Where the *@&#! are the social workers?? Where are their brains?

[MoonDust]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-starve28oct28,1,1733001.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

Oversight Blamed in New Jersey Starvation Case

Child welfare workers had reported no red flags in the home of four malnourished boys.

NEW YORK — Officials took swift action Monday on the latest scandal engulfing New Jersey's child welfare agency but conceded that the discovery of four emaciated adoptees in a suburban home revealed monitoring and oversight problems that could not be cured overnight.

Although state caseworkers reportedly visited the victims' home 38 times in the last two years, most recently in June, they reported nothing amiss to their supervisors, officials said. The lead caseworker, whom officials would not identify, has since resigned, and nine other agency employees were fired Monday in a widening investigation.
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How dare they? I have no words.

[Edited for copyright considerations]

[13thChylde]

I heard about this first thing this morning at work and was LIVID, and have been. Heads should roll for this negligence. Words fail me.

[Semele]

The social workers around here are too busy doing hardcore investigations on good parents with a need and a desire for education regarding better parenting skills. I don't know where people get twisted along the way because I am sure they start off with good intentions. My hat is off to the few great social workers left who try their damndest to make a difference in a system desinged to limit them.

[DebLipp]

I'm not saying it's right. I'm glad the social workers were fired. Still, these are people doing very hard work at very low pay. Because of federal and state budget cuts, their caseloads have quadrupled and more. They have to make 4-10 times as many home visits per caseworker as they used to. It is obvious that these caseworkers never actually visited the home, they just dummied up a report.

We'll keep demanding tax cuts and they'll keep taking those cuts by cutting staff at state agencies, and then we'll scream in outrage when the agencies fail to do things that they'd do if only they had the staff.

Poor kids.

[MoonDust]

I’m not slamming social workers. The goddess knows they’re piled on with cases and just can’t sometimes. But you’re telling me you wouldn’t question why an 18year old boy weighs less than 50lbs? That’s what I’m talking about.

My heart goes out to these boys. And I just hope I never ever meet these “parents”… well maybe I do… not I’d better not.

I just can’t wait for karma bites them in the ass. That’s mean I know, but right now I just don’t care.

[DebLipp]

I’m not slamming social workers. The goddess knows they’re piled on with cases and just can’t sometimes. But you’re telling me you wouldn’t question why an 18year old boy weighs less than 50lbs? That’s what I’m talking about.
Like I said, the obvious answer is that they never visited the home. Just wrote it up as if they did. Or rang the doorbell, got no answer, and wrote it up as if they visited because they didn't have the time to go back.

But the parents are the ones who deserve our censure and contempt. They're the monsters here.

[Jenne]

I tend to agree that in general, case workers are strapped and work themselves to the bone. But this is obviously a case of something SOMEwhere going way wrong. I would demand to see medical records proving those boys had eating disorders--I mean a 19 y o male only 4' tall and weighing 50 lbs? No way.

Anyway, it continues to amaze me the crap like this that goes on against kids still. Child advocacy is SUCH an underfunded and underappreciated field. It's time that parents and teachers and any other community leader get involved whenever and however they can.

[Semele]

Like I said, the obvious answer is that they never visited the home. Just wrote it up as if they did. Or rang the doorbell, got no answer, and wrote it up as if they visited because they didn't have the time to go back.

But the parents are the ones who deserve our censure and contempt. They're the monsters here.

I am going to have to slightly disagree here. I don't care how busy your schedule is you don't make up BS reports that many times and get away with it because you are underpayed and overworked. They are responsible for these children's condition just as much as the ones who starved them. It is a socialworker's job to investigate this type of tragedy. They recieve the paycheck directly related to the reports they turn in on this family.They failed these kids. That was a huge freaking crack that they were allowed to slip through and inexcusable in my opinion.

I would like to follow up and see what repremands are actually handed to the agency responsible for saying these children were healthy and well cared for.

[DebLipp]

I am going to have to slightly disagree here. I don't care how busy your schedule is you don't make up BS reports that many times and get away with it because you are underpayed and overworked. They are responsible for these children's condition just as much as the ones who starved them. It is a socialworker's job to investigate this type of tragedy. They recieve the paycheck directly related to the reports they turn in on this family.They failed these kids. That was a huge freaking crack that they were allowed to slip through and inexcusable in my opinion.

I would like to follow up and see what repremands are actually handed to the agency responsible for saying these children were healthy and well cared for.
Well, as I said in my first post, I don't hold the social workers blameless. So far one person has resigned and nine were fired, so I don't think the agency is treating them as blameless. But if we continue to rob the tills of child welfare agencies, I guarantee these things will continue to happen.

[Semele]

Well, as I said in my first post, I don't hold the social workers blameless. So far one person has resigned and nine were fired, so I don't think the agency is treating them as blameless. But if we continue to rob the tills of child welfare agencies, I guarantee these things will continue to happen.
In my opinion they should not only be fired, but their liscense suspended. If a nurse does something neglegent that allows a patient to be harmed they are up for serious review and have the potential to lose the privilage to work again in that capacity. Why should a social worker with a damned master's degree be any different. They should be held respo0nsible and face charges of criminal negligance. Robbed tills or not..it is their robbed morals and ethics that scare me the most.