In the News: Social Services Aide's Slaying Raises Alarms
Thursday October 19, 2006
I'm reaching beyond Madonna's adoption right now to highlight a very scary happening in Kentucky this week. I am asked by almost every new group of foster parents that I teach about the safety of their home and family as they begin to do foster care. I always reassure them that their safety is very important to those who supervise the cases and that they should not worry. Now, this story.
According to the recent article on Kentucky.com - on Monday, October 16, 2006, a social worker, Boni Frederick, age 67, was beaten to death when she took a 10-month old child, Saige Terrell, for a supervised visit in the home of his birth mother, Renee Terrel, 33. An Amber Alert has been issued as the child's mother and her boyfriend, Christopher Wayne Luttrell, 23, have taken off with Saige in Frederick's vehicle. According to neighbors Terrell was upset as she knew that she was losing her parental rights and that Saige was going to be adopted. Terrell has had at least three other children and none of them live with her.
This is particularly scary as some states require foster parents to do the work of supervising visits. How can we better protect social workers and foster parents? Here are some of my ideas:
What safety precautions would you take?
Leave your comments in the blog section below, by clicking on the word "comments".
- Have visitation in the office supervised, in the beginning. Move the visitation out in the community when the parents have completed some goals and seem to be on track and drug/alcohol free.
- Always let others know where you are and establish check-in times.
- All employees working out in the field should have cell phones.
- When heading towards termination, move the visits back into the office for safety.
What safety precautions would you take?
Leave your comments in the blog section below, by clicking on the word "comments".
This is not the first time nor the last time a state social worker will be killed. These people put their lives on the line anyway almost like the police. The agency should have been aware this woman was upset and the social worker should not have been sent out on her own period. In cases like this I feel they should be accompanied by several police officers whether the meeting is held in their office or wherever.
Yes, I agree security is a must – in the home or in the office – especially in the situation where the plan has changed to adoption. I’m really suprised that this doesn’t happen more often as I know many agencies lack proper security.
It’s upsetting because this didn’t need to happen.