees they will probably walk away. I am in the process of a federal law suit in KY invovling CPS. Loks like I may be going after it pro say. All people from ky should hit my site up for a petition. I am looking for every avenue to prove corruption to our families. thank you TK http://www.myspace.com/fightcpsnow
Comment by TK — November 18, 2008 @ 9:01 am
I have lost my 4 children to cps. 2 years ago they were taken due to my ex violating his dvo. i had no idea he was even there. I take it he was in the woods but none the less I lost my kids the worker said that It didn’t matter how he got there or if I knew he was there or not I put my kids in harms way. I got a dvo and moved I thought we were safe. I fought the court and cps to the end I jumped throug their hoops every task i completed another was added and it went on like this until they changed the goal to adoption. what I don’t understand is at court I proved that they were lying and making stuff up and the judge didn’t listen to a word anyone but cps said. He went with whatever they said. I continued to fight them The stress and hurt landed me in the hospital I was having a breakdown Losing my kids hurt me so bad they were all I had they were my life. well I was diagnosed with bipolar and put on meds and disability. I continued to fight. I lost my visits and phone calls. but I still fought. I had wrote the ombudsman office the gov. the state rep. the legislature. the pres. I wrote everyone and it only made things worse. these people were blood thirsty. Now my rights have been terminated and in doing so they violated my 6TH AMMEND. RIGHT AS WELL AS A few others. they had a therapist that my son had seen in foster care testify to things he said. hearsay!! but it was allowed. when I tried to enter evidence for my defence it was turned down and thrown out of court. The judge ruled that due to my bipolar and the fact that i am now on disability that i could not care for my kids but if he would have allowed my records to be entered as evidence then he would have known that my dr. said that it was because of losing my kids that caused my problem and that the return of my children would not put them in danger cause i was no threat to my children and i was more than capable of providing them a loving and nurturing home. It costs 5000.00 for an attorney to do the appeal and i tried to do it myself and they told me that i couldnt file pro se i had to have an attorney and of course i argued with them because i know for a fact that you can appeal pro se. anyway they would not let me file so my children are being adopted out. my world is torn apart and I wish i could do more. I miss my babies..
Comment by April — March 24, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
i had a mentel break down 2 years ago 7 counties says i have a mood disorder no d/o nos shows great irritability towards husbend..he has tryed to have me declared crazy through cps need help with cps and divorce..cps is trying to charge me with neglect and abuse husbend reported me to cps they have been on me 1 year..
Comment by stephanie — April 22, 2009 @ 11:17 am
My husbands son was taken from his mother by cps in Kenton county. He was placed in Kinship care under the supervision of his maternal grandmother and was later removed from that home for physical abuse. The attorney for the grandmother summonsed me to court as a witness. A cps investigater threatened me! She told me that if I testified on the behalf of the grandmother that she would see to it that my husband did not get custody of his son. The court date came and when I was asked to state my name the cps worker looked back at the mother of my stepson and giggled like a 8 year old. Low and behold my husband didnt get custody of his son because of a home study that cps had not recieved yet. My husbands attorney called Frankfort and they claimed the homestudy was approved 3 months prior to the court date!
Comment by D. Bailey — May 6, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
We had our son stolen 1-7-09. When taken out of our home, he told them wenches that we have never hurt him. Well they have done nothing but abuse him and hurt him. He has been in 4 foster homes, 1 psych. hospital, 2 respite homes*currently in Respite while they do an investigation as to why when we saw him after 2 weeks he had bruises all over his body!* And might be going to another foster home pending the outcome of the current investigation. Of course we are filing a Motion on this particular incident*won’t be the first Motion I have filed since he has been gone* I have pictures myself of what our son looked like when we saw him and I have a recording of the visit. I also have CPS telling me things they should not of told me and hubby and yes I have reported them for that!
They are so quick to take a child from us, but when it happens in their care they are quick to make up excuses as to why this or that is happening! Already called some news stations to see if they would do a story on the Corruption While a Child is in Foster Care, and will be making more calls while waiting on some to call us,, It would be great if parents from ALL states would get together and FILE LAWSUITS against the ones that are continuing the abuse of families and sit by and so nothing about the crap they create.
Comment by Allie — June 30, 2009 @ 6:48 am
Bonnie Fredericks was killed just 5-7 blocks from my home in Ky. CPS runs rampid destroying families and lives in Western Kentucky because the FBI is located so far away and rarely comes to the area. Even a report to the D.O.J. seems to do no good. PLs all who reads this join me in a class action lawsuit against CPS in KY and also another against DOJ if they do not help you after a report and letter sent in your behalf. http://www.myspace.com/fightcpsnow
Comment by TK — August 24, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
anyone that knows of any protest groups in eastern kentucky. Please let me know..This legal harassment and nazi mentality of cps has to be stopped.
Comment by Deborah Perkins — September 28, 2009 @ 6:59 am