Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Twitter Posts By Kansas Watchdog



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#kschildren Sen David Haley has concerns about compensating grandparents since it provides cover for the chilrden. from web
#kschildren Chair Kiegerl Should foster parents and grandparents be compensated at the same rate? A child is a child, expenses are the same. from web
#kschildren Rep Valdenia Winn see most problems with the courts, not SRS. from web
#kschildren No follow-up discussion today from yesterday's parents' appeals while waiting for SRS response. from web
#kschildren Judge Sloan from JoCo couldn't attend today but recommends secure facility for run aways until case can be adjudicated. from web
#kschildren Sen Julia Lynn grills SRS Secetary about "trust" issue when he authorized special payment with so many in the waiting line. from web
#kschildren "Extra" payment of $714K was paid to one provider unilaterally. Perhaps 3000 on waiting list when "extra" payment made to group from web
#kschildren Maury Thompson: How to justify increasing revenues to one provider when 1000s not receiving services? from web
#kschildren JoCo Development Support Representative Maury Thompson addressing contract irregularities, and possibly contract/law violations from web
#kschildren Jordan: SRS using contractors must be ready 24-hours a day to respond within 4 hours to place kids if asked. from web
#kschildren Responding to Kiegerl: SRS Jordan is not ready to end privitization now. Would need many more employees. from web
#kschildren Chair Kiegerl asks Jordan what SRS could do with $150 million more. from web
#kschildren Rep Otto asks Jordan for salary info. Jordan's $110K or so is less than many of the CEOs of SRS contractors. from web
#kschildren Jordan: Is the capacity there in the community? Sen Reitz says it is not in many cases from web
#kschildren SRS Jordan not yet sure how KNI closing and Parsons downsizing will affect things yet. Sen. Reitz: I cannot accept that. from web
#kschildren Sen Retiz asks how cuts have hurt. Jordan: Mental health services have been affected, also those with development disabilities. from web
#kschildren Jordan responds to Sen Reitz: SRS budget $1.5 to $1.6 billion. from web
#kschildren SRS Jordan believes non-profits have the right values about taking care of kids. from web
#kschildren Jordan: To state there's not much financial benefit when kids are placed in foster care. Incentive for contractor for re-union from web
#kschildren Sen. Julia Lynn: If family preservation is a good thing, why don't we just do family preservation? Jordan: Other needs too. from web
#kschildren Chair Kiegerl: "We're drowning in data here" as reponse to report by SRS Secretary Jordan from web
#kschildren Members of committee have binders of materials from Secretary Jordan, but interested citizens can't follow along without copies from web
#kschildren SRS Secretary explaining their budget process, esp. dealing with foster care and children in need of care from web
#kschildren KC metro area has highest turnover rate of case workers. Both Wichita/KC still have vacancy rates higher than other areas. from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit found inconsistiences in on-going training to help case workers dealing with legal matters from web
#kschildren Training at Kansas universites not consistent for social wokers to know how to deal with attorneys, documents, testifying from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit recommends training for social workers on bullying they may experience for what's in their reports from web
#kschildren Social workers in the west and near Wichita have strongest number of disagreements with attorneys in handling CINC cases from web
#kschildren Children in Need of Care performance audit: workers in every SRS region said "they felt unduly pressured" about info in reports from web
#kschildren Sen. David Haley: We've got to do better. There are families being torn apart (even though much is going well). from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit can look at confidential info. "Horror stories" that were told were only part of complete story. from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit used data from SRS and was not independently collected. State Rep Otto: Can you look at secret info? from web
#kschildren Sen Lynn: Info was accidentally leaked to the Farm, which allowed them to raise bid by over $2 million. What remedy? from web
#kschildren WIBW TV now taking video of hearing from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit pointed out potential conflict: The Farm board member represents them legally and is married to CEO. from web
#kschildren Legislative post audit explaining multiple non-profits and for-profits setup by The Farm in Emporia. from web
3 videos and report from yesterday: Parents, grandparents ask why children removed from homes http://tinyurl.com/yzzansq from web
#kschildren Performance Audit Report about Foster Care being presented at Joint Committee on Children's Issues from web
#kschildren Sen. Lynn: Should judge be allowed to make placement of children? GAL Loomis agreed that flexibility would be good. from web
#kschildren Sen Reitz looking for help from guardians at litem to revise existing laws. from web
#kschildren State Rep Otto: Could judge find contractor in contempt of court for failure to follow state laws? from web
#kschildren State Rep Otto: Where is the ACLU in helping parents in their court battles? from web
#kschildren GAL Loomis: Often parents' attorneys only see court records at the court proceedings. from web
#kschildren GAL Erna Loomis: More accountability and oversight is needed from web
#kschildren Committee Chair Mike Kiegerl introduces second guardian ad litem, Erna Loomis, who is his daughter. from web
#kschildren Guardian ad litem's name in recent tweets is Jean Ann Uvodich, Olathe. Just learned the spelling. from web
#kschildren Rep Kiergerl say 60 out of 50,000 (Jordan's stats from yesterday) still too many families traumatized. from web
#kschildren Committee Chair Mike Kiegerl concerned about "power" that new case worker out of school might have over family. More supervision from web
#kschildren GAL: The "court didn't like him" should not be reason for child removal. Very specific guidelines are needed. from web
#kschildren State Rep Bill Otto asks why children are removed when parent has no wrong doing. GAL agrees not uncommon and fix is needed. from web
#kschildren Sen. Reitz, Manhattan, says he is outraged by how children are removed, sometimes at family outings. from web
#kschildren GAL says privitization works better in Missouri than Kansas. from web
#kschildren State Rep Bill Otto thinks fines may help contractors follow laws that are being ignored. Guardian ad litem agrees. from web
#kschildren GAL: Case worker "power trip" may come from judging others by personal standards. Kansas "takes the kids and runs". from web
#kschildren GAL: In once case parents not having phone should not be consideration. Kids not abandoned because parent have no phone. from web
#kschildren GAL: Need specific guidelines on how child can be permanently removed from home. Need documentation. from web
#kschildren GAL: Should not lose children when family moved in with another family for lack of money. from web
#kschildren GAL: May be financial incentive for how agencies handle cases. Some case workers are egocentrical and may need more oversight. from web
#kschildren Some workers become case managers months out of school and judges value their opinions. Not enough life experiences. from web
#kschildren GAL: Contractor lied in court possibly as CYA reaction to failure to notify parents of planned actions. from web
#kschildren GAL: When contractor changed adoption changed and may have been affected by contractor. In one case contractor lied in court. from web
#kschildren Guardian ad litem: Some case workers are not as trained as they should be and are given too much power over familes. from web
#kschildren Guardian ad litem (don't know spelling) says parents need to be given info. Secrecy causes later problems with interactions. from web
#kschildren Joint Committee on Children's Issues continues in Topeka. Two guardian ad litems speaking this morning. from web
Many Uncertainties Remain about National and Regional Effects of Increased Biofuel Production on Water Resources http://tinyurl.com/ylq2pc5 from web
Holiday Shopping Tips from the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091130.aspx from web
Sunshine Review page on the Kansas state budget http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Kansas_state_budget from web
#kschildren Rep Kiegerl Some of the problems here are with the courts and not SRS. from web
#kschildren Sec Jordan says court case is the paper work with reason. from web
#kschildren Sen Faust-Goudea asking Sec Jordan: Don't parents/grandparents deserve something in writing about reasons for child removal? from web
#kschildren Sen Oletha Faust-Goudeau talking about case where woman was killed in SGCo even after she had reported domestic violence. from web
#kschildren Amazing that abused wives don't get custody of children, and become a victim a second time. from web
#kschildren Rep Kiegerl says that all abuse should be reported. Woman said police would respond the wrong way when abuse is reported. from web
#kschildren Unbelievably, abuse can be ignored in deciding who gets the children. from web
#kschildren Woman may go to jail soon for her contempt of judicial injustice. Sen Reitz said something needs to be done. from web
#kschildren Sen. Reitz stating that parents should always be allowed to know "why". Too much secrecy. from web
#kschildren Rep Otto asking Sec. Jordan if there can be a court order blocking parent from attending children's events in public. from web
#kschildren Woman was held in contempt of court after appearing on local TV station about her case and rights to see daugher suspended. from web
A former psychiatric LPN and subject to an abusive relationship lost custody of her daughter. Unclear why only supervised visits allowed. from web
#kschildren SRS Sec Jordan commenting about grievance process. Jordan said he will review the case. from web
#kschildren Foster mom was "more appropriate" but about the same age. SRS complained 72 yr old great granddadhad no recent parenting. from web
#kschildren Rep Otto shocked that foster parent smokes in the home, but sign in window says no smoking, oxygen in use. from web
#kschildren Rep Peggy Mast asked about why denied adoption. Unclear why. Woman denied is former social worker herself. from web
#kschildren Great grandparent telling about being denied adoption of great granddaughter. Confused when foster mom was in late 60s. from web
#kschildren Testimony to continue this afternoon at Joint Commitee on Children's Issues at Captiol in Topeka from web
#kschildren Wichita mom left hearing in tears from mobile web
#kschildren Sen. Hensley, KCK, says system is not working; receiving more and more complaints from mobile web
#kschildren Abused Wichita mom said she could have done a better job representing herself than court-appointed attorney. from web
#kschildren State Rep Otto stunned that abused mom from Wichita had her parental rights severed. from web
#kschildren Abused mom's parents also told they were too old to have custody. Grandparents stand in hearing room at request of Senator. from web
#kschildren Abused mom from Wichita lost girls after re-integration had started. Mom doesn't understand why girls were removed. from web
#kschildren Rep Otto asked grandfather how old he was when turned down. He was 72. Sec. Jordan says there is no definite rule about that. from web
#kschildren Grandfather spent $10,000 on legal fees to get granddaughter back. Now wants to "bear witness to the atrocities that continue" from web
#kschildren Grandfather testifying he was not allowed custody of granddaughter because he was too old. She's now been in 8 foster homes. from web
#kschildren Abused mom testifying about loss of children. from web
#kschildren Foster mom describing removal of foster son they planned to adopt. Says caseworker lied to judge. Removal terrifed other son. from web
#kschildren LMSW said case worker had too much authority in case and wrote court order. Judge should have written order. from web
Licensed Master Social Worker testifies about failures in Valorie's case. Had sent complaints to Gov. and AG. Boys placed with abusive dad. from web
#kschildren "Valorie" describes her case where she lost custody of her children and they were place in care of abusive father. from web
#kschildren Sen. Hensley, KCK, says system is not working; receiving more and more complaints from mobile web
#kschildren SRS Sec Don Jordan explaining contractor process to Joint Committee on Children's Issues at packed hearing room from mobile web
#kschildren Rep Kiegerl: Intensity and number of complaints have increased about child placement from mobile web
#kschildren Rep Kiegerl: rookie attorneys paid $80/hr; child advocates only about $60/hr from mobile web
#kschildren Only about 25 percent placed with relatives. Must pass same standards as foster care. from mobile web
#kschildren Background checks on grandparents and close relatives slow placement process from mobile web
#kschildren 1st question to Sec Don Jordan is about kinship factor used for placement of children from mobile web
#kschildren In Kansas per year: 55000 allegations, 26000 investigations, 3000 children removed from home from mobile web
#kschildren SRS Sec Jordan: Removal of children most sensitive and emotional issue for them. Discussing reg now from mobile web
Waiting for Joint Committee on Children's Issues meeting to begin at Capitol from mobile web



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