DCF FAILURES

Review: DCF Failed To Protect Blake Rupe

TAVARES, Fla. -- Officials with the Department of Children and Families said on Thursday that case managers took a gamble with a 15-month-old child that may have cost him his life.

"We know we could have done more. We know we have an obligation to do more," DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said.

Even after signs of child abuse in the home, Blake Rupe was allowed to stay with his mother.

Authorities said he died in December of blunt-force trauma. He suffered brain swelling and six broken bones.

Thee-in boyfriend, David Tatara, 27, had been at home with Blake at the time. Records showed she believes he's responsible for the child's death.

Tavares police haven't named any suspects in the case.

"It's a month later and still no arrests, but that doesn't mean we haven't been working," Tavares Police Department Lt. David Myers said.

The homicide happened less than one year after DCF first had contact with the family.

His 21-year-old mother and her boyfriend brought Blake into a Kissimmee hospital when he was just 4 months old. Investigators said his mouth was bleeding and his face was bruised.

"That injury was likely caused by someone forcibly shoving a pacifier or bottle into the child's mouth," Hoeppner said.

The mother voluntarily met with case workers for eight months, but officials said that didn't include Tatara, who repeatedly had a history of alcohol and domestic violence abuse.

During that time, there were more reports of unexplained cuts and bruises.

A review of the case found it took a case manager 10 days to check on the child's injuries. Mandatory reports about the family's stability weren't filed, and the case was closed when the couple moved to Tavares.

"When you look at this case, you can't help but see a series of breakdowns," Hoeppner said.

Blake'ssister, 2, was placed in foster care. Investigators said they found evidence she had been abused, suffering a gash to her head and arm fractures.

The case manager and her supervisor worked for a contracted agency and were terminated.

Great topic Toes that twinkle! Wish I had thought of it....

Abuse, murder case may net foster child $4 million

01/22/11 2:55 PM

A boy who suffered abuse while in San Francisco’s foster care system and whose twin sister was murdered by their guardian is poised to receive $4 million to settle a lawsuit he filed against The City.

In 2008, Antioch foster mother Shameeka Davis was charged by the Contra Costa County district attorney with torturing and murdering her 15-year-old niece Jazzmin Davis and abusing her twin brother.

The children were under the supervision of the San Francisco Department of Child Protective Services. Examinations reportedly showed both had been burned with hot irons and whipped with belts and electrical cords over time. In August 2009, the brother filed a lawsuit against The City.

A $4 million settlement agreement will be introduced Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors for review and approval.

The San Francisco Examiner is not naming the brother because he’s a minor.

The case raised questions about the state of San Francisco’s foster care system. At the time of the incident, Trent Rhorer, executive director of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency, was quoted in the press as saying neither San Francisco nor Contra Costa children’s services received any reports of suspected abuse. A social worker had visited Jazzmin in March 2008 and reportedly found no evidence of abuse. Jazzmin was found dead in September of that year.

“This is not something that goes away,” said Darren Kessler, the plaintiff’s attorney. “This is something that will be with him for the rest of his life.”

Kessler said a “central focus” of the case should be on why the abuse happened in the first place. “There has been a lax attitude toward children in the foster care system.” Kessler said, adding, “Hopefully this outcome will make a difference.”

Here's a case where the social workers and judge ought to be locked up IMO!
http://www.justice4caylee.org/t10372-jo-jade-2-yo-2006-cypress-ca

Here's another one;
http://www.justice4caylee.org/t10386-leland-valdez-3-yo-albuquerque-nm#622770

The actions taken by child welfare workers in Jackson and Ingham
counties failed to protect 7-year-old Ricky Holland, who was murdered by
his parents, according to a report released Friday.Workers from
Child Protective Services and Department of Human Services did not
follow certain laws and policies, contends a report from the Office of
Children's Ombudsman.That also left the remaining children in the Holland household "extremely vulnerable," the report states.To release the findings of her department's investigation, DHS Director Marianne Udow held a news conference Friday."Some
policies were not followed," she said, later adding: "I cannot tell you
if we do everything right, we can prevent every tragedy from
occurring."Lisa Holland, found guilty of first-degree murder in October, has been sentenced to life in prison.Her husband, Tim Holland, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will spend at least 30 years in prison.The
Hollands, who lived in Jackson before moving to Williamston in May
2005, were Ricky's foster parents for about three years before they
adopted him in October 2003.They also adopted Ricky's three siblings and have a biological child. Those children are living with Tim Holland's relatives.Detailed report


The ombudsman's office, established by the state Legislature in 1994,
monitors children's welfare in the state. A detailed but
often-redacted report released Friday morning found:• Child
Protective Services failed to interview all the pertinent people who
could have shed light on complaints of Ricky's abuse.• CPS did not interview Tim Holland during investigations of alleged abuse against some or all of the Holland children.•
A Jackson County DHS adoption worker did not follow policy as the
Hollands went through the adoption process with Ricky. The worker failed
to meet with the Hollands in their home, and the report states there is
no evidence the worker ever met with Tim Holland.

The report's numerous recommendations include:• Increased training for CPS workers.•
Establishing policy that CPS workers must collect and document evidence
that sufficiently discredits a child's claim of abuse/neglect before
discounting that claim.• Developing policy so CPS workers investigate the scenes where abuse/neglect are alleged to have occurred.The
report also asked Ingham County DHS to explain why it did not take
action to protect Ricky's four siblings after becoming aware one of them
suffered injuries more than three months after Ricky was reported
missing and the Hollands were being investigated by police.Children's
Ombudsman Verlie Ruffin said her agency's recommendations are not
binding. But she said the DHS has been "compliant and receptive.""We're
in this field to improve the child-welfare system," she said, adding
her office will follow up on the recommendations, as they do in all
cases, to make sure the system is improved.Investigating employees


Friday also was the first time DHS has issued a public report into any child welfare case, Udow said.Her
department has begun disciplinary investigations of 10 of the 23
employees who worked on the Holland case over five years in both Jackson
and Ingham counties, she said. Nine of the 10 have been reassigned to
positions that have little or no connection to child welfare. Two of the
23 have resigned; one has died.Udow admitted the agency did not do everything it could have in the Holland case.Jackson
County Child Protective Services received four complaints regarding
Ricky, she said, but none resulted in any action. In part, she blamed
Lisa Holland's lies and deceptions."They trusted Lisa Holland's word," she said.One
complaint dealt with marks on Ricky's wrist, which he claimed were from
being tied to his bed. Lisa Holland gave another explanation, Udow
said, and caseworkers erred by only focusing on the cause of the marks -
not the conflicting statements.Udow also described the overwhelming caseloads faced by DHS caseworkers.Annually,
about 1,600 child welfare workers statewide handle more than 70,000
investigations, she said. They also oversee about 18,000 children in
foster care."Our employees have some of the most difficult jobs
imaginable," she said, handling "an overwhelming volume of work, where
vulnerable lives hang in the balance every day."As part of recent reforms, she said the agency has added 51 caseworkers.What went wrong


In July 2005, Tim Holland reported Ricky missing. However, by that
time, the boy already had been killed and dumped in a marshlike field
near Dansville. Tim and Lisa Holland's subsequent court appearances
revealed the torture and abuse inflicted upon Ricky during his life.State
Rep. David Law, R-Commerce Township, has played a key role in trying to
find out what went wrong. On Friday, he said he will seek an unredacted
version of the ombudsman's report.If denied, he plans to hold a closed session of his subcommittee Wednesday, where lawmakers would analyze the unredacted report."We need to see what went wrong and what we can do to fix the problem," Law said."The
quicker the Legislature can act, the quicker we can help children from
being caught up in this quagmire. We have to do what we can to make sure
this doesn't happen again."
Much more on this at: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20061209/NEWS01/612090325/0/LIFE05/Report-System-failed-Ricky-workers-didn-t-always-follow-law?odyssey=nav|head

Here's another one. After being informed by teachers DCF went to the house but decided to believe the mother that the girl was a liar. This despite them having removed the child years earlier but returned her.
Then after that, the Mother removed the child from school and "home-schooled" her which should have had the alarms clanging. Then the mother wouldn't let other relatives see her and they made several complaints to DCF. Never the less DCF were apparently deaf, dumb and blind and poor Jeanette died aged 16 years after the most horrendous torture for months.
http://www.justice4caylee.org/t4275-jeanette-maples-16-yo-2009-eugene-or

New documents detail hardships endured by Florida twins

February 22, 2011 3:13 p.m. EST


Jorge Barahona has been charged with attempted murder of his 10-year-old adopted son.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• New documents in case of adopted Barahona twins reveal life full of hardships
  
• Secretary of the Department of Children and Families requested independent inquiry
  
• Report from 2007: "Nubia is always hungry, and she eats a lot at school"
  
• Nubia was found dead last week in her adoptive dad's truck; brother is still in hospital
  

Miami, Florida (CNN)
-- An independent
panel has been asked to investigate the actions of Florida's child
protection system in the case of 10-year-old twins, one of whom was
found dead in the truck of her adoptive father while the other was
rescued with life-threatening burns.

Documents in the case released to the public Monday paint a
disturbing picture of how the twins suffered hardships, first with their
biological parents and then in foster care with their eventual adoptive
parents.

Jorge Barahona had parked his pest-control truck on the side of a
south Florida interstate on February 14 when a roadside assistance
ranger said he found him and his adopted son ill inside the vehicle,
which was filled with toxic chemicals. The body of his adopted daughter,
Nubia, was discovered in the back of the truck.

Barahona has been charged with attempted first-degree murder with a
weapon and aggravated child abuse with a weapon. He is now in the West
Palm Beach jail. His son remains hospitalized.

"It has been a week since this tragedy became public, and the pain
and shock has not begun to wear off for this department, our partners or
this community," said David Wilkins, secretary of the Department of
Children and Families.

Wilkins, who requested the independent panel, visited the boy over the weekend and said he is optimistic about his recovery.

As the doctors tend to the boy, several investigations have been
opened to find out how and why this happened. The West Palm Beach
Police Department is investigating the death of the little girl. The
twins' adoptive mother, Carmen Barahona, has not been charged in the
case, but police say they are looking into everyone who had access to
the children. Carmen Barahona has declined to comment on the case.

The independent panel's investigation and a criminal investigation have
been opened to look at the role that the Department of Children and
Families played in the Barahonas' long-term dealings with the agency,
Wilkins said.

"The tragic death of Nubia Barahona and the ongoing horrors of what
the Barahona children faced would only be made worse if we as a state
and a department did not learn from this sad case," said Wilkins.

The agency has made public more than 150 pages of documents pertaining to the case.

In 2004, the two toddlers were placed in foster care with the
Barahonas after they were taken away from their biological father. That
man was arrested in a case of sexual battery against a minor, but not
against one of his children, according to the documents. The outcome of
that case was unclear from the documents.

One report brings to light how difficult Nubia's life was from early
on, referring to verbal abuse by her biological mother: "Mom tells
Nubia she hates her and calls her a female canine."

The biological mother, who is not named, lost her parental rights
because of drugs and alcohol, according to an investigative report made
by a Department of Children and Families investigator.

Things didn't get better for the twins in foster care, according to
reports quoting information provided by a nurse, teacher and school
principal.

Among the documents released are reports of abuse and problems in
the Barahona home that a Department of Children and Families
investigator looked into:

Report from December 2004

A nurse raised concerns about Nubia's foster parents to a Department
of Children and Families official. The girl was born with a condition
that needs constant medical attention. Nubia suffered from virilization,
an adrenal gland disorder that results in exaggerated masculine
characteristics, Dr. Walter Lambert with the Department of Children and
Families said at a court hearing last week.

The document says, "Foster parent never goes to the appointment with
the children. She sends them with transportation." It continues: "She
stated that she has a concern for the child if the placement is adoption
because the foster parent would then have the sole responsibility to
care for the child and she does not believe that will happen."

Report from February 2006

The report says, "Nubia, the child, was noticed with a huge bruise
located on her chin and neck area. The injury is about the size of a
tangerine."

When looking into this allegation, the investigator spoke to the
child's kindergarten teacher. The report says, "The child told her that
she fell at home" and the teacher "stated she did not know what to
believe." The teacher also told the investigator that the child
sometimes comes to school "not too clean."

The Barahonas denied any wrongdoing, and Nubia told the investigator
that she fell. Determining that no child abuse was involved, the
investigator closed the case.

Report from March 2007

This report made to the child protection agency alleges: "For the
past five months, Nubia has been smelling and appearing unkempt." It
says her brother also appears unkempt. "There is concern that maybe
she is not eating at home. Nubia is always hungry, and she eats a lot at
school. Nubia is afraid to talk."

The principal, when interviewed by the investigator, said, "On one
occasion, Nubia got apple sauce in her hair, the next day she had apple
sauce still in her hair." The principal adds, "Nubia appears to be
threatened or scared of the foster mother."

The agency's investigator wrote that he found two old discolored
uniform shirts that needed to be thrown away and "Aside from this, the
foster parents appear to be adequately caring for the (children)."

2009

The twins are adopted by the Barahonas. The adoption paperwork has never been made public.

Report from June 9, 2010

Another allegation made to the agency says: "Nubia's hunger has been
uncontrollable, she sneaks and steal food, steals money, has hair loss,
is very thin, unfocused, nervous, and jittery."

It is also alleged that Nubia missed two weeks of school and had an unpleasant odor.

Carmen Barahona was interviewed for the report and said her
daughter's medical problems were to blame. The investigator wrote, "The
parents are ensuring that the children's needs educational, medical, and
physical needs are met."

The guardian ad litem, a volunteer advocate for the children, wrote a
report to the court expressing his concerns with the children being
placed with the Barahonas before they were adopted, according to Sonia
Ferrer, circuit director of the guardian ad litem program.

The report wasn't released in the first batch of documents, but
three letters that the Barahonas wrote to then Gov. Charlie Crist were
made public. The couple wrote the governor about their problems with the
guardian ad litem. They complained about being unfairly portrayed, and
they stated the allegations against them were unfounded.

The intake reports from 2004 to 2010 note that law enforcement was not notified about the allegations.

Over the years, the Miami-Dade Police Department had been called to
the home 16 times, according to Jacqui Colyer, Southern Region director
of the Department of Children and Families. Colyer did not discuss the
content of the calls, but she did say that two of them took place in the
past three years: a 911 hang-up and a call on the day of the incident
from Palm Beach to the Miami-Dade Police Department. "So there weren't a
lot of police call-outs to the home, it was just that over 15 years
they ended up with about 16 call-outs," said Colyer.

Whether Department of Children and Families investigators knew about
those calls or the nature of them will likely be one of many questions
addressed in the independent investigation.

"I am personally
committed to ensuring that we do our best to prevent even one such
tragedy from occurring again," said Wilkins. "We owe it to our citizens.
We owe it to our employees. And we owe it to the Barahona children."

San Francisco to pay $4M to abused foster child

SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco lawmakers have agreed to pay $4 million to a teenage boy who was beaten and starved by his aunt, who is awaiting trial on charges that similar abuse caused the death of the boy's twin sister. The payment approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is designed to settle a lawsuit brought by the boy. He and his late sister were under the supervision of the city's Department of Child Protective Services when they were living as foster children of their aunt, Shemeeka Davis, in Antioch. Davis wasarrested in September 2008 after her 15-year-old niece's death.

Authorities said the girl died of malnutrition exacerbated by long-term physical abuse. The boy's lawyer, Darren Kessler, told The San Francisco Examiner he hoped the case would lead to better monitoring of foster children.

——— Information from: The San Francisco Examiner, http://www.sfexaminer.com

Report: Woman accused of beating foster child with his own belt

Orlando Sentinel

Deidra Harris, 28, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated child abuse with a weapon after Orange County deputies said she abused her adopted child with his own belt, according to a ClickOrlando.com report.

According to the report, the boy's school called police after they noticed "deep purple bruises" all over his body and lacerations on his head.

The Department of Children and Families has investigated Harris twice before for child abuse, according to the report,and now is looking into why Family Services of Metro Orlando placed the child in Harris' home and allowed her to adopt him.

Foster families do some wonderful work in Oregon. But every now and then abusive parents get into the system.
This is the story of a nine-year-old boy, we'll call him Richard. The state only identifies him as RH.
His story shows the state failed to act on a series of reports that he was being abused by the foster parents who adopted him.

Richard was placed at the home of Alona and Roger Hartwig when he was about five.
They lived outside Eugene and were certified to care for up to five children.
A state investigation found four reports of abuse there, before
Richard even arrived. They involved very young kids who were bruised or
who were losing weight.
Richard moved in during 2005 and for two years there were no reports of trouble.
Then, when he was about seven, there were calls to say he didn't have
enough clothes on for the rainy weather -- and that he had to stand for
hours as punishment.
The next year, another call said Richard was made to go days without
food and that he was being beaten down mentally and maybe physically.
It also said he was the only child in the house being home schooled -- an indicator, the state now says, of disparate treatment.
Another report that year said the family had been at a wedding and Richard looked scared to death of his adoptive mother.
Next year, when he was about nine, someone called to say Richard had
weeping sores on his legs -- and that Alona Hartwig had gone on vacation
instead of taking him to the doctor.
The report also said she told other children in the house not to talk
to Richard -- and coached them on answering questions from state
workers.
It's important to know that Richard and other children repeatedly denied any abuse.
Then, last year, he spent more than a month in the hospital with a
fractured pelvis and a burn that had turned septic from a lack of
treatment.
That finally sparked the investigation that led to charges being filed against the Hartwigs.
By law, the state didn't have to investigate what happened to
Richard, because he didn't die. But the abuse was so bad, authorities
decided to find out why it took so long to recognize what was going on.
The investigation revealed several flaws.
For one, case workers should have conducted more interviews. And
those interviews should have been done individually and in a neutral
location -- so the kids would feel free to speak.
The state found that if similar abuse allegations were made nowadays, there would have been more investigation.
The state also found that by 2008 the sheer number of reports should have triggered further inquiry.
Richard still lives in a foster home in Lane County.
Case workers say he is doing well.
Meanwhile, Alona Hartwig pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment.
She was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Roger Hartwig got five years for second-degree assault. A report on
whether the state has made changes as a result of this case, has yet to
be published.
http://news.opb.org/article/71594-well-call-him-richard-story-foster-child-abuse/

Mother Of Abused Twins Behind Bars

Carmen Barahona Charged With Murder

Saturday, March 5, 2011 9:44 pm EST


MIAMI -- Saturday afternoon, Carmen Barahona, 60, was booked into a Miami-Dade County jail.

The adoptive mother is accused of first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated child abuse, and seven counts of neglect.

Special Section: The Barahona Investigation

Her husband, Jorge Barahona, 53, remains in a Palm Beach County jail.

Authorities said on Feb. 14, he was found in a pest control pick-up truck on the side of Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County.

Also in the truck was his severely burned 10-year-old son, Victor Barahona. He'd been burned with an unknown chemical.

In the back of the truck investigators found the body of the boy's twin sister, Nubia Barahona, inside a bag.

Since then, a disturbing story of abuse has put the Florida Department of Children and Families under the microscope.An investigative panel has been appointed to look into the DCF's actions in the twins' case.

Days before the twins were discovered, calls had been made to the Florida Abuse Hotline to report suspected abuse.

The adoptive father, Jorge Barahona, 53, has been charged with aggravated child abuse and attempted murder.

Victor Barahona was released from Jackson Memorial Hospital on Tuesday. He has been placed in a therapeutic foster home.

Miami-Dade police Director James K. Loftus is expected to address the new charges on Monday.
Previous Stories:

• March 3, 2011: Panel Reviews Thousands Of Documents In Barahona Case
  
• March 3, 2011: 2nd Call Reported Suspected Abuse Of Twins
  
• March 2, 2011: Barahona Child Released From Hospital
  
• March 1, 2011: Panel Investigates Abuse Claims In Barahona Case
  
• March 1, 2011: Abuse Hotline Call About Barahona Twins Released
  
• February 26, 2011: Community Comes Together To Honor Nubia Barahona
  
• February 25, 2011: Judge Denies Mother Visit With Whistle-Blower Daughter
  
• February 25, 2011: Case Worker Under Fire After DCF Releases Report
  
• February 24, 2011: Adoptive Parents' Home Searched After Girl's Death
  
• February 22, 2011: Barahona's Daughter Accused Of Hiding Twins' Abuse
  
• February 22, 2011: Independent Panel To Review Barahona Case
  

DHS Criticized In Child Deaths In RV Fire

DHS Accused Of Failing To Save 3 Kids After 5 Welfare Checks
March 8, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The
Department of Human Services was criticized after a report showed that
it had five chances to remove three children from an unstable home
environment before they died in a Del City fire last Jan. 4.

Siblings
Christopher, 4, Crystal, 3, and Kaylee Dunham,1, were killed after
their RV caught fire. The three children were sleeping at the time of
the fire, and police said the mother locked the mobile home and left her
children trapped inside to call for help.

Oklahoma City police said both of the children's parents are facing charges of child neglect.

According to a report released Monday, DHS workers went to the
children's home to investigate reports of domestic violence and drug
abuse five times.

The report states that DHS workers were called in to the home to
investigate concerns of physical abuse, substance abuse, an
inappropriate caretaker, domestic violence and possible sexual abuse to
Crystal Dunham.

The report showed that each of these times, the worker thought it
was safe to leave the children in the home and had not petitioned a
judge to remove the children from the home.

But DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell said not only did the workers
interview parents Stephanie and Christopher Dunham, they also
interviewed the family. Powell said everyone in the family said nothing
was wrong.

"If everyone is lying and covering up, then it's going to be very
difficult to find whether or not (the home is unsafe for the children).
Our main goal is not to determine if someone is taking drugs, but to
find out are these children safe," Powell said.

Powell also said it is much harder to remove a child from a home
than it used to be. Two years ago, the law changed because people were
complaining too many children were in DHS custody.

Now, a police officer needs a court order or the children have to be
in immediate danger before they can be taken into DHS custody, Powell
said.

"We believe we've done everything possible we could do within our authority," Powell said.

Court officials said Stephanie and Christopher Dunham are out of jail on bond.