Better Here Than San Francisco

Last year, Santa Clara's Child Protective Services placed 52% of the children that had been removed from their home back with the family or relatives. This reportedly is an improvement. As a comparison, San Francisco has a 13% placement of children back to the family or relative. Glad I am working in Santa Clara and not San Francisco. Someone better get to work up there.

Additionally, efforts are being made by the Santa Clara Dept of Family & Children Services to institute a meeting with concerned family members to resolve placement issues with children after they are removed but before it gets into the court system where the parent and children pretty much have no say in the matter and it becomes very adversarial with Public Defenders, Social Workers, County Counsel, Judges, parents,, families all involved in making decisions without every really spending adequate time to fully observe the situation and dynamics of the family and children concerned. The bad news is apparently the Social Workers' Union is bucking this as it would supposedly make more work for the Social Workers so they want more Social Workers hired and paid more or something. I think the welfare of the children and the families are more important than being overworked and one's pocketbook.

Rumor has it that the San Jose Mercury News has a series of articles coming out this month on how the Public Defender's Office is not doing such a hot job in defending the rights of parents in CPS cases. I hear that there are going to be some changes there meanwhile. Did you know that in Hawaii, there are no Public Defenders in these CPS cases? Community Members stand in and protect the rights of the children and families which I think is pretty cool.

You've probably seen the stories on Britney Spears and her unfortunate situation. She has quite a battle personally and with the System now to get herself and her family put back together. As she was also involuntarily committed, it wouldn't surprise me if she is put on psychotropic drugs - although it wouldn't be a revelation if she was already on those death drugs. Whomever had been 'treating' her obviously has done a criminally disgusting job on helping her.