Category Archives: DHR News

New Lawsuit Against Alabama’s DHR by Local Advocacy Group

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New Lawsuit Against Alabama’s DHR by Local Advocacy Group

According to a lawsuit filed back in May of 2021, a loophole in DHR’s foster care system has a record of allowing a disproportionate number of foster children with mental disabilities to remain in psychiatric treatment facilities so long, they often “age out of the system.” This means mentally unstable kids as young as 19 suffer higher instances of homelessness, incarceration, and/or admittance to adult psychiatric facilities. In addition, according to statistics on the mental and behavioral effects of growing up without a permanent home and family, foster children are more likely to exhibit mental and behavioral instability resembling that of PTSD and stress-induced schizophrenia in the first place. For this reason, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program and the Southern Poverty Law Center have filed this suit against the DHR because this is a violation of Federal Law.

They’re represented by none other than Attorney Tommy James, famous for his representation of multiple open cases of child abuse victims in Alabama, who says these draconian practices are well-known to local and state government authorities who should have made this a priority, rather than waiting for a lawsuit to force their hand. But, unfortunately, such is the case in this current lawsuit, whereby these children with mental and behavioral problems have been neglected, beaten, and forced to live in the squalor conditions of these facilities to get the $315 per child offered by the state in exchange for their “care.”

This is a perfect example of why Robert and Kathleen Raskin continue to follow such cases, which are systemic and ongoing, and often unreported on national news. Follow us for more insights into this ongoing problem and learn what you can do to fight this corruption where you live.

 

For more information on this lawsuit, here’s a link to a local news report: https://www.wtvy.com/2021/05/24/advocacy-group-suing-alabama-dhr-alleges-children-are-being-stuck-in-mental-health-facilities/

Another Shining Example of Alabama’s Failed DHR

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Another Shining Example of Alabama’s Failed DHR

While Rob and Kathey Raskin are ongoing advocates in the fight for rooting out DHR corruption in the cases of foster home scams, the systemic issue of DHR incompetence and abuse runs deeper than this. Alabama is notorious for its various examples of incompetence and dereliction of duty when it comes to upholding its oath to protect the children of its state. In this article, we see yet another lawsuit that names specific officers of DHR as directly responsible for the death of eight-year-old Lebrawn Rankin back in 2018.

According to Attorney Tommy James, a multitude of complaints from the boy’s school and neighbors indicated that he was emaciated, wore dirty diapers, and had cockroaches crawling out of his clothes. This triggered an investigation by the DHR, who are responsible for following up on all child welfare cases at the state level, foster care or not. The investigation led to the child continuing to stay with his mother, now indicted for the child’s death less than two weeks after the visit.

While DHR said there was nothing out of the ordinary, the police investigation found the boy’s lifeless body in a dilapidated apartment that stunk of urine and feces, some of which was smeared on the wall. The mother’s indictment, while perplexing and counterintuitive, especially given the fact that she’s the boy’s natural mother, gives way to the sheer disbelief in the failure of legally bound, duly authorized representatives of the state to follow through on their investigations, whether out of the goodness of their heart or not. At the very least, this is how they pay their bills.

If the DHR cares so little about the welfare of its children across the board, whether foster or otherwise, it follows that each member will be subject to criminal and civil investigational and consequences until the nature of the problem is finally revealed. Unless and until that day comes, you can count on the dedication of Robert and Kathleen Raskin to follow up on these cases. Stay tuned for more stories like this and more ways to learn your rights to fight this problem in your state.

Whether you or someone you know, or have seen, or even have the remotest suspicion about, contact the Raskins to learn the quickest and most effective way to take action. These children need all the help they can get.

For more info about this case, click here.

https://www.al.com/news/2021/08/alabama-dhr-failed-disabled-starved-8-year-old-who-died-in-2018-attorney-says-children-are-dying-needlessly.html

Yet Another Failure by Alabama’s DHR

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Yet Another Failure by Alabama’s DHR

Once again, Robert and Kathleen Raskin bring another tragic scandal to light, again from Alabama. This time, their DHR (Department of Human Resources) has failed to prevent the death of a two-year-old boy.

According to WBRC in Birmingham, Attorney Tommy James, famous for representing the victims of the ongoing Spurgeon abuse scandal, also represents the estate of two-year-old Demetric Hampton, Jr., who died in 2020.

A grand jury indicted his father, Demetric Hampton, Sr., on capital murder and aggravated child abuse charges. This is the result of a 911 call that led deputies to the house over the boy not breathing, to which the parents claimed the boy choked on food. Injuries indicate otherwise.

The role played by DHR:

A prior arrest of Demetric Hampton, Sr, and his wife, the boy’s stepmom, for child endangerment caused DHR to remove the boy from their custody pending an investigation. Not a month later, the boy was found dead of his injuries. Needless to say, the situation at home was deemed not bad enough to keep the boy from his “loving parents.” This is a direct violation of DHR policy. If anyone was unclear why this was the policy, the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

According to Attorney Tommy James, in previous cases like this, “the state wastes taxpayer dollars to hire private attorneys to help fight DHR cases.” However, according to WBRC news, Attorney James has reportedly followed by saying, “the governor and the attorney general should instead get to the bottom of these cases to prevent deaths in the future.”

As always, stay tuned to Rob and Kathleen’s blog to get the latest scoop on any cases in the nation that represent the failure of the DHR to do what we pay them to do: protect our children!

For more info, click here: https://www.wbrc.com/2021/04/30/lawsuit-filed-against-dhr-year-olds-death/

Alabama DHR Child Abuse Records Suddenly Harder to Access

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Alabama DHR Child Abuse Records Suddenly Harder to Access

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Robert and Kathleen Raskin, we tirelessly investigate cases of DHR Corruption. As the DHR, Department of Human Resources, is the state agency that oversees child protective services, it follows that they are the first line of defense against child abuse and negligence. Here is an update on the most famous case.

According to WAFF news on channel 48 in Huntsville, the DHR changed a 21-year-old law making it more difficult to access child abuse records. Where the law previously stated that the records “shall be shared,” it now says the records “may be shared.”

This came to light when Attorney Tommy James, famous for representing the victims in the Spurgeon foster children abuse case, said that this happened two weeks after a Lauderdale County circuit judge required DHR to share abuse records with him. If this case is unfamiliar to you, the husband and wife foster parents, Daniel and Janice Spurgeon, were charged with over 700 counts of child abuse and neglect, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and torture.

According to Attorney James’ research and subsequent lawsuit, “the DHR and its employees did not properly investigate numerous claims of abuse made against the Spurgeons.” Daniel Spurgeon already pleaded guilty and is currently serving a 25-year sentence for child rape and abuse. His wife Janice is awaiting a trial as of November.

Meanwhile, Attorney James is seeking damages of $175M, $25M per each of the seven victims, from the DHR for ignoring red flags, including not noticing the family left the state without notifying them several years earlier. The sudden resistance to sharing evidence crucial to the lawsuit is no surprise. Clearly, they’re about to lose more than a lot of money.

As always, you can count on Rob and Kathleen Raskins to fight tirelessly to bring this breach of justice and violation of the public trust to light.

For more info, click here: https://www.waff.com/2021/10/06/attorney-says-rule-change-will-cover-up-dhr-failures-make-accessing-child-abuse-records-harder/

DHR Corruption: A Global Pandemic

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DHR Corruption: A Global Pandemic

While Robert and Kathleen Raskin continue to champion the cause of fighting the unfair treatment of children and caregivers by the DHR (Department of Human Resources), it’s an uphill battle. Unfortunately, most people are disconnected from the problem until it affects them personally. If you don’t want to live in a world where your children could be harmed, molested, or even killed, then step one is to realize that no one is exempt from this problem.

According to the research done by U4, the Anti-Corruption Resource Center based in Norway, DHR corruption is defined as favoritism, nepotism, and abuse of power. DHR corruption is systemic and follows the pattern of any other form of governmental corruption. The old saying, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” applies here. Inevitably, it boils down to politics and recruiting allies, rather than focusing on the spirit of the task at hand, which means the literal welfare and well-being of children.

The proposed solution: “…merit-based HR and recruitment policies, transparent pay packages and internal controls… and whistle-blowing mechanisms.” This means DHR needs additional oversight to ensure the rights and protections of the children are the primary focus. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, considering the nature of the problem is how to control any person or group once they have the power of the law on their side. In short, who shall “bell the cat?”

As Rob and Kathleen Raskin have pointed out so many times before, we need a watchdog agency committed to holding the DHR accountable. Its focus: the welfare and protection of the children above all else. Such an agency would need the authority to audit and review the system, processes, and complaints by children and caregivers, regardless of their age, social status, or connection to the problem.

Remember: this could happen to you.

More Information about global DHR Corruption: https://knowledgehub.transparency.org/assets/uploads/sites/670/helpdesk/Corruption_and_anti-corruption_practices_in_human_resource_management_in_the_public_sector_2015.pdf

When Will It Stop: More Deaths in Monitored Homes

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Maine has become a hotbed for children killed in homes in the past 12 years. These were cases where child welfare officials were previously made aware of where children were subjected to abuse or neglect, sometimes for years. Not only that, but an additional 34 deaths were ruled accidental or of natural causes in the same type of environment. The State of Maine is doing a great disservice to their citizens by not following up on these sorts of issues. We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we’re here to shed light on this gross miscarriage of justice against children in this state.

More About the Fallout

Dr. Stephen Meister claims that “changing behavior and identifying the families that have multiple risk factors, which dramatically increases the likelihood of death, accidental or otherwise. So, death may not be the result of abuse, but can be linked to an increased number of hazards.” He is an Augusta pediatrician and member of the state’s Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel. In the latest report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families, Maine did not submit data about the deaths of children. This report was from 2017 and would’ve included child fatalities and the rate of fatality per 100,000 children. But nobody knows what’s happening up there.

We Demand Answers

As is the case with most child welfare agencies in America, the Office of Child and Family Services is rotten. There’s high staff turnover at the caseworker level. Workers are responsible for too many cases, far beyond what anyone can manage in a regular office position. There are zero incentives to stay where they’re at which is sad about how things are there.

Furthermore, they’re bogged down by a paperwork system that’s entirely burdensome and needs desperate modernization. The department can’t seem to hang onto administrators either, which has led to a leadership vacuum. It’s a thankless career and an overburdened system that helps no one. We call upon the State of Maine to stand up and do something about it.

News Center Maine tells us that the State is making headway on upgrading their ancient system below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjQUNHfELX0

Are Stricter Rules Any Better? A Study of New York’s Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

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They do things differently on the East Coast, as evidenced by this act. We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we were intrigued by what we found during our investigations. When accused parents get slapped with charges of child neglect or abuse in the state of New York, they face an investigation by child protective workers. This approach leads to their case heard in family court and the possibility of having their children removed from their care. You’d think, okay, that sounds about right. That’s the job of social services.

However, the process can take months of home visits, disrupting the stability of a child’s life. Their parents may be required to comply with various recommendations about and for social services. The goal – of course – is to make sure that children feel safe in their homes. The glaring problem for us is that once a case of child neglect is in the system, their parents are on the state registry for an egregiously long time, even if their case was heard and dismissed by a family court judge.

How Much is Too Much?

The Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment is easy to get on. But it’s challenging to get off. Not only that, it can restrict parents’ employment opportunities for up to 28 years. That’s not normal. Imagine being 12 years old and a case opened on your family when it was a misunderstanding. You’ll be 40 years old – long past the age of majority – and your parents may be struggling financially due to their lack of steady work.

They can’t work with people in vulnerable situations, such as jobs in daycares, as a substance abuse counselor, and as a home health aide. These are positions that are on the upswing but can’t seem to find enough good people. Imagine being told that you couldn’t continue with the career that you built because of this constraining law. That’s not fair at all. The current methods in place are something to examine with a deeper lens.

Neglect Means Different Things to Different People

If you’re suffering under this law, then you’re probably doing the math in your head. You can indeed be on the registry longer than you would a felony in the state of New York.

This short video tells how kids end up in foster care in New York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmsrLNq9ogk

Child Deaths Stack in Oregon Foster Care

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Child Death Justice

We – Robert and Kathey Raskin – believe in enforcing the laws already on the books. They’re right, and they do what they’re supposed to do. In Oregon, the law requires child welfare officials to promptly review the deaths of children killed by abuse or neglect in the year before they died. The bill was supposed to provide oversight for the overworked caseworkers, helping them identify any missteps that may have occurred before the death of the child. From there, solutions would be provided to fix what wrong so that they don’t happen again.

Failure to Follow the Law

The local press has reported and showed that the Department of Human Services failed to meet existing deadlines to follow the law to the letter. By sheer incompetence, they knowingly and gradually told the public less about the department’s preemptive actions, if at all. The blatant lack of respect for the law is nonsense. What is going on in Oregon that we can’t protect children? The department’s backlog of unreported child deaths stretches as far back as 2017.

A seven-month-old infant died after being thrown from a car that veered off Interstate 84 near Boardman, Oregon, court documents say. The department – who was familiar with this family – barely launched a review nine days after police concluded the driver was drunk. This bureaucratic approach helps no one, and a more mindful approach about the family’s situation brought an unnecessary death.

Failing the Children

Of 14 categories related to child welfare, a Child and Family Services Review shows Oregon DHS failed unconditionally. We know that is patently absurd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-NElGy_960

No System in Place to Track Foster Care Complaints in West Virginia

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The West Virginia State Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) has plans to begin soliciting applications for the state foster care ombudsman position. The incumbent’s duties include tracking foster families’ complaints about agencies they deal with here. These organizations include social service agencies, public agencies, including DHHR itself, and managed care organizations. So, the question that we – Robert and Kathleen Raskin – are asking is why wasn’t there something already in place?

There are about 7,000 kids in state custody. How were their complaints handled before? How many have fallen to the wayside because of a lack of government oversight? It’s this lackadaisical approach to caring for simple human needs has us downright fuming. People must take a stand and say something for the people who don’t have a voice. That’s what we’re doing with everything that we do here.

Transitioning to Managed Care

West Virginia lawmakers, during the 2019 legislative session, added this position as part of a bill assisting foster children to managed care. The system in place means the state pays third-party managed care organizations to not only improve the quality of health care but also reduce Medicaid costs. However, if you look at some of our previous entries, these third-party organizations need to be paid. And who pays them? The state, with your tax dollars.

At least with the new ombudsman position, people will be able to air their grievances about what’s going on. It’s tangible and trackable, and trends can be identified to focus on closely. However, this only one drop in the bucket. The entire system must be overhauled to accommodate the issues that are plaguing West Virginia right now.

Open Your Eyes to the Foster Care Crisis in West Virginia

There’s an emergency going on in your backyard. We charge the state of West Virginia to take control of the situation and protect its citizens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s031UhcohUo

The Types of CPS Reports and Understanding Your Situation

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If you’ve found yourself at this blog, the chances are that you are involved in allegations against you from CPS or another like entity in your location. As a parent, you may not experience anything more heart-wrenching than to have your children taken from you without due process. You’d be surprised about how much that these types of cases have in common. There are typically three types of CPS reports, and knowing your situation could help you understand what courses of action to take in order to improve the outcome.

Child Neglect or Abuse

Not all CPS reports are unfounded. There are people out there who abuse unlawful substances and/or intentionally hurt, abuse, or molest their children. Child Protective Services is called because of bruises beyond what normal children naturally occur or because of evidence of malnutrition. These instances are what CPS should be trying to stop. However, if you’re doing your research on this specific topic, it’s unlikely that you abuse your children and are probably finding an overwhelming amount of corruption in the system because of money and greed. It’s more pertinent to the topic at hand to discuss the other two types of situations.

Being Victimized by a Personal Vendetta

It’s not uncommon for individuals to use children in order to get back at someone for real or perceived injustices against them. CPS is then used as a weapon in order to exact their own personal brand of revenge. Why a parent would exploit their kids in this way is beyond me, but I have witnessed it first-hand.

Imagine an ex-spouse is only granted custody of their child on weekends because they’re unemployed and the other parent is more well-equipped to be a provider. Let’s also say that on one such weekend, that individual takes their child and promptly files a restraining order against the custodial parent, claiming that they’re physically abusive. In this particular case, the court granted the restraining order, did not send the child back to the custodial parent, and began a lengthy court case based on zero evidence, costing the first parent an exorbitant amount of lawyer fees, etc. This all happened out of the spite of the first individual. Lengthy court battles can be costly, and for families that can’t afford legal fees, such circumstances can be simply detrimental, especially to the well-being of the child.

Flat-Out Corruption in the System

Because of the loopholes in the “Adoption and Safe Families Act” (1974), it’s not uncommon for some social workers to be motivated by financial incentives to make allegations against families. They, along with the corrupt judges on their side, receive financial kickbacks for every child that is adopted out of foster care, so the more children that are put into the system, the more money they receive. This flaw in the system is what Nancy Schaefer spent her political career trying to fight, and it’s what unjustly victimizes many families across the country.

With this type of case, you may find that a social worker is being overzealous about normal parenting struggles and blowing circumstances out of proportion in order to make you look bad. Last year, CPS in Florida took an eleven-year-old from his parents because he was playing outside, waiting for his parents to come home since he had forgotten his house key. He was alone for only 90 minutes, but the parents were arrested for negligence despite there being no minimum age for supervision to be required and had to be subjected to parenting classes, forced to pay for day care, and to admit they were wrong for letting their child play outside. Let’s also note that the boy was in the yard within view of the home.

Battling corruption in the system is even more difficult than proving that you’re being victimized by someone’s personal vendetta. That’s why it’s important to continue to raise awareness about the problems in the system.