Request for Action from anyone who cares about children and familiesin Massachusetts
I am asking you to write the list of legislators at the end of this post AND letters to the editor, to Mass Lawyers Weekly, and any other paper.
The House Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect WILL propose amendments to G.L. c. 210 and G.L. c. 119.
I would like to see judicial oversight returned, and reasonable efforts spelled out, and a hearing required to determine if those legislatively defined reasonable efforts have been provided BEFORE TPR can proceed [except for limited situations such as a parent who has committed homicide, say].
Please read my post at:
To send letters to the editor electronically, go to:
http://www.masshome…. [This link has e-mail addresses to send letters to the editor for EVERY newspaper in Massachusetts]
The members of the House Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Speaker:
Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, Room 356, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Paul J. Donato, Room 185, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Geoffrey D. Hall, Room 146, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Lida E. Harkins, Room 343, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep., Peter Koutoujian, Room 130, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. John A. Lepper, Room 128, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Elizabeth A. Malia, Room 33, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Elizabeth A. Poirier, Room 542, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Chairman/Majority Leader John M. Rogers, Room 370, The State House, Boston, MA 02133
Rep. Marie St. Fleur, Room 238,The State House, Boston, MA 02133
The time to weigh in is now. Please do.
Deb Sirotkin Butler
AmberPaw@aol.com
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With a stroke of a pen, a child/children become legal orphans. They lose their father, mother, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and heritage.
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The decision that a case is a “TPR” case is made behind closed doors, without input from anyone outside DSS and there is no transcript or recording of the meeting within DSS where this is done.
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See my other posts on “AmberPaw’s Page” with regard to the problem that there is no definition of what DSS is supposed to do before deciding to terminate rights sever all family connections creating a legal orphan.
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How many legal orphans are there? Go to http://www.mareinc.o…
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Like with Dontel Jeffers – many of these children had parents and grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles who wanted them – but DSS determined that their families were not good enough due to “CORI” issues, or housing with led, or no housing…the standard for TPR is incredibly low in this state.
I find myself just unable to understand this issue well enough to write something so specific. I’m not sure tweaking child welfare law by law is the way to go. I think we need, if not a major overhaul of the system, at least a leader who leads and puts the welfare of the child first. You feel TPR can happen too quickly. Well, I’ve seen the opposite and it’s equally frustrating and damaging to the child. You seem to want more judicial oversight. I’ve seen judges make decisions that are not in the best interest of the child. I don’t think judges are child welfare professionals.
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I don’t know what the answer is, but three children in three years is three too many. And they are only the headlines. So much happens that no one sees.
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Dontel, 2005
Haleigh, 2006
Rebecca, 2007
The secrecy is toxic to the children and families – on that we agree.
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My point is that judges cannot make orders during a case in “the best interest of the child” as I described at my earlier post [please read this earlier post, if you haven’t okay – I really tried to explain in full detail].
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Yes, there needs to be a systemic overhaul. But, as the statute is written, DSS executive privilege removes their actions from court oversight, and the secrecy eliminates examination by the citizenry or the press. This is dangerous.