Tag Archives: Rob M Raskin

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

Practice of Deliberate Indifference: How L.A. County DCFS Failed a Ten-Year-Old

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Anthony Avalos had a long life ahead of him. Notice how we said “had.” Los Angeles County failed this young man as we – Robert and Kathleen Raskin – will show you. Imagine being a child in an abused home in 2014. Imagine your aunt’s family stepping up to fill in the role that your mother couldn’t: potty training, consulting with your teachers in preschool, hearing about how someday you’re going to be a fireman. Imagine that you confided in them that your mother and her boyfriend abusing and neglecting you and your siblings over several years. Imagine the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services not hearing your aunt and uncle’s reports, turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering you endured while you waited for a solution.

Imagine being your aunt, hearing of your torture and death in 2018.

9,000 employees at L.A. County’s DCFS handle 30,000 family and child welfare cases. They claim not to take their commitment lightly, yet there was an interaction recorded on the department’s hotline where a DCFS social worker laughed while describing abuse against Anthony. What has become the standard – as previously reported here – a contracting service is involved. The lawsuit named Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, a Pasadena-based contractor for the DCFS that offers mental health and welfare services.

Not only that, but in 2013, the same company worked with the family of Gabriel Fernandez. He was an 8-year-old Palmdale boy tortured and killed by his mother Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. The red flags were flying for this, because it became his case a symbol of bureaucratic failure and propelled what were meant to be far-reaching reforms within the county’s child welfare system.

Here’s a quick video about the abuse in L.A. County: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCZ04clgWdU

A System in Disarray: The Child Welfare System in Nebraska

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Nebraska seems fine at putting their children at risk. Over ten years ago the state decided to privatize their child welfare services, but – surprise, surprise – the entire system fell apart. It took YEARS to fix what happened while the double-pronged approach also had them cleaning up their image in the public eye. As with children in the system, stability is vital to a successful, persistent, and constantly replenished system. But the goodwill they earned at cleaning up their mess didn’t seem to mean much to the State because now they’re shaking things up again to the detriment to the people they serve. We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we’re here to tell you all about what we’ve learned.

If It Isn’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has selected a new, out-of-state private child welfare provider for Douglas and Sarpy Counties. The current provider, PromiseShip, had high scores for service quality and management. Our research has found that HHS awarded the contract to St. Francis Ministries.

St. Francis’ history in Kansas has drawn ire from Nebraska lawmakers and child advocates. These concerned citizens cite concerns about foster placement stability, case manager workloads, and costs. They bid $196 million over five years, far lower than PromiseShip’s proposal of $341 million. That’s a big red flag to us, because you get what you pay for. Caveat emptor: one of the oldest clichés in the book, yet it always seems to be viable to the situation at hand.

 

The Debate

A spokeswoman for Saint Francis claims the organization “will meet all expectations outlined in our Nebraska contract and conform to all applicable state regulations and laws.”

Former CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Kerry Winterer points out that “changing contractors at this time based only on cost and ignoring PromiseShip’s experience and success in providing these services, not to mention its scoring better on the substantive criteria, is a mistake and puts our children at risk.”

The state has an enormous responsibility to get this right. Child welfare service is complicated, as you know from the reporting that we’ve done over the years. It demands a high level of competence. The potential for corruption is high within the industry and the children lose.

KMTV gives you a rundown on the changes here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzj8bJjo_28

Is This the Right Path? West Virginia to Outsource their Foster Care System for Three Years

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Time for another update on a previously reported location: West Virginia. We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we don’t feel that outsourcing the current system is the right way to go. You can claim to have oversight when you outsource something. But the fact is, you’re not. Not only that you’re taking away jobs from hard-working Americans. It’s because you don’t have the foresight to take a proactive stance, drain the swamp, and protect Americans from 8 weeks to 80 years.

Who Are We Helping Here?

The state Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) recently reported that they’re putting up for bid a three-and-a-half-year contract, beginning January 1, 2020. The estimated value will be nearly $200 million per year. Of course, as with most things, it’s subject to change if additional services need to be integrated into the program. Services provided by NECCO are independent of this contract. DHHR would continue to provide services to the Bureau for Children and Families.

Making Good on Threats

According to the Associated Press, the move is billed to help streamline care for children in state custody and adoptive families. The reason why it’s moving over to a managed care organization is because local lawmakers passed a bill requiring DHHR to transfer children in foster care to an MCO by January 2020. But they only moved forward with this because the Department of Justice threatened to sue the state over possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act within its foster system.

You’re reading this right. They only decided to pursue an MCO because they were being threatened with a lawsuit. Not once did it occur to them to take control and do something about it before it even got to that point. This lethargic approach is why we’re adamant that the problem is within the department, and the department should handle it. Bringing an outside source in is only a Band-Aid. Unless we work to clear out the disease, it’ll come back time and again.

Hear more about the West Virginia Senate Select Committee on Children and Poverty from Executive Director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy Ted Boettner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWVXY1K-THA

Indiana Foster Kids Fight Back: A Pending Class-Action Lawsuit Was Filed Against Indiana Department of Child Services, Governor Holcomb

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We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin, and we’re delighted to learn that the children in Indiana’s child welfare system are fighting back against the apathy that they’re in. We’re proud of these patriots standing up and claiming what’s theirs: a fair and just examination of the fouled-up system that they’re in here. Their allegations stem from their opinion that Indiana is failing in its duty to protect more than 22,000 children in the state’ child welfare system.

We’ve written about the state of affairs that makes up the welfare system for children in Indiana in the past. We always try and follow up on previously reported locations to provide timely updates on what’s happening out there. We’re not a one and done blog. We stay on top of everything that concerns what we see as the lethargy and corruption that plagues the system worldwide. The entirety of the child welfare system deserves a closer look. We reveal what we can here.

Failure to Protect the Kids

The lawsuit alleges that the nine children – unnamed for their privacy – felt that the state put them in inappropriate, unstable, or overly restrictive settings. They represent a class of 22,000 children who are in DCS custody, as well as an ADA subclass of thousands of children with disabilities who are wards. They didn’t receive the necessary support services and medical care. Their medical care, mental health, and physical needs are hampered by irregular DCS assessments and the lack of available resources.

Furthermore, they weren’t given meaningful case management resulting in delayed or no services and little oversight of a child. All these factors – among many others – allowed children to languish in foster care for years. Eventually, they were reunified with their primary caretakers, adopted, or aged out of the system.

Statistics Mean Nothing Without Tangible Results

The Child Welfare Consulting Group criticized the agency’s disorganization in a 2018 audit. The agency claimed to have made changes – too little, too late, we say – including a 17 percent decrease in total cases since January 2018 and a 14 percent decrease in out-of-home placements. They claim staff turnover is down 18 percent, and attorney caseloads are lessened as well. They added 25 positions since January 2019.

But the kids are smart. Their lawsuit points this out by alleging DCS appears to focus more on improving statistics. They still failed to properly investigate allegations, or they would send children home too quickly and without necessary services and aftercare. They demand that Indiana transform its foster care system, including acquiring properly trained caseworkers to meet the needs of foster children.

Here’s more information about the lawsuit below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVao03k2dmM

When Will People Stand Up for the Kids in Arizona?

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There’s a foster bed shortage in Arizona. We’re Robert and Kathey Raskin and we want to tell you more about this alarming development. There aren’t enough cribs for infants either. There are over 21 private agencies operating in central Arizona. While it’s true that foster beds are always in demand, the shortage is more prominent because they’re simply unable to find foster families. There are checks and balances in place. For example, Child Crisis Arizona is one shelter in Mesa that handles the overflow of intakes when the Department of Child Safety can’t locate a foster bed. Yet, there was no room in their facilities to handle the multitude of children coming through the system. Strangely enough, of 200 foster homes that agency gives licenses to, none of them had open beds.

Drop in Applications

Something’s wrong statewide when there’s a significant drop in new foster-home applications. DCS has been offering $200 gift cards to current foster parents who send referrals their way. All they must do is complete foster-care training and get their license. A private agency named HRT offers a $75 bounty for successful referrals. It’s sad that you have to incentivize the life of a child to get people interested.

There are more than 1,200 foster homes with on hold licenses, meaning they’re unable to continue being foster locations. This is offered when families want to take a break, go on an extended vacation, or dealing with other extenuating circumstances that prevent them from being fully committed to their duties. While understandable, DCS should stay aggressive and on top of their game, knowing that lulls in availability are possible. We implore the State of Arizona to take a deeper look at their current system.

Streamline the Process

It’s been said that it typically takes four to six months for prospective foster parents to complete the needed training, background checks, and home inspections. So why wouldn’t they have done their research and realized that the DCS preference for moving older children out of group homes and into foster placements is more than likely what caused the kink in the pipeline? They should have had the foresight to know that when you focus on one area, another becomes lax. We should always account for bumps in the road when it comes to our children. Arizona has let them down.

Arizona is making plans to fix the system but let’s see how far they get. Stop DHR is on the lookout for improvement and once we see results, we’ll tell you more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKjfZAk5SFo