"Santa Clara County's two top juvenile court judges are calling for sweeping reforms of the dependency courts far beyond what a statewide commission is considering, contending the current child welfare system designed to protect children from abuse ' often does more harm than good.' "
"Judges Patrick Tondreau and Katherine Lucero wrote to a commission studying problems in the state's dependency courts to highlight their firsthand view that removing children from their homes following allegations of abuse and neglect 'is not the silver bullet we may have led ourselves to believe.' Tondreau is the county's presiding juvenile court judge; Lucero, the supervising dependency court judge."
I received two comments on the article, both saying basically that it was lip service, where's the beef? Understandable.Anyways, as a side note, a month ago or so I was speaking to someone in the Dept of Family & Children Services about the flak they were getting due to the over representation of latinos in the system. One of the suggestions I gave was that they needed to wake up the community churches and leaders to do everything possible to address the issues that result in DFCS coming into their home and not just leave it to the County. That the parents have NO idea of what could happen once they enter the System. They need to be told that DFCS does NOT want their children but are required to take them by law under certain circumstances. (And then ANYTHING can happen.)
That suggestion seemed to be well received; apparently the main type of public relations they have been involved in is to become a Foster Parent, but no real enlightenment on just how serious it is as above and just what the ramifications could be. I don't know if DFCS is now actually meeting with the community to let them know however.
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For the better part of a year I have tired to gain custody of my great nephew, Bruce. I thought that I had won when a court order was issued giving me, the biological Aunt, the right to take him back to Idaho. The foster Family Ken and Margret Jones filed a grievance with Department of Social Service to stop his movement. According to Malaika Mukuyoma (California Case worker), she had no idea what to do or how to proceed. Instead of following through with the court order issued December 13,2007 by Commissioner McCarthy,Malaika chose to ignore it and see what the office of DCS decided to do.
Since when did foster parents gain more rights than birth families, and since when did DCS have right to play with families hearts and souls as if they have no cares in the world.Since when did DCS become a place for childless couples to gain free adoption of our children that have a loving biological family willing able and ready to raise them.This week a judge in Santa Clara County gave perfect strangers custody of an infant when there were blood relatives, approved by both states, that were willing to take him in and provide him with an extended, and happy family of people to whom he was related. The State of California has stolen a member of my family; going against the wishes of his parents. Please help me bring him home, I don’t know where else to turn. The legal system has failed me, and I have spent my savings fighting for him.
My Contact information is 208-735-1297 Mona Weeks
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