DCF Strikes Again

[jilly]

How many more children will suffer under the hands of this agency?  It doesn't matter where you live, this agency is broken and there needs to be some housecleaning (think Jesus in the temple).  Stories like this just make my blood boil.
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Mom charged with 4-year-old's murder
Florida authorities had been warned of motel room conditions
Thursday, December 16, 2004 Posted: 7:20 AM EST (1220 GMT)

 
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Days before a 4-year-old girl died from a blow to the head in a filthy motel room shared with five siblings and her parents, the state child welfare agency was told about her living conditions but declined to investigate, according to documents released Wednesday.

Kai Gadison was found dead Monday after her mother called 911 to report the child wasn't breathing. She died of blunt force trauma to the head, an autopsy report said.

The mother, 27-year-old Kenya Hill, initially was held on charges of child abuse and violation of probation, but was charged Wednesday night with murder.

The other five children were being cared for in a foster home.

Sheriff's deputies found dirty diapers and spoiled food littering the motel room, urine-soaked mattresses and baby bottles containing moldy milk and what may have been maggots.

Hill's probation officer from a 2002 case of alleged child abuse had visited the motel on December 2, noted the conditions and later called a state Department of Children & Families abuse hot line.

The DCF replied that no law "prohibited a person from living in a one-room motel with their six children" and no further investigation was required, according to a Department of Corrections probation violation report.

DCF district administrator Mike Watkins confirmed that the agency received the call but said it "related to a housing concern" and that "no specific maltreatment was alleged."

Department of Corrections spokesman Sterling Ivey questioned why the agency did not act on the call that referred to a woman who previously had been under its supervision for child neglect and was on probation for that case.

Hill and her husband, Nathan Gadison, pleaded no contest in 2002 to charges stemming from his use of a belt to beat at least two children, including the girl who died this week, officials said Tuesday.

The child welfare agency briefly removed the two from the parents' custody but ended its supervision more than a year ago.

A sheriff's spokeswoman has said the husband is not considered a suspect in the child's death and may have been away from the motel at the time.

Gadison served nearly six months in jail in the 2002 case. Hill was sentenced to four months probation.

Meanwhile, the decision by the courts and DCF allowing Hill to regain custody of the children came under scrutiny following remarks by the investigating officer. Orlando police Detective Christopher Newton said his 2002 arrest warrant for Hill and Gadison warned prosecutors that he believed the children faced potentially fatal danger if returned to their mother.

The Florida Department of Children & Families has been under fire for a series of cases in which it lost track of children. In September, officials acknowledged that confidential records for nearly 4,000 abused and neglected children had been available for months on the Internet.

[MYSONSDAD]

There are several cases in our State too. When I read stuff like this, it gives me strenght to fight even harder...

"Children learn what they live"

[StPaulieGirl]

I casually mentioned some cases to the worker who stopped by my house in August.  While she's attempting to grill me about idiotic allegations made by my ex, somewhere a child needed help.

From what I understand, Florida and Washington State have the worst track records.  I thought there was a law against having so many people living in such a small space.  I've noticed that it doesn't apply to undocumented migrant workers, however.  

[backwardsbike]

Would someone please tell me again WHY I don't have custody of my kids?!

What makes me crazy is that here we are, good parents who can't have our children and DCF puts kids in situations like this all the time.

Unbelievable!

[msme]

Before gr8Dad had custody, he called CPS to tell them that the kids had just discribed their mom's drug paraphanalia & the nasty odor it made, he was told that they would investigate. After a few weeks, he called back to find out what they were doing about it & was told that they had dropped the investigation because they were unable to contact her. He told them that she was still living at the same place. They said that she doesn't answer they door when they visit & doesn't call when they leave requests on the door.  No contact, no case.

In their defense, they have noted our file that the pbfh makes frequent frivilous reports & any reports from her should be ignored.

Don't suppose that many folks would want their job.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!