A Nacogdoches, Texas CPS caseworker, Alvita Johnson, 50, was arrested in 2006 for abusing three foster children in her care. Charges against her included injury to a child and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The children involved were ages 10, 12, and 15 at the time.

Recently she was found guilty of two counts of injury to a child and three counts of aggravated assault. Here’s the sentence:

Sources:
Former CPS employee arrested for alleged abuse by Kyle Peveto, published in the Daily Sentinel on November 22, 2006.
11/01 On the record, published on Friday, October 31, 2008 also in the Daily Sentinel, a Nacogdoches, Texas newspaper.

A ten year old boy in Jacksonville Florida has had his life ruined by a CPS over-reaction to a false allegation. They ripped the boy from his mother, incarcerated him in foster care with foster parent Leticia Rodriguez, and left him to be molested by two teenage boys they’d already been told were abusing children.

The person who made the false allegation went to jail because of it. Unfortunately the Department of Children and Families dragged things out in court and managed to keep the boy away from his mother for four weeks. Time enough for him to be repeatedly abused by the foster parent’s two teenage sons.

Typical CPS social work abuse of children! Even though they KNEW the mother wasn’t guilty they pursued their case to keep a child in foster care and draw on those federal funding streams they love so much.

Does anyone here understand why I’m so angry at legislators for not changing the federal child abuse laws? Don’t legislators realize how many children they are HARMING? I sadly believe they DO know it and don’t bother doing anything to help because of some pressure from higher authorities. Tell me it isn’t so! Tell me American children are more important than that!

The mother intends to sue the state of Florida. I hope a lot of pathetic caseworkers lose their jobs over this, and that the state goes broke if it isn’t already.

Florida DCF spokesman John Harrell wouldn’t talk about the eight year old girl foster child who complained about being molested in that foster home NINE MONTHS before the boy stayed there. In all that time, how many other children have been abused? Quite a few, wouldn’t you think?

Source: Foster Child Sexually Abused in Foster Home by Jackelyn Barnard, published on November 12, 2008 by FirstCoastNews.Com (WJXX and WTLV).

An unidentified Canadian foster parent, age 34, is on trial, accused of second-degree murder. Her three-year-old foster child, a Native American boy, died of a severe head injury sustained on January 26, 2007. The foster parent, a nurse, took the boy to the bathroom in the middle of the night and there he either fell and hit his head during a temper fit, or she hit him. The court must decide which is true.

A forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Bannach, testified that there was a sudden, unexpected blow to the head causing the brain to rotate within the skull, tearing veins and causing a subdural hematoma. He admitted that this could conceivably be caused by a fall rather than by an abusive blow to the head.

Dr. Alex Levin said the boy’s brain seemed to have been subjected to severe repeated trauma. The boy’s body was also covered with severe bruises including on the feet and lower back - places boys don’t usually bruise themselves.

In his opening statement the prosecutor, Mark Huyser-Wierenga, said that children with similar injuries were involved in automobile accidents or falls from three stories up, and that this injury couldn’t have been caused by anything other than child abuse.

Child protection social worker Edele Kaffo said that she saw nothing wrong with the way the child was being cared for by the accused foster parent. Her opinion was based on telephone calls and home visits between December 6, 2006, and January 26, 2007. Apparently the boy was in the home less than two months. He was taken from his poverty-stricken parents who were allegedly accused of instability, domestic violence, and alcoholism.

The foster mother believed the boy had fetal alcohol syndrome and took him to a pediatrician several times. The boy’s doctor, Dr. Kan Lee, testified that she claimed the boy woke up screaming and saying, “Daddy hurt me” and “Daddy bad.” He said that during the first doctor’s office visit the boy had multiple small bruises on his forehead, legs, and back as well as a cut on his thigh. During the second visit there were two new bruises.

Sources:
Blood-flooded brain led to boy’s death by Ben Gelinas, published in the Edmonton Journal.
No concerns about foster mom, case worker tells Edmonton murder trial by Florence Loyie, published in the Edmonton Journal.
Toddler showed signs of disorder: Foster mother complained of outbursts, court told by Karen Kleiss published October 30, 2008 in the Edmonton Journal.
Blow that killed foster boy was sudden, hard, court hears by Karen Kleis, published October 22, 2008 in the Edmonton Journal.
Ex-foster mother pleads not guilty to murder by Jennifer Yang, published October 15, 2008 in the Edmonton Journal.

A foster parent in Detroit, Michigan has been arrested for allegedly molesting two young girls, ages 10 and 12. Robert Carl Davids, 55, may face life in prison for raping the two children who were in his home as foster children.

Their mother lost custody of her five children in 2006 due to a drug raid, but she’s been working on her reunification plan and hopes to get her children back on December 4.

In the meantime she’s been telling Michigan DHS caseworkers that her children were in danger. According to a Detroit News article, she said, “I was making complaints in February 2007 almost every day about the home . . . and I felt no one was taking me seriously.” She thought her daughters were being ‘beaten and sexually assaulted’.

Source: Man charged with abuse of two foster girls” by Oralandar Brand-Williams, published on November 8, 2008 in the Detroit News.

Dawn Robertson of Honk for Kids has lots of work to do in her effort to save children from DCF injustice. Her state, Indiana, has been taking children from their homes far more often than other states. Child detentions in Indiana have risen ten percent while nationwide, detentions dropped four percent since 2004.

In 2007 Indiana’s Department of Child Services (DCS) removed 7712 children from their homes. That was 369 more than in the previous year.

The Associated Press article about the odd statistics quoted Ms. Robertson as saying, “There does not seem to be, with most judges, an independent and unbiased review of all the facts of the cases. It’s very one-sided. DCS’ word is considered gospel.”

The data on Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) child welfare overzealousness was compiled by the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. That’s Richard Wexler’s organization. He pointed out there’s no evidence that children are safer in Indiana and said, “When you are seeing no increase in safety but a huge increase in removals, that means your system is getting worse.”

We who are fighting child welfare insanity in whatever state we’re in should get in the habit of reviewing national child abuse and neglect statistics, as Wexler has done. You’ll never know what there is to find unless you look.

Statistical information:

National Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions

Sources:
Report says state removing more kids from homes by Tim Evans, published on November 8, 2008 in the Indiana Star.
Report says state removing more kids from homes, an AP article published on November 8, 2008 in the Chicago Tribune.

Hannah Overton, 30, the Texas foster parent and Christian homeschooling mother of five convicted to life in prison without parole for the murder of a foster child, is asking for a new trial.

She was convicted in September 2007 because she allegedly forced a four year old, Andrew Burd, to drink a mixture of two cups water, salt, pepper, chili powder and Cajun spices as a punishment. Hannah’s version of this is different. She says the child requested the “Zatarain’s Seasoning” and she put it in water instead of on food because he had an overeating disorder. She says she did not force him to drink it as a punishment. Source: Free Hannah Overton Website.

While many more violent foster parents have gotten off with a mere hand-slap, this young woman was sentenced to life without parole even though she had no intention to kill the child. She reportedly panicked when she saw Andrew wasn’t breathing, and waited an hour and a half to call for medical assistance. This is what the prosecutor said made her responsible for Andrew’s death. Source: Woman Convicted In Foster Child’s Death Seeks New Trial published on November 7, 2008 at KWTX.com.

A commenter at Sarah Walston’s blog article about Hannah Overton said that the actual time Overton waited to take Andrew to the hospital was only five minutes, not an hour and a half.

This case shows that foster parenting is a dangerous occupation. For years now I’ve warned people NOT to get involved with the foster care industry because of the risk of false accusations, and because of things like this where foster children die or are murdered, and there must be accountability.

One foster parent wrote on Sarah Walston’s blog:
“This story TERRIFIES me because I currently have 2 foster children living in my home, and now I’m forced to think ‘What IF this happens to ME?’ This story shows how easily some unfortunate twist of fate, can leave someone wrongfully convicted…”

There is a website created by Overton’s Christian supporters: Free Hannah Overton.

My opinion on this is that she got a much longer sentence than she deserved. Without a doubt, forcing a child to drink hot spices is a form of child abuse, and she deserved some prison time if she actually did that, but to put her away for life without parole is far too much time, especially for a young woman who is unlikely to be a danger to society if set free.

Another blog article, Suffer the Children, gives an opposing view, criticizing the “Free Hannah Overton” movement and pointing to perceived flaws in the thinking and writing of those seeking to help her.

For a picture of Andrew Burd: Corpus Christi Couple Charged in Death.

See also: Hannah Overton convicted of killing foster son.

This case has become a favorite cause for bloggers, especially Christian bloggers:
Hannah Overton :: Pray for Hannan Overton :: Release Hannah Overton :: Free Hannah!!! :: Hannah Overton Alleged Salt Poisoning Case :: Urgent Prayer Request for Hannah Overton :: May God Bless Hannah Overton and Family :: Free Hannah Overton :: Free Hannah Overton.

Other FightCPS articles about Hannah Overton: Texas: Fosterer charged with murdering 4-yr-old boy with hot pepper

Hannah’s aunt posted extensive information on her MySpace blog in which she said part of the conviction relied on a FALSE affidavit filed by a CPS social worker! See: The Wrongful Conviction of Hannah Overton.

What is your opinion? Should Hannah Overton be freed? Should her sentence (life without parole) be exchanged for something less harsh? Or do you think she got what she deserved?

The Hampshire Social Services caseworkers don’t want us to read this story. In fact, they placed an injunction against the Mail Online news site when they found out the story was in the hands of an investigative reporter there. That was two months ago; the Mail pursued a legal fight to get the injunction lifted so that Michael Shergold’s CPS story could be told.

Michael Shergold, 55, is the father of four children - the three he raised and the one he wasn’t aware of until social workers sent him a letter asking him to get in touch. They told him a woman he’d had a brief relationship with had a child which was taken from her on child cruelty charges.

They found the child an adoptive home in 2006 and didn’t bother contacting Michael Shergold until January 2007 even though he’s lived in the same house for the last 11 years and wasn’t hard to find. At first they strung him along, pretending they would evaluate his home as a permanent home for the boy. The evaluations included a series of invasive questioning sessions.

The true reason that Social Services caseworkers contacted Michael Shergold was that they wanted him to donate one of his organs to the boy because the boy’s mother has already refused. Her reason: she wants to have more children!

Last November a judge ruled that Michael Shergold could not have custody because it would be too disruptive to the child. Was it because he had remarried - this time to an American woman of color? Two days later the child was formally adopted out to his foster parents.

Though Michael Sherwood and his other children are not allowed to see this child, the social worker still wants him to agree to donate his body part so the child won’t die.

The statement Social Services made on this matter is jaw dropping:

What kind of NONSENSE is that? This man was robbed of his child under color of law. Those responsible have apparently committed what I consider a treasonous offense against a British citizen. This is shameful and reprehensible. These social workers and the judge(s) that agreed to this injustice should be held liable and punished.

The mother who concealed this child from Michael Shergold was found guilty of child cruelty, but is allowed to see her son even though he’s been adopted. Mr. Shergold, who is guilty of nothing, and who has a long-time steady job, a stable home and marriage, and plenty of successful parenting experience, is not allowed to see his son. He is only allowed that “contribution he could make to his son’s life” meaning an operation to remove one of his vital organs.

Where’s the justice?

Source: ‘You can’t see your son - but can he have one of your organs?’: how social workers left one man with a terrible moral dilemma by Alison Smith Squire, published on November 2, 2008 in the MailOnline.

This is from activists who are planning a CPS/DPSS class action lawsuit against Riverside County and the State of California for kidnapping children without cause:

We are organizing a class action lawsuit against the State of California, and all parties involved in unlawfully detaining and holding our children against our will, and without cause. We have documented the deep, embedded corruption in the “social services” agencies in California, specifically in Riverside County, conspiring with hospitals, schools, pediatricians and the court system to take possession of our children, without cause. We have already filed three lawsuits, and are looking for other families who have also been annihilated by this Evil. For information about the class action lawsuit, email us with your facts and contact information to build a strong case against these Devils. IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN WRONGLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY CPS, EMAIL US AT fightcpscalifornia -at- gmail.com.

These are the reasons you should be part of this lawsuit:

· CPS manufactures multiple nonexistent/fictitious abuse case scenarios to offset true statistical abuse case information.

· CPS concurrently processes these children from foster care to Adoption, in order to obtain perverse monetary incentives in the form of bonuses.

· CPS provides a market to neighboring agencies and the courts (Judges, psychologists, visitation monitors, court mandated behavioral class instructors, court appointed legal counsel, etc…), in order for them to financially benefit from the foster care/adoption system they themselves perpetuate.

· CPS victimizes innocent families, and draws them into a corrupt system to utilize their children as pawns for this corrupt child commerce.

· CPS is utilized by family court officials and attorneys as an adverse tool to extricate children from one parent to the other, with reference to “parental alienation syndrome,” where in truth, the CPS caseworkers are the ones initiating the alienation of these children from their own birth parents. Caseworkers are never allowed to testify in court under the cloak of “CPS Authority” due to possible misuse or conflict of interest related to right to privacy laws (Very convenient)

· CPS utilizes unlawful & coercive measures to persuade vulnerable parents to submit to statements of nonexistent abuse and false “Case Plans,” forcing desperate parents to “plea bargain” to a CPS fabricated crime, for the return of their children from foster care.

· CPS fabricates false allegations and most of their “investigations” to purposely mislead or misdirect a case.

· CPS intentionally fails to Criminally prosecute Parents accused of child abuse, since in the majority of cases, no initial crime has been committed. However, CPS continues to claim a crime has been committed, as THEY abuse/neglect our children.

· CPS knowingly abandons children into the foster care system, conscious that some individuals in these homes physically and/or sexually abuse those in their “protective” custody. CPS ignores crimes committed in foster care through failure to investigate.

· CPS fails to question these individuals for their abusive conduct, whereby, if it were a birth parent or not a foster care parent, these individuals would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in criminal court.

· CPS misrepresents themselves in positive personas by omitting, altering, and falsifying documents, so as to mislead the public and or government of their true actions as listed above. Thereby publicly grandstanding,displaying an inaccurate social martyrdom for the well being of children.

The Police should determine if children need protection from their own parents, since child abuse is a Criminal offense.

We dearly know, from our own personal case, the trauma and distress this thwarted government agency imposes (with no consequence) upon innocent families. In January 2008 the law office of Robert Powell won its appeal to the California 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case set a precedent by finding that CPS social workers are NOT entitled to absolute immunity for investigator conduct - particularly when they fabricate evidence, misrepresent evidence, and withhold exculpatory evidence. IF YOU FEEL THAT ANY OF THIS APPLIES TO YOUR FAMILY, email us at fightcpscalifornia -at- gmail.com. You can make a difference. Now is the time for action.

Note: This is intended for California residents only. Victims in other states can organize their own class action lawsuits.

This is the guestbook for November 2008. You’re welcome to tell us about yourself and why you’re here.

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Child Protective Services social worker, Yolanda Perez Fryson, 41, was arrested on Friday, October 30 on extortion charges. She has also been charged with possession of stolen property.

This CPS employee has been on administrative leave since last June. She decided that the way to make money was to phone a Placer County man to tell him he was being investigated for physical and sexual abuse. She told him that for a fee, she would make the charges go away.

God knows how many others she’s done this to. This particular man decided to inform Yuba County officials and the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. He then met Yolanda Perez Fryson to give her a $10,000 bribe. As soon as her victim gave her the money, she was arrested.

When detectives searched her home they found a badge she’d reported stolen in 2005, and charged her with possession of stolen property on top of the extortion charges.

That’s one more crooked CPS agent hung out to dry.

Who’s next?

Source: Yuba Co. Social Worker Arrested For Extortion published October 31, 2008 by CBS13.Com.