 |
|
It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. --C.S. Lewis |
|
REAL FACTSabout the |
It Takes A Parent : never forget, PARENTING IS WORK.NOTE: we are not against parenting or parents per se. To the contrary, we are decidedly for any good parenting, and certainly are supportive of all good caregivers whether parents, foster parents, etc. Neither are we anti-government, though a strong strain of vigilance or almost libertarian `scepticism` pervades our work. Good parenting deserves allies wherever they may be found, and agencies must be held to the highest standards of integrity. That is our purpose and ideal. Are you with us? |
FALSE ACCUSATIONS, STATE ABUSE,
AGENCY CORRUPTION, and PAYMENTS LO$T IN THE PIPELINE,
WHILE GOOD CAREGIVERS ARE SABOTAGED AND SHORTCHANGED
And all in the name of the children and their "best interests."
The child agencies are eager to sign you up for other peoples children. Why not, the bigger the caseload the more cushy their own budget funding!! But do they back you up when the least little thing goes wrong? You are expected to be saints or angels protecting these kids, many of whom are not easy to love, constantly want to go right back to some earlier situation, and the agencies undercut you at the least sign of supposed unhappiness of the child. Truly, parenting is the work of the angels. But we need back-up, not betrayal. This is not the way to repay decent care givers, lumped in with the bad ones!Some Recent Cases [horror stories, scarey but true] :
| Don't kids need some Permanence? | False Charges, a dark side of fostering | Paula Poundstone MOLESTER? |
| see their children taken away, their authority undercut, their family unit disrupted, even destroyed. Surely this was not the intent of the Mondale Act (CAPTA). We see parents truly fearful for the safety of their children in foster care, in the face of increasing reports of neglectful or calloused foster care providers, whose commitment to their charges sometimes runs no deeper than the last check. Alas, some angry parents have even turned to Lawsuits (in the west, as well as in the east), sometimes justifiably, but thereby frightening away foster parents who would be potentially good caregivers. See June 2002 case. It's a catch-22 for policy-makers. |
Before you get hit,
| consider Pre-paid Legal for Foster Parents ONLY. This commercial offer is posted here for your discretion. We make no endorsement, and would like to hear if you get satisfaction from their service. Caregivers, like all Parents, need to know their options. After all, Parents have traditional prejudices on their side, they have churches and religion backing them up. What do Foster Parents have???? They are supposed to have the law supporting them, but as you can see, it often does not work that way. |
| CONSIDER San Joaquin County of California, where a range of perspectives, parent activists, and seriously concerned agencies have joined forces to forge an innovative set of procedures that aims at WIN-WIN for not just children, but their parents, too. The heart of this family-sentered approach is a family conferencing model. Is it working? Those involved report that the goal is building partnerships between the family, community, and government. They say, "The San Joaquin family conferencing model is rooted in the belief that the best care and protection for children can be achieved by joining the strengths of families with community and agency support systems." Sounds positive. One that truly strengthens families, and ideally helps the children most. We wish them the best. |
. . . . don't let your child be NEXT!
Where are checks and balances?
Where is due process of law?
Where is the ancient principle of the sanctity of family?
. . . or even the basic "honor thy father and thy mother"??
 | Is this America?
Our ancestors fought tyranny, abolished slavery, outlasted communism ...
They joined together, willing to sacrifice their lives, their fortunes us their children, their posterity |
| Hazel McBride, a contemporary suicide researcher and psychotherapist ... "No government and no court should be allowed to take a child from a parent unless there is a very, very, very good reason," says Dr. McBride. "Because to have a child ripped from you, it's the same as a child dying. It's absolutely uncivilized, barbaric and devastating for any parent. It's not uncommon for these people to suffer depressive breakdowns." |
LINKS SECTION
If you're a foster survivor, or have a success story, or to bless others, we want to hear from you. We are trying to give a more encouraging gist to our page. Accordingly, we are seeking cases with positive outcomes, instances of cooperation, stories of improvement, or where the system worked. We welcome your kudos of foster heroes, regardless the role they play – after all, any good parenting is truly the work of the angels.
If you have a link to list, find broken links, or to share your story online, email Bob Shepherd
Affected parents and families -- going public with your own case is a decision only to be made by you and yours. But shining a light is what it's all about. Others may be helped by learning of your struggles, your ups and downs. We wish to thank the courageous folk who have contributed their stories (see below Lifting the Veil) for these, or other, webpages.Webmasters -- do we have your related link below? PLEASE let us know, and we will add you. Be sure also to submit your URL to the top ten search engines, such as HotBot, Open Directory, Lycos, Northern Light and AltaVista. And then there's Yahoo! -- worth the process.
Also, if you would, a link from your site to ours would help us spread the message . . . . Parenting IS work!
Lifting the veil:
a system Out of Control
|
Faith in the dawn arises from the fact that God is good and just. When one believes this, he knows that the contradictions of life are neither final nor ultimate. He can walk through the dark night with the radiant conviction that all things work together for good for those that love God [and are called according to his purpose]. Even the most starless midnight may herald the dawn of some great fulfillment. The dawn will come Disappointment, sorrow, and despair are born at midnight, but morning follows. "Weeping may endure for a night," says the Psalmist, "but joy cometh in the morning." This faith adjourns the assemblies of hopelessness and brings light into the dark chambers of pessimism. [quoted in Strength to Love] |
| FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN |
We must do something - Study this issue afflicting homes and families across the nation. We cannot wish it away!
Therapism's complicity - in the "kid-stealing" racket: When professional objectivity is compromised.
Allen Cowling Links Legal resources available for those facing scandal and false charges
Class Action Lawsuits take on the system. Perhaps YOU can help send a message.
Legal Resources from LawGuru.com [USA]
- not just child custody issues
Family Law on the Internet humorous and detailed (appears excellent)
Save The Children - Truly They Are Our Future
Youth Law News- law center dedicated to youth
SocialLaw.com extensive library to access
God grant ustheAudacity To Believe in something better[A Candidate Talks About Faith] |
| FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN ~ FCAN |
|
Canadian William Shatner writes:
I have seen America at its best and at its worst. {But} Anchored in the precepts of the Constitution, America invariably makes the right choice. It's uncanny that given enough time with the checks and balances that are embedded in that great document, America rights its wrongs. |
Though the cause of Evil prosper,
Yet 'tis Truth alone is strong.
Shhhh....Why is this little
girl in foster care? Inquiring minds want to know!
Parents under fire for EXPOSING legalized Child Abductors.
Calgary Social Services Steals Baby from Handicapped Mom
Injustice Busters has updated us: Frank Sampson, former director of the Cape Breton Children's Aid Society orchestrated the deep-sixing of this story and the new director, Marie Boone is ruthless and ambitious and has played a role in trying to justify the apprehension of Emma by trying to apprehend their other children! We have been threatened with lawsuits and police investigations, but none have been forthcoming because we tell the truth. It has, however, served to chill the press. The National Post has declined to do an update on this story even though their reporter, Richard Foot, was told outright lies. See update. (from Sheila Steele).
National Child Rescue Organisation of Canada - working to restore fairness and integrity to a system in trouble.
Mothers in Exile - exposing the multi billion dollar adoption industry, often hurting the ones they should be helping.
Laurie Edberg - Handicapped Mom (British Columbia) battling to help her own kids ... and others
Foster Care Council of Canada - Encouragement for former foster children
Children's Aid Society - Canadian quagmire: more problems in Ontario CAS.
Who's watching Child Protection Agencies? - a largely Ontario site
|
Phil E Quinn From Spare the Rod: Breaking the Cycle of Child Abuse, Abingdon Press, 1988. (pp. 187-188) To date, most efforts to focus attention on child abuse have been attempts to determine, in specific instances, whether someone has done something 'wrong' or 'bad' to a child. Our attitude has been judgmental and punitive, looking at behavior in terms of whether a parent should be punished or whether the state should intervene. Such a negative, self-defeating approach has resulted far too often not only in greater harm to a child and eventual breakup of a family, but also in waves of public panic that have a frightening resemblance to a Salem witch hunt. If we are to prevent child abuse, our attitude must change. Rather than trying to determine what parents are doing wrong, we must focus our attention and concern on whether they are doing what is necessary for the child to grow and develop normally, within the family's unique environment. Rather than seeking out parental "crimes" against the children, we must turn our attention to deficiencies in the parent-child relationship which can be corrected for the benefit of the family, enabling the adults to become better parents. Our goal is to help, not hurt; to build and strengthen, not weaken and destroy. I am calling for a more positive, constructive approach to parenting and its problems - an approach that will strengthen the relationship with support and education rather than weaken it with treats, accusations, labels, and unnecessary punishment. Abusing a family while protecting one of its members from abuse is not the answer and can only perpetuate the problem. |
-Please link to us-
-or-
View
|
|
|
- Gentle Touch - - Ephesians 4 : 32 |
 |
|  |
In the words of Lincoln:
Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.
thanks to bob shepherd
Lord have mercy on a boy
from down in the boondocks