Tag Archives: fight CPS

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.

Kansas Task Force Created to Protect Foster Kids

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The state of Kansas is finally taking steps to protect children in foster care from unscrupulous contractors. We are Kathey Raskin and Robert Raskin, and we are thrilled that this state is finally stepping up to the plate to regulate their own out-of-control services. Senate Bill 126 will require intensified scrutiny of these contractors, who are charged with caring for children who were not receiving the care they needed while they were in state custody. This is just one step of many that need to be taken, but it is a good start and it shows that these problems are being taken more seriously.

 

Bill 126

This bill would produce action plans by January of 2018 based on annual reports that are compiled by a specially appointed task force. This is designed to hold the Kansas DCF accountable for the implementation of new laws, which is much-needed in this state, which currently has record-setting high numbers of children who are in state custody. This situation was brought to light after a tragic recent case in which a child in Wyandotte County was murdered by his stepfather and fed to the child murderer’s hogs.

 

A Big Problem

There have been ongoing issues with the care of approximately 7,000 foster children in the state, and these have intensified in severity and frequency of occurrence over the years. Countless reports have been issued regarding the problems, but too often these end up filed away and sitting on a shelf. This task force will change that, because it will force the DCF to demonstrate that they are applying recent findings and strategies to their broken system and following recommendations that are designed to stop children from being further victimized.

 

Time for Action

The task force will have 18 voting members, and among them will be individuals who work directly with foster children. Non-voting members of the task force will represent Kansas DCF and contractors who provide both adoption services and foster care. Whether the bill is passed or it will really make a difference in the quality of children’s lives still remains to be seen. We are Robert Raskin and Kathey Raskin, and we are hoping these lawmakers will finally do what they should have been doing all along, and that is to protect children and families from this corrupt system.

Beware the Forensic Interviewer

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If you are being investigated by DHR or another child protection agency, you’ll need to be aware of the forensic interview and what it can mean to your case. We are Robert Raskin and Kathey Raskin, and we are dedicated to raising awareness of this process so you can arm yourself with the knowledge you’ll need to protect your family as you navigate the system. Your child will be separated from you for this interview, so the time to get the info you need is before this happens and not after it’s too late.

 

What is Forensic Interviewing?

This interview is crucial, as it will yield the information these organizations need to get the criminal prosecution they are seeking. This will be the first step in your typical investigation, and it is used to determine whether or not a child has been subjected to abuse, neglect, or other harm. The results of this can be used as evidence in court. Although the interviewer is ethically bound to use non-leading techniques and to remain a neutral and non-objective party, if you are not present, you may not be able to ensure that this standard is upheld.

 

One Tragic Case

Forensic psychologist Stuart Greenberg offers a particularly disturbing look at how this system can go wrong. The doctor evaluated over 2,000 people during the course of his 25 years of testifying as an expert in court, and his findings resulted in the removal of many children from loving, caring parents whose only crime was being involved in a divorce or other case where the other party was willing to use the court and child protective systems for revenge. Greenberg’s damning testimony caused a huge amount of damage, and it was later revealed that he was in counseling himself because he was well-aware that he was not able to empathize with his clients.

 

Can the Damage be Repaired?

If you experience a bad evaluation, there is still hope. It took more than three years for the state of Washington’s court system to account for the damage this crooked psychologist caused, and it may never have come to light if it weren’t for one tenacious mother’s refusal to accept his findings. If you feel that you have been the victim of an unscrupulous investigator, document everything and refuse to stop demanding answers until your issues are addressed. There are plenty of people working in this system who have malicious intentions and are not afraid to lie to get the outcome they want. We are Robert and Kathleen Raskin, reminding you not to let them get away with it.