Legislator Letter Series ~ LLS8

3 EASY Steps, HUGE IMPACT!

Welcome to our Eighth Legislator Letter Series! EVERY letter received, counts, and every letter details a different aspect of a very broken system that has a dramatic, and devastating impact on children and parents for generations to come. Let us join together to tell the Legislators what is happening and what we expect them to do to stop this “Reign of Terror”.

The reign of terror by CPS, DCS, DCF or whatever they want to call it – MUST STOP!

As always, please be kind and respectful. We want to make friends with the legislators and work together to … Restore Families and Rescue Children across the country! We are focused on Arizona because they have the distinction of taking the most children into state custody – – – 35 children a day – – – EVERYDAY! Help us stop it here, and we can stop it everywhere, one state at a time – ALL STATES in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

SUPER SIMPLE – Under 5 minutes!

HIT SEND! YOU’RE DONE — BUT, not before you sign your name, or use ‘A concerned citizen‘ or ‘A concerned parent‘ or ‘A concerned constituent‘ or whatever you like.

SUGGESTION: We recommend emailing in batches. Email addresses are grouped for you below.

LET US KNOW HOW IT GOES!

Please leave a comment stating that you sent emails, and definitely let us know if you get any response! It would be great if a few days later you moved on to the Letter Series 2, and then a few days after that, Series 3. Imagine the impact this will make if LOTS of people do it!!!

If you live in Arizona and are concerned about retaliation, please consider signing up for an email account on google for political purposes.

Here are your Legislators!

*REMEMBER TO BLIND COPY (BCC) THE LIST*

Representative Emails:

jackerley@azleg.gov,lalston@azleg.gov,randrade@azleg.gov,bbarton@azleg.gov, jbenally@azleg.gov,rbolding@azleg.gov,sborrelli@azleg.gov,rbowers@azleg.gov, pboyer@azleg.gov,kbrophymcgee@azleg.gov,ncampbell@azleg.gov, mcardenas@azleg.gov,hcarter@azleg.gov,kenclark@azleg.gov,rcobb@azleg.gov, dcoleman@azleg.gov,despinoza@azleg.gov,kfann@azleg.gov, efarnsworth@azleg.gov,cfernandez@azleg.gov,mfinchem@azleg.gov, rfriese@azleg.gov,rgabaldon@azleg.gov,sgonzales@azleg.gov, dgowan@azleg.gov,rgray@azleg.gov,ahale@azleg.gov, akern@azleg.gov, jlarkin@azleg.gov,jlawrence@azleg.gov,vleach@azleg.gov, dlivingston@azleg.gov,plovas@azleg.gov,smach@azleg.gov,ddavis@azleg.gov, jmendez@azleg.gov,jmesnard@azleg.gov,emeyer@azleg.gov, dmitchell@azleg.gov,smontenegro@azleg.gov,jnorgaard@azleg.gov, jolson@azleg.gov,lotondo@azleg.gov,wpetersen@azleg.gov,fpratt@azleg.gov, rrios@azleg.gov,trivero@azleg.gov,brobson@azleg.gov,msaldate@azleg.gov, asherwood@azleg.gov,tshope@azleg.gov,vsteele@azleg.gov, dstevens@azleg.gov,bthorpe@azleg.gov,ktownsend@azleg.gov, mugenti@azleg.gov,cvelasquez@azleg.gov, jweninger@azleg.gov, bwheeler@azleg.gov

Senators Emails:

eableser@azleg.gov,sallen@azleg.gov,nbarto@azleg.gov,cbegay@azleg.gov, abiggs@azleg.gov,dbradley@azleg.gov,jburges@azleg.gov, ocajerobedford@azleg.gov,lcontreras@azleg.gov,adalessandro@azleg.gov, jdial@azleg.gov,adriggs@azleg.gov,sfarley@azleg.gov,dfarnsworth@azleg.gov, ggriffin@azleg.gov,khobbs@azleg.gov,jkavanagh@azleg.gov,dlesko@azleg.gov, bmcguire@azleg.gov,rmeza@azleg.gov,cmiranda@azleg.gov, lpancrazi@azleg.gov,spierce@azleg.gov,mquezada@azleg.gov, dshooter@azleg.gov,stsmith@azleg.gov,kward@azleg.gov, bworsley@azleg.gov,syarbrough@azleg.gov, kyee@azleg.gov

The Legislator Letter Series ~ Letter 8

Sample Text A – (Letter “HB 2047” A)

Dear Legislator:

There is a current proposed bill, House Bill 2047, that would not allow a child to be removed from his or her home until a “child safety worker” submits reasons and supporting information to a supervisor and then a supervisor reviews the reasons and information, and approves the removal. This sounds like a wonderful idea. Rogue workers in the Department of Child Safety would not be able to make rash, prejudiced, or uneducated judgments to remove children from their homes without approval of a supervisor. One would think that supervisors would be better trained and better equipped to make such critical decisions than lower-level DCS workers. In theory, this bill is wonderful and will go a long way to protecting children and parents where no child abuse has occurred. However, given the current system, much more will have to change before this bill has any effect on the rights of children and parents in Arizona.

The first issue to address is how child safety workers acquire their reasons and supporting information. Are they acting on on reliable, verifiable proof or evidence of abuse or neglect? Or, are they relying on anonymous calls with vague accusations and hearsay? Are the child safety workers acquiring their information from police reports and securing search warrants due to the preponderance of evidence and probable cause that they have accumulated? Or, are they bullying, intimidating, and threatening parents into agreeing to warrantless entries and searches?

Secondly, what is the culture of DCS, which directly determines the honesty of the workers? Does the Department of Child Safety promote a culture of loving, kind-hearted, helpful and honest individuals who truly care about the health and well-being of children? Do they promote and value honesty and integrity? Or, do they focus on numbers of children removed and quantity of calls investigated rather than the situation of the families visited, the services needed, and the services provided? Does the Department conduct surveys to collect feedback on their workers or do they request anonymity and immunity for their workers?

Next, how are child safety workers motivated and incentivized? Are they taught to collect evidence and warrants for true abuse cases, respecting the rule of law and then rewarded for doing so? Are they encouraged to evaluate family situations and needs, matching those needs to appropriate services when asked for help? Or, are they encouraged to get their work done quickly and take as many children as possible? Are they awarded bonuses based on work well done and positive survey results? Or are they awarded bonuses for how many children they remove from homes, how many children are adopted, and simply how long they stay with the agency? Is the department concerned with good workers or those who will simply stay with the department the longest to get more money?

In fact, DCS already has written regulations that require a supervisor’s approval before taking a child into custody except in an emergency situation. In those emergency situations, regulations require supervisors to be notified within two hours. While not written in law, this requirement is already in the procedure manual and is either being ignored or supervisors authorize taking custody of children illegally.

Unfortunately, “poor parenting skills” and “dirty dishes” have been used as excuses for removing children. Pre-existing health conditions or verifiable accidents that are months or years old are used as an excuse to remove children. If workers use such inane reasons for taking children now, and if they ignore exculpatory medical records now, what will keep them from continuing to do so and abusing their assumed powers?

The intentions behind House Bill 2047 are good. However, unless the entire agency acts according to their own regulations and manuals, unless the agency adheres to the lawful definition of abuse and neglect, unless the workers are required to be honest, unless the agency respects parental rights (Arizona Rev. Stat. 1-601) and the rule of law, this bill will do little to turn around the current situation in Arizona. One, very powerful fix would be to make it LAW to follow the policies and procedures spelled out already. As it stands, they are neither being followed, nor are there any consequences for not following them.

Respectfully,

P.S.
The number of children in Arizona’s foster care system rose 80% between 2003 and 2012, while foster care nationally declined 22% during that same period. Arizona’s DCS takes over 35 children a day from their parents, which amounts to 1,077 a month, and 6,461 in the last six-month reporting period that ended September 30, 2014. Either Arizona is a dangerous place for children to live with their parents, or there is a serious problem in Arizona’s DCS. Please see more here: https://amiracle42sisters.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/disturbing-trends-in-latest-cps-report/

Sample Text B: (Letter :HB 2047″ B)

Dear Legislators,

The first issue to address is how child safety workers acquire their reasons and supporting information. DCS often sends workers to investigate calls that are anonymous and contain vague accusations rther than true abuse. They bully, intimidate, and threaten parents into allowing them into their house despite having warrants or probably cause of abuse. Once inside, they report on mundane and trivial items. If nothing of substance is found, they have been known to lie and fabricate problems to justify removing children.

Secondly, one must consider the culture of DCS. The focus is entirely on removing more children from parents in order to acquire more funds, either federal or state. Child safety workers are reportedly paid bonuses for how many children they remove, how many children are adopted, and how long they stay with the agency. DCS promotes worker anonymity and immunity, both of which encourage fraud and discourage responsibility.

In fact, DCS already has written regulations that require a supervisor’s approval before taking a child into custody except in an emergency situation. In those emergency situations, regulations require supervisors to be notified within two hours. While not written in law, this requirement is already in the procedure manual and is either being ignored or supervisors authorize taking custody of children illegally.

As long as DCS focuses on funds, and the child removals and adoptions required to receive those funds, the system will not change. As long as DCS allows and even encourages its’ workers to do whatever is necessary to remove children without any concern for the law or the constitution, or negative consequences for ignoring them, the system will not change.

Respectfully,

P.S. The number of children in Arizona’s foster care system rose 80% between 2003 and 2012, while foster care nationally declined 22% during that same period. Arizona’s DCS takes over 35 children a day from their parents, which amounts to 1,077 a month, and 6,461 in the last six-month reporting period that ended September 30, 2014. Either Arizona is a dangerous place for children to live with their parents, or there is a serious problem in Arizona’s DCS. Please see more here: https://amiracle42sisters.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/disturbing-trends-in-latest-cps-report/

*THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT LETTER!!!

For those of you who made it here, PLEASE come back in a few days and do the next Letter — THANK YOU! AND, stay tuned …. after we get letters sent, to comment on their facebook pages, tweet them, and call them. Try just ONE facebook party, and we assure you it will be fun and satisfying. Please invite everyone you know who might be interested in this cause to join us. Let us effect some change and stand up for the children!!!

* Legislator Letter Series ~ Letter 1 *

Focusing on the closed courts and gag orders. We want open courts and jury trials. We want gag orders eliminated! Optional subject: Closed courts and gag orders assist fraud and corruption in DCS!