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Law Enforcement Involvement,
Good First Step For DFCS Troubles
Drastic times call for drastic measures. This is a statement we often hear when situations that are beyond comprehension become a reality. Children being killed would certainly fit into the category of both drastic and incomprehensible. When we began to hear reports of children dying, while in state custody, we were all appalled. What we should be just as appalled about is the underlying reports of an agency that was in complete disrepair. Several quick fixes were put into place and we heard the expected "heads will roll" declarations from both politicians and bureaucrats. In reality, none of the suggestions that have been offered thus far have proven to be a solution.
Governor Purdue recently announced that he was putting a DFCS "watchdog" into place. This position was given to someone whose entire career has been based on law enforcement, rather than on sociological perspectives. This may be just what the doctor ordered for this agency. More importantly, it may be just what will keep the doctor from being ordered due to more cases of child cruelty, child molestation and children whose lives are lost while they are supposedly in a safe place with foster car and other placements that were ordered by the state. While this is a great first step to get this agency under control we should not be fooled, as we have been in the past, that this is a cure all for a very ill agency. However, we cannot place blanket blame squarely on the agency for the child deaths that have occurred. DFCS has many talented and professional people in its agency over the years. This includes anyone from caseworkers, to middle management, to executive positions. Many factors can be attributed with this colossal failure including, underpaid workers, lack of training, oversized case loads, and about anything else that you can throw into the heap to cause unpleasant working conditions. But the biggest obstacle that DFCS has faced is the fact that it is impossible to accomplish the goal of keeping children safe when the philosophy being used to do so makes any such goal unattainable.
The DHR (Department of Human Resources) has always, and in most examples should, consider itself an agency of the government that is of a social nature. This way of thinking is perfectly fine as to its duty of food stamp allocation, welfare considerations, housing for the poor, and many other issues that are in fact "social concerns." DHR has always failed to recognize that criminal acts committed towards children are not an issue that should fall under the umbrella of social workers, but should be handled the same as any criminal act that is committed. It should be handled by the law enforcement and judicial systems. Some will argue that this method is already in place due to the fact that in some cases police officers are called to go out with DFCS workers who have been involved in cases where children are mistreated, either physically, mentally, or in situations where basic sustenance does not exist. While this is true, in policy, it is not always true in practice. Some cases are well into the investigative phase, by DFCS workers, before any formal law enforcement presence comes into play. Furthermore, in most circumstances, the decision to call law enforcement into the case is completely to the discretion of the DFCS case agent, or their supervisors. In addition to this, the supervision of homes where abused children have been placed is most often a DFCS function rather than a function of law enforcement.
Governor Purdue's decision to put a law enforcement position at the top of the agency, in a management position, will obviously send a trickle down message that the state will not allow children to be killed; under any circumstance, but especially not while is state custody. While many within the system firmly believe that maintaining the family structure should be the goal of this agency, we must accept the fact that there are cases where this simply is not plausible. When parents abuse children, they should expect swift action by the state that includes measures to protect the children, even if that means the children being separated from the abuser. What structure have we restored when we pass innocent children back into environments that are unsafe and where a record of abuse has been documented. Most often all we have restored is another case of abuse by the same perpetrator toward the same child. Experts tell us that generational abuse begins in situations where the abuse goes unchecked and unpunished. Furthermore, what message do we send to these victims when we place them back in the hands of the abusers, despite who the abuser may be?
Obviously, this new approach will not save every child in our state from victimization. But, it cannot be any worse than the policies that have been used in the past. Let's simply let social workers do what they are trained to do and let police officers do the same. The often, but overused, cliché about "falling through the cracks" is most appropriate concerning this issue. Unfortunately, the children that fall through these cracks often times tumble into a deadly demise.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
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