Held Hostage By the System

Held Hostage By the System

Brenda Scott reported that “on average, foster parents receive close to $300 per month, tax-free, for
each child” (1994). Of course, the current rate is substantially higher according to one former Berks
County foster mother who requested anonymity, but who spoke with me at length. She reported
having been a foster parent until her husband was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and that she
received $800 per month, tax-free, per child. Many foster parents house multiple children, collecting a
substantial sum of money per month. Scott also stated that “based on all families served nationwide,
the median cost of family preservation is $4500 while the median cost for foster care is $17,500 and
institutional settings can run as high as $100,000 per year” (1994). Again, the current rate is
substantially higher. According to Berks County Child Protection worker, Pat Lowrey, the cost of
placement at Bethany Children’s Home per child is now $600 per day. This is precisely why there is
no financial assistance available to keep families together. It is almost like blackmarketing children,
made legal by our government.

Notwithstanding its manifest dysfunction, the Child Protective Service system is one of great
necessity. No one can dispute there truly are many abused children in our country. Maxwell Fisher is
a perfect example. The problem is that the system is so busy interfering in the lives of innocent
families, they are overlooking the children who do, indeed, need their protection. There is no excuse
for any child “falling through the cracks of an overburdened system” – the system would not be
overburdened if Child Protective Services pursued the actual perpetrators of abuse and allowed the
innocent to live their lives in peace.

Reform is the only way to right the wrongs and protect the children – reform is what America must
fight for. The first logical step in the right direction is to require anonymous reporters to identify
themselves. If their report is a legitimate report, there is no need for anonymity; they are automatically
protected by law. This could easily help weed-out the system abusers, who use it for malicious intent.
The second logical step is to eliminate the “at risk trap” and insist that Child Protective Services show
evidence of child abuse. And finally, the constitutional rights of the parents must be upheld. The Child
Protective Service system is the only arena of the legal system which does not require clear and
convincing evidence as defined by law. For innocent parents and children, this is an enormous
travesty of justice.

Perhaps a more logical way of looking at it would be to consider, for example, society’s reaction to a
product on the market that is being recalled - such as a computer with a defective component that
could ultimately result in a fire; or a vehicle with a faulty mechanical part that could be responsible for
a potential accident. The very first thing on the agenda is to file a class action law suit, the reason
being that mistakes of this magnitude could put the lives of their families and children at risk.
Undoubtedly, that is true. What is happening in the Child Protective Service system is just as
dangerous. These are not defective computer components or faulty mechanical parts destined for the
scrap yard. These are our children - our flesh and blood – destined for the grave. They are being
placed at risk every single day; they are being physically and emotionally abused, molested and
murdered at the hands of Child Protective Services. Perhaps it is time to do a recall on them. This is a
very serious problem and it requires immediate attention. The longer it is ignored and allowed to
continue, the more children are abused, the more children die. If America does not step forward and
fight for the rights of the innocent parents and children, to bring the Child Protective Service system
back to its intended purpose, then the blood of the children is on our hands just as much as it is on
the hands of the government and Child Protective Services.

References

Alexander, M. (22 August 2001). Thirty Years Later, Stanford Prison Experiment Lives
On. Retrieved 06 October 2006 from Stanford Report Web site:

Criminal Negligence. Dictionary.com. WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. Retrieved
15 October 2006 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/criminal negligence

Kelly, D. Baby's Peril Was Known, Kovarie Says. (February 17, 1997). Reading Eagle,
p. 1+.
No author, Kovarie Must Tell Whole Truth. (February 26, 1997). Reading Eagle, p. 6+
.
No author, (No date). How Child Protective Services Works. Retrieved November 01,
2007, from National Coalition for Child Protection Reform Web site:
http://www.nccpr.org/issues/6.html

Roberts, P. (2000). Targeting Parents. Retrieved October 15, 2006, Web site:
http://robtshepherd.tripod.com/parentvictims.html

Scott, B. (1994). Out of Control: Who’s Watching Our Child Protection Agencies?
Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1994.

Wade, J. (May 25, 1995). Retrieved October 06, 2006, from Federal Information
Corporation; Federal News Service Web site:
http://www.ags.uci.edu/~dehill/witchhunt/ccla/pages/wade.htm

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2001/august22/prison2-822.html

Author: Crystal L. Martin