Parents, grandparents ask why children removed from homes
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Topeka. About a dozen parents and grandparents appealed directly to state legislators Monday for answers about why the state removed children from their homes, denied adoptions and even placed them in foster homes instead of with grandparents.
Lawmakers gave no clear answer. Parents said they are confused about how to appeal or if it is possible. They turned to their legislators after they said social services and courts failed them.
The Joint Committee on Children’s issues received written testimony from about a dozen more parents.
Three State Senators, Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D-Wichita), David Haley (D-KCK), and Julia Lynn (R-Olathe) said they have received more complaints in recent years. Committee Chair State Rep Mike Kiegerl (R-Olathe) said he was not only receiving more complaints but the intensity is increasing.
Haley discussed the secrecy in custody cases and expressed frustration about his inability to learn facts in cases brought to him. He wondered if new legislation is needed to give state legislators access to documents about cases to help pass better laws.
One grandfather, Clarence Wonsetler from Topeka, testified he spent $10,000 on legal bills to get his granddaughter back after she had been in eight foster homes. The man said he had been told he and his wife were too old for custodial rights, but his granddaughter was placed in foster care with a woman only a few years younger with medical problems of her own. The man claimed the foster mother smoked, even thought she needed oxygen. While the man has his granddaughter back, he now wants “to bear witness to the atrocities that continue.”
Another case was particularly touching. A young woman, Cecillia Arnold originally from Wichita, told about the abusive relationship she was in, and was victimized again when the state took her children. Rep. Bill Otto (R-LeRoy) said he was stunned the abused mom, who had never broken any law, lost her parental rights.
In this video Sen. Faust-Goudeau talks about how the legislature can address helping parents and grandparents:
Earlier, state Social Services Secretary Don Jordan said his agency receives about 55,000 allegations of abuse of children each year and investigates about 26,000. The agency removes about 3,000 children from homes.
Jordan explained that only about 25 percent of children are placed with relatives, about the national average.
Near the end of Monday’s meeting State Rep. Pete DeGraaf (R-Mulvane) challenged Jordan to try harder to place children with their families instead of in foster homes and ensure they never are placed in known abusers’ homes
At the 2:40 point in the video below, DeGraff says he was not convinced that Jordan personally wanted to return the kids to their families.
Today’s hearing will be about “follow the money” issues and whether the privatization of the outplacement of foster children has sufficient checks and balances.
Posted under Accountability, Federal Government, Kansas Government, Legislature, News, Regulations, Video.
Tags: David Haley, foster care, Julia Lynn, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Kansas SRS, Mike Kiegerl, Oletha Faust-Goudeau, parental rights, Pete DeGraaf, Roger Reitz
25 Comments For This Post So Far
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Compelling stories from parents and grandparents about problems with placement and removal of children KSWATCHDOG « Battered Mothers Rights – A Human Rights Issue
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Compelling stories from parents and grandparents about problems with placement and removal of children KSWATCHDOG « Crisis in the Family Courts; Our Children are at Risk~!
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Compelling stories from parents and grandparents about problems with placement and removal of children KSWATCHDOG « KS-Family Court Reform Coalition
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Compelling stories from parents and grandparents about problems with placement and removal of children KSWATCHDOG « M. Jill Dykes GAL (just another court whore)
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7:24 am on December 2nd, 2009
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Don Jordan Knows about the violations
of law. He has been told many times.
10:19 am on December 2nd, 2009
Thanks, Earl. Great job!
11:58 am on December 2nd, 2009
I would like to thank Earl Glenn for getting this and other stories like it on the web. Kuddos Earl!!! Parents and Grandparents -a lot of them-all over the country would like to know why they have had their children taken off of LIES. But, seem to prect and give these chilldren to known abusers. Thank you again Earl. Also, I want to thank all the Legisltaters for taking a stand for the rights of children and their families. Also,bless you with vs. 5 of the next statement. For those who are harming children on purpose-verse 6 for you. I sincerely hope you change your hearts on this VERY IMPORTANT subject-our children! These are the words of Jeus in Mathew18:5 & 6 “And whoever shall recieve one such child in my name recieves me,” vs. 6 “But whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in my Name , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the sea.”
12:56 pm on December 3rd, 2009
It seems that Don Jordan cannot give a straight answer to the question without going on and on and evading the questions.
7:54 pm on December 4th, 2009
Earl, Thank you for posting this information.
3:01 pm on December 6th, 2009
I wonder if Don Jordan,the Kansas SRS,SG County and the State of Kansas would like to try to explain the case I endured…oh that is right I WON and have 135 pages of uncontroverted District Court evidence (which is almost entirely state and court records) which establishes beyond any doubt that there were constant falsified documents,fraud,and how do they say it…knowing,wrongful acts completed with malice under the color of law by state and court officials.
Isn’t it funny when you prevail no one from the State ever wants to hear from you again. I guess eight years of manifest injustice is not something that they would want to see the light of day!
2:05 pm on December 13th, 2009
When some of the judges, prosecuting attorneys, GAL’s, SRS/CPS and their contractors are asked about children getting raped and sodomized while in their custody and what are they going to do about it, they will not give you an answer.
When the legislators were asked twice, once on Dec.19,2008 and the other Nov.30,2009,they kept avoiding the question. About these rapes and sodomizing of our boys and girls that keeps on continuing. The childrens’ parents and grandparents suffer with these problems, our children suffer the most, because it hurts them.
So ask some of these children it has happened to, about how bad it had hurt them.
Who is going to help these children, without passing the buck and lying?
The system is also removing children illegally from their parents and grandparents with no remorse.
8:51 am on March 11th, 2010
I have been fighting with the State of KS for 3 1/2 years now and Saint Francis Community Services for my Grand Daughter in Thomas County with a bunch of idiots and bold faced liars. While my baby is being tortured and brainwashed, raped, molested. And these co called Catholic youth counselors are getting away with it. They are totally breaking the law and I can’t even see or talk to my Grand Daughter anymore because she tells me things that are happening to her and I call them on it. I have done everything they have asked, all the paperwork, backgroung checks, I quit smoking, I moved out of State so my Daughter would not be around to see my Grand Daughter. Jumped through ridiculous hoops for these people and still do not have my Grand Daughter.