Claudio: Tahoe Victims of CPS need to be heard
Letter to the publisher,
On Dec. 8, four members of Tahoe Victims of CPS spoke at the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting. The Tahoe Victims of CPS asked the council to endorse the Parents Bill of Rights giving better protection to children seized by Child Protective Services (CPS). At the end of the council meeting, under “Announcementsâ€, Councilmen Bill Crawford and Jerry Birdwell spoke in support of Tahoe Victims of CPS and the efforts to reform CPS and the foster care system.
Councilman Crawford spent his career in the school system, mainly with the continuation school, which he helped to create in South Lake Tahoe. His position gave him access to information not readily available to the public about the money in foster care. He cited an example involving two girls from Sacramento sent to live in a group home in South Lake Tahoe. The group home received monthly checks from Sacramento County for $1,800 for the first girl and $2,100 for the second girl.
Both girls were in Councilman Crawford’s class and one day the girls reported they did not have breakfast because there was no food in the house. Councilman Crawford stated that he has never seen a child from a group home come to school in a new winter coat. He observed that foster care parents fit into two categories; older people trying to make up for their shortcomings as parents and those searching for ways to supplement their incomes. Councilman Crawford said, “There is a real problem out there.â€
Councilman Birdwell, a former judge in the state of Texas, mentioned his talks with Superior Court judges in the state of California and found they had the same problems with CPS as the judges in Texas. The problems stem from the turnover of CPS employees, often right out of college with no experience, put in stressful positions where they often “over reacted” to the detriment of the children they were supposed to be protecting. Councilman Birdwell concluded by saying he hopes the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will hear the complaints and do something about the way CPS is handling these children.
Ernie Claudio, co-founder of Tahoe Victims of CPS
My Grandson is currently in “custody” of El Dorado Co. C.P.S. 2 years ago they placed him in a foster home with people who now wish to adopt him.
He was not taken from “Ozzie & Harriet” or “Auschwitz”, but somewhere in the lower middle of that ridiculous spectrum;
at least by my take on todays state of the family. This childs biological father,(my son), has become financialy and physicaly challanged, subsequent to the boy’s birth. But that has in no way dimminished his love or desire to keep his son. I am 71 years old and live on my Social Security in a “senior” mobile park. By special arrangement, my son is able to stay with me through this bad time. Through my years, I have NEVER heard of forced child adoption from challanged biological parents.
I would like to applaud the Government of Haiti for their swift action in jailing that plane load of do-gooders who attemped to steal kids from living parents. Methinks a little “Haitian Justice” is past due for some in Eldorado County
While I agree wholeheartedly that there needs to be significant reform with the CPS, I’d also like to remind everyone that while there are families and children hurt beyond imagination, there are truly abused children who need to be removed.
I have adopted three children. Their stories of starvation, molestation, domestic violence, on and on are also beyond imagination. My husband and I spend everyday and lots of money on trauma therpay, etc. just trying to help these children recover from the crimes committed against them by their PARENTS.
My 7 yr olod and her 4 siblings where pimped out to child molestors for her drug money. What do you say to a child who was molested from the time she was 8 months til 31/2 by multiple men while momma watched and daddy took PICTURES?
The mother of course swears she’s done nothing wrong and these are all lies. Yet all these children show physical signs of sexaual abuse. My daughter has scar tissue on her rectum from being repeatedly sodomized.
So please keep in mind that there are two sides to this issue.
Like I said, I understand CPS workers need more training, and there needs to be reform, but they are neccessary. There are more guilty parents than innocent, I’m quite sure. I’ve met dozens of them during my twenty years as a foster parent (and we’re all not in it for the money.
kim cotter,please post an email where i can reach you..i need your help. thank you