1993-04-12 The real abuse

1993-04-12 Seth Garber National Review \child welfare\Child Welfare Administration\child abuse\Lynne and Bubba Griever http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n7_v45/ai_13699792/ The real abuse: what are the child-welfare agencies doing to stop child abuse? The reverse The real abuse  Mary Jackson is a 40-year-old black woman who has worked for 15 years as a school crossing guard. She has been the primary caretaker of her three grandchildren, aged five, eight, and ten, because her daughter--the children's mother--has spent much of the time on drugs.

When one of the children was taken to the hospital for pneumonia, Mrs. Jackson was charged by the Child Welfare Administration with "medical neglect," and all three children were taken away. Most cases involving allegations of neglect end therewith the children in the custody of the CWA. But Mrs. Jackson fought back. She was not guilty of the charge, and she had evidence to prove it.

Indeed, after her first appearance in court, an extremely unusual thing happened: the court-appointed psychologist recommended that her grandchildren be returned to her. And he publicly disagreed with the child-welfare bureaucracy. He wrote, "In contrast to CWA reports that Ms. Jackson has not provided medical attention to these children, she pulled from her purse detailed copies of medical reports of examinations and vaccinations." These records, dating back to the time of each child's birth, documented every medical visit made and every immunization shot received.

But the child-welfare bureaucracy doesn't give up that easily. They offered Mrs. Jackson a deal: if she pleaded guilty to neglect they would return her grandchildren to her in six months. Her court-appointed lawyer advised her to do so, and she did. (This sort of plea-bargaining is quite common in the child-welfare bureaucracy.)

When the six months were nearly up, the CWA went back on its word and insisted that Mrs. Jackson go for another "psychological evaluation."...

...

When I entered the case, pro bono, I wrote a three-page letter debunking the psychiatrist's evaluation. I was prepared to testify as an expert witness on Mrs. Jackson's behalf. After the CWA read my letter, however, it decided to release the children-not to Mrs. Jackson, but to her daughter, who had just graduated from a drug-rehabilitation program. This was the rare case in which everyone is satisfied: the Jacksons, because their family was reunited; the CWA, because it could resolve the problem without admitting its error.

&ldquo;When one of the children was taken to the hospital for pneumonia, Mrs. Jackson was charged by the Child Welfare Administration with "medical neglect," and all three children were taken away. Most cases involving allegations of neglect end therewith the children in the custody of the CWA. But Mrs. Jackson fought back. She was not guilty of the charge, and she had evidence to prove it.&rdquo;   