Tag Archives: fight child abuse

When Foster Kids Lash Out

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Being wrenched away from the only family you have ever known and thrust into the care system is often a traumatic experience, and sometimes at-risk children deal with their trauma by getting angry and acting out. Unfortunately for children who have this very natural reaction in the State of California, they are arrested for the act more often than foster kids in other states. We are Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we want to see this issue brought to light so more people are aware of this terrible injustice that is taking place.

 

A Vulnerable Position

Children in foster care are in a vulnerable position. Separated from their families and under the constant threat of repeated abandonment, many develop issues with anger and other emotional problems. When these children have trouble dealing with their emotions, they usually will not receive the professional help they need. Unable to deal with their swirling emotions and their separation trauma, many will strike back with physical violence. In shelters and group homes in California, the result of this is that children as young as eight years old have been arrested.

 

Who Are the Real Criminals Here?

Between the years of 2015 and 2016, nearly 500 children in shelters and group homes were arrested, detained, or received citations. For these children, what already may be one of the most difficult times of their lives is then made even more damaging when they end up in handcuffs, or, worse, in jail. The CPS system that is supposed to be protecting them is not taking steps to make sure children in crisis receive the emotional support and psychiatric services they need, and unfortunately for these children who now have criminal records, it is too late for many.

 

Possible Risks in Adulthood

While many children who spend time in the foster care system grow up fine, there are others who do not fare as well. Kids who are trapped in the system can end up with a stunted sense of empathy as a result of growing up without learning to be empathetic to the well-being of other people. Some people even refer to children who endure multiple placements as “psychopaths in the making” because they are being deprived of the normal bonds they need in order to develop a conscience. Placing children who already have the odds stacked against them at further risk by arresting them and sending them to juvenile correction facilities is completely unacceptable, and we, Robert and Kathey Raskin, aren’t standing for it.

Proposed Bill Would Require CPS to Tape Child Interviews

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One Michigan father blames not being able to play recorded testimony of his young daughters’ psychological examinations for a jury cost him his children, and he is taking steps to prevent future tragedies like this from occurring by fighting to pass a bill that will require electronic recordings of any interviews with young children in the future. This bill’s detractors claim videotaping may retraumatize children, but how is being permanently removed from a parent not also incredibly traumatizing? We are Robert Raskin and Kathleen Raskin, and we are concerned that children are being removed from their families not for safety reasons, but rather due to policies.

 

Cary Flagg’s Story

Mr. Flagg is a 35-year-old father of four daughters, all of whom were removed from his custody after it was alleged during his contentious divorce battle that he had sexually abused two of them. They were removed from the home based upon the testimony of a psychologist who was hired by the state, despite the fact that this deviated from the established protocol that is commonly adhered to in these cases. Although Cary Flagg was never formally charged with any crime, his parental rights were stripped, and this is why he is fighting for changes to the system by insisting that forensic interviews be video recorded.

 

HOUSE BILL 4298

House bill number 4298, if it passes, will require electronic recording of any interviews of children that are requested by department investigators or law enforcement officers that take place at accredited or accreditable child assessment centers. The person who is conducting the interview will be required by law to record it in its entirety, at no point shutting the recording device off. After this, the Department of Child Protective Services will be required to allow access to and to retain these recordings so they can be viewed later on in court or at any other time when documented proof is needed.

 

CPS and Divorce

The sad truth is, CPS is involved in divorce battles all too often, often for the sole reason that an embittered spouse is bent on revenge or obsessed with winning at all costs. Without videotaped evidence, we will never know what was really said during the forensic interviews of Cary Flagg’s daughters, because in court the details quickly devolved into a mess of he said-she said accusations. Although it is too late for Mr. Flagg to do anything about his situation, if this bill passes, it will prevent this from happening again in the future. We, Robert Raskin and Kathleen Raskin, only wish this bill had been passed sooner, but it’s never too late to right the future wrongs of these corrupt organizations.

300 Illegal Children’s Homes Shut Down by the Social Welfare Department

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We are Robert Raskin and Kathey Raskin, and we are committed to raising awareness of child protection issues not only here in this country, but also worldwide, because children everywhere deserve to be protected from government-sponsored corruption and abuse. In India, 300 of the 1,113 registered homes in Tamil Nadu are being shut down because they are not receiving sufficient funding under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme. This is over one-quarter of the homes that were available, leaving a huge number of children displaced by the system that is charged with their care.

 

What is the Integrated Child Protection Scheme

This proposal by the Indian Government’s Ministry of Women and Child Development was enacted to protect children while providing them with a safe environment in which they will be able to flourish and to develop. Many children in India are vulnerable to abuse and are thus at-risk through abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or separation from children. The scheme set out to institutionalize essential services, to create important databases, to strengthen protections at both the family and the government level, and to coordinate with institutions both governmental and private to ensure effective implementation.

 

How the Shutdowns Will Affect At-Risk Children

Prior to the recent shut-downs-the Tamil Nadu welfare department had already closed over 550 unregistered homes. The children who were rescued were sent to other homes that are registered, and many were returned to their parents, leaving their fates uncertain and potentially exposing them to the risk of further abuse. Many of the children who were in care did not have parents, or their parents cannot be located, which creates an extra level of difficulty where their next placements are concerned.

 

What Will Happen in the Future?

The commissioner of the welfare department wants to improve inspections and monitoring of these homes, including providing extra training for staff members. Educational and health facilities will also need extra supervision and monitoring to make sure the children are getting the tools they will need for improved future outcomes. Another task of the organization is to raise awareness of children’s rights, and she has suggested the government train organizations regarding these rights and legislation that will take place in 32 districts. Such an organized effort and a rapid response is admirable, and we, Robert Raskin and Kathey Raskin, wish our own government here at home would act this quickly to protect children here.

Custody Battle? What You Need to Know About DHR Abuse

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When a couple decides to divorce, one of the most underhanded tactics that is sometimes employed is getting child protective agencies involved. Of course if a child is actually being abused the authorities need to be notified, but all too often the truth is the parent has committed no crime, the child is not in any danger, and the parent is simply using the system as a weapon. We are Robert Raskin and Kathleen Raskin, and we want you to know that if your soon-to-be-ex has called DHR to try to get revenge on you or to gain control of the children, these are the facts you’ll need to know. If you are thinking about putting your child through this yourself, consider the fact that you may be the one who is not a fit parent.

 

The Immediate Danger to Your Child

Outside of the perils of an uncertain foster care system, there are other horrors that your child could experience once these agencies are involved in a contentious divorce. They will be cross-examined by investigators and asked to answer traumatic questions about the parents they love. This can border on a full-blown interrogation, and it is not an experience your child will soon forget. In most cases, a physical examination by a doctor, or even a gynecologist in the case of false accusations of sexual abuse, will also be a part of this process.

 

Consider the Potential Outcome for the Child

If the parent who must win at all costs uses CPS or DHR and is successful, that leaves children in a terrible position. Separating a child from a loving parent is wrong and will leave long-lasting damage that they may very well carry over into adulthood and into their own future relationships. In the present, they will suffer depression, anxiety, fear, and anger, and once they are put into foster care or a group home they will also risk abuse. Children who are lost in the system often do not have good outcomes when they transition into adulthood, so you could be setting them up for a life of misery.

 

How This Tactic Can Backfire

There are many cases when child protection agencies were involved that resulted in the children being permanently removed from the family and placed up for adoption. Sure, your ex could end up out of the children’s lives, and thus also out of your own. However, there are consequences to making false reports, and you may also end up out of your children’s lives for good. The court could very well determine that neither of you are fit to parent once they see that you or your former partner are willing to use and abuse a child in this way. This is Robert Raskin and Kathey Raskin, reminding you that these agencies should only be called if you are certain beyond any shadow of a doubt that they are in danger.