Oklahoma Has Worst Record for Child Abuse within Foster or Group Homes
The New York Times published an article today, Bleak Stories Follow a Lawsuit on Oklahoma Foster Care, in which it was reported that Oklahoma boasts one of the worst records for children enduring abuse within foster and group homes. The Federal data also shows that Oklahoma children experience frequent moves, extended stays in shelters and lack getting much needed therapy. The state is also needing more social workers, foster homes, and various therapies to offer the children in its care.
A new lawsuit, filed in February by advocacy group, Children's Rights, as well as local lawyers, details not only the above stated issues within the Oklahoma foster care system, but also the psychological damage that the children suffer after placement in the system. The hope is that this lawsuit will force change, as this course of action has helped other states overhaul broken systems.
Oklahoma's Department of Human Services is fighting the suit. Their defense? A good record for monthly checks, which are performed by social workers, on the foster families. Allegedly, they are so diligent with the monthly checks, more issues are found. Therefore, their record appears to be worse than other states where they are not as diligent in making their monthly rounds. Foster parents and children in Oklahoma are not buying this story as they report that the workers are not showing up for the checks, but falsifying documents stating that the visits occurred.
For now, the hope is that the lawsuit will proceed and the court will force Oklahoma to step up and take care of the children in foster care.
Are you an Oklahoma foster parent? Is it as bad as they say? What do you think needs to be done to improve the foster care system?Click "comments" below and share your ideas.
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Related Reading:
Out-of-Home Placements Could Be More Dangerous
11 Ways for Your Foster Care Agency to Maintain Foster Families
The National Foster Parent Association
Comments
VIEW MY JOURNALISM ON THIS WEBSITE:
veterans for common sense.org
THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN FOSTER / ADOPTIVE HOMES / CHILDREN & YOUTH / DHS / MILITARY SOLDIERS & VETERANS & THEIR DISABILITIES SUCH AS PTSD & DISEASES THEY HAVE FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS, THEY CONTRACTED DURING ACTIVE DUTY!!
THERE IS MUCH CORRUPTION HAPPENING WITH DHS EMPLOYEES.
THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA IS “BEHIND ALMOST 5 YEARS, IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE DEVELOPMENTAL / RETARDATION” & THIS IS “UNCONSTITUTIONAL, TO NEGLECT & ABUSE THE VICTIMS OF BIRTH DEFECTS / DISEASES”.
In the Media, recently, by newspapers, it states that: “25% of the people of the State of Oklahoma are Mentally Ill”
and that number of victims, is On-the-Rise, each day.
IT IS A FACT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ARE RECEIVING FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, TO “TEACH THE CHILDREN OF OUR MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS”…so how come many of Our Children & Youth, of Today, DON’T WANT TO WORK OR HOLD A JOB??
IT IS A FACT, THAT MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OF OUR MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS, ARE DIVORCED, & THE CHILDREN ARE BEING RAISED BY THE FEMALE PARENT…& it is a Fact, that Many of the Male Children, in these families, ARE SCHOOL-DROP-OUTS BY THE 7th to 9th Grades !
It is a Fact, that Many of the Children of Our American Military Soldiers / Veterans, HAVE BEEN AMONG THOSE, WHICH THE DHS HAS “GIVEN TO FOSTER / ADOPT FAMILIES”.
IT IS A FACT THAT:”MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS, DO…CONTRACT TOXIC CHEMICALS, WHICH ARE …TRANSMITTED INTO THEIR SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS, & CAUSE…ADVERSE REACTIONS TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM…LEADING TO MENTAL ILLNESS / RETARDATION, ETC.
I have two “half-sisters”, who went to Foster Adopt Homes, in 1964/65, adopted out then, ages, 9 and 5, & both were “sexually abused” by the foster parent…
the youngest girl, now of adult age, is / has been an Army Nurse, who spent several months in Iraq War, & came out with Severe PTSD…very emotionally disturbed, by that & the Past Abuses of her life.
My mother, “our mother”, was going thru some Emotional Family Crisis, when the DHS stepped in & “Failed to Provide Proper Services to My Mother”, who had “shouldered a lot of Her Own Family Burdens, when she was a child”.
Much of the Abuse & Reasons for Children (of any State in America) HAS PYSICAL & MENTAL CONNECTIONS TO “MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS” WHO SERVED IN WARS, OVER THE YEARS & “CONTRACTED TOXIC CHEMICALS, INTO THEIR BODY”, WHICH IS A “TRANSMITTABLE SUBSTANCE”, CAUSING “ADVERSE REACTIONS OF THE …CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM”.
I am One Such Victim of This too.
I am from a Long-Direct-Lineage of
Military Soldiers / Veterans & FROM THE RESEARCH OF MY FAMILY ANCESTORY / HISTORY, THIS IS A “REALITY”.
I have become an Advocate on Behalf / to
Our Military Soldiers / Veterans & their Families, especially for the Families of the Soldiers / Veterans, who have “Disabled / Developmentally Impaired / Mentally Ill” Descendants / Dependents.
There is a Connection Between “Coal & Military Soldiers / Veterans too”.
There is a Content in Coal, that will
“serve like a Magnet, to Bring Other Toxic Chemicals, into the Body”, & cause Mental Illness Behaviors & PTSD &
Diseases.
I DISCOVERED THE “MOST RAREST MEDICAL
CASE, ASSOCIATED WITH MILITARY SERVICE, OF THE OLDEST LIVING VETERANS (WWII), AND THE INFORMATION OF THIS MEDICAL CASE, IS WITH “U.S. CONGRESSMAN, SENATOR
JAMES INHOFE, IN WASHINGTON, D.C.”, WITH PHOTOS OF THIS VICTIM & ME & A
U.S. MARSHALL, WHO ACCOMPANIED ME, ON A VISIT TO THIS PERSON…HIS NAME IS “MARK LIVINGSTON”. HE IS MAKING HISTORY FOR AMERICA & FOR THE (FOLSOM)CHOCTAW INDIAN TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA & ALSO OF THE HERITAGE OF THE PEOPLE OF BLACK HERITAGE. (HE HAS ANCESTORS OF WHITE / INDIAN / BLACK HERITAGE).
Mark Livingston, is a “good example” of abuse to Developmental Persons.
The State of Arkansas (Education Dept.)
“refused to provide education to him, during his 7th or 8th grade of school”.
THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE (MIS)TREATED LIKE SOCIETY HAS DONE TO HIM.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS IN AMERICA, WHO HAVE “DISEASES / ILLNESSES / BIRTH DEFECTS” ASSOCIATED WITH “THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN MILITARY SOLDIER / VETERAN” & “NO FOCUS HAS BEEN TOWARD THIS YET”.
IN THE MEDIA, RECENTLY IN OKLAHOMA, IT STATES, “25% OF THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA, ARE…MENTALLY ILL”.
AND I JUST DISCOVERED LAST WEEK, THAT:
“THE DHS / DDS, OFFICES, ARE …MORE THAN 4 1/2 YEARS…BEHIND…IN SERVICES TO THE DEVELOPMENTALLY IMPAIRED / RETARDATION, VICTIMS OF GENETICALLY-CONNECTED BIRTH DEFECTS / DISEASES, ETC.”
This is a Very Real Thing, that is happening to Our Society. “War is killing off Our American Citizens, a
Whole Generation at a time.”
View My Journalism on this Website:
veterans for common sense.org
I WRITE ABOUT HOW THE WAR & THE LIVES OF OUR SOLDIERS / VETERANS, HAVE EFFECTED THE “SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS” FROM THE MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS.
Our U.S. Congress People, HAVE IGNORED THIS, & OUR STATES, ARE “BEHIND IN PROVIDING SERVICES / BASIC NEEDS TO THE
INDIVIDUALS…WITH…SPECIAL NEEDS”.
I am Appalled at this Much Neglect / Abuse, by Our Leaders of Our States & by the Employees of DHS.
I am age 63, & have a Birth Brain Defect called Empty Sella Syndrome.
Hormonal Imbalance / Autism / Mental Illness Behaviors / Slow-Aging / much more ARE GENETIC TRAITS IN OUR FAMILIES.
MY GRANDPA SERVED IN WWI, & CONTRACTED SOME TYPE OF SUBSTANCE, THAT “TRANSMITTED INTO ALL OF HIS CHILDREN”…SOME DIED IN INFANCY, & ONLY 7 OUT OF 10 OR 12 LIVED. TWO HAD “OUTLAWISH WAYS”…
PERSONS WHO ARE LIKE THIS, ARE “AT HIGH-RISK, FOR …PARENT / CHILD SEPARATIONS,
INFECTIONS, MARITAL PROBLEMS, MISCARRIAGES, INFANT DEATHS, CONTRACTING DISEASES, MENTAL ILLNESS BEHAVIORS / EMOTIONAL & MENTAL INSTABILITY…
I am the Only Individual in the State of Oklahoma, with This Type of Birth Brain Defect, & I am / have been Training / educating Doctors & Nurses, about the Symptoms & Side Effects of “having ESS”.
Having this causes me to have some % of Autism, Slow-Aging (about 20+ years behind in age), Slow Circulation, Slow Digestion, Slow Maturity, Low Blood Pressure, Intolerant of Consuming Solid Meats, Intolerant to any Mi-nute Amount of Toxic Chemicals in Foods / Drinks,
Intolerant to many hundreds of types of Additives & Preservatives in foods & drinks, miscarriages (had 3 of them), infant deaths (had 2 of them), PREEMIE BABIES (HAD 4 OF THEM….WHO LIVED & 3 OF THEM HAVE BIRTH-DEFECTS…some of the same symptoms, & One of them has Tendancy to Have Severe Seizure Activity). (Central Nervous System, Malfunction).
THERE IS A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, BUT “NOTHING HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORTH, ABOUT THE HEALTH CONCERNS OF THE CHILDREN / SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS OF OUR MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS, YET.”
I have a family, who I’m trying to Advocate for, where the Veteran tried to Poison his family & he committed suicide. This Family Needs a Legal Representative. There is two “living generations” of Individuals with Developmental Health Problems, and there is a “set of twin girls, 18 months old & one twin had physical health problems (her esophagus was detached from the body at the top & bottom)& a doctor finagled a way, to “give the baby to a Physician’s Assistant…or Used the PA, to get guardianship of the child & that PA “gave the baby away, to a couple, who 3 months later, got a divorce & that woman…then Gave the Baby Away…to another woman down the street”.
DHS was trying to take the baby away from the birth family, but never succeeded on their own…so a two physicians did it, for them.
I TELL YOU THIS, THERE IS A “HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER ESTABLISHED IN STIGLER, OKLAHOMA, that is “the biggest joke, happening in Oklahoma”.
I won’t go back there, ever! Yet they are the Best One Around Here, to “get the big Grant Monies”…such as More $750,000, at one time.
I know these people of Oklahoma, well enough to know, “they like to put dollars into their own pockets”, more than provide the help to better the lives of Our Oklahoma People of Poverty / Developmental, etc.
Someone needs to Highly Investigate this Health & Wellness Center of this area.
THE MENTAL HEALTH DEPT OF THE VA HOSPITAL IN DALLAS, TEXAS, WAS CLOSED, BECAUSE “OVER 1,000 VETERANS” COMMITTED SUICIDE FROM THERE, JUST IN ONE MONTH.
The Dept of Veterans Affairs is Being Investigated, from the Top Down.
I did Not Realize that Our Public Schools are Getting Much Dollars, to Educate the Children of Veterans, who send their children to Public Schools.
My daughter, age 33 is Developmental & DHS Refused to Provide Proper Services to her & her Daughter. DHS Illegally took my granddaughter & gave her to a male (an ex of my daughter), a male who IS NOT THE BIRTH FATHER, & who had Abandoned My Daughter, when she was Bedfast, with Active-Symptoms of Gonnorrhea. My granddaughter was born with Gonnorhea too…& DHS let her go out of state…to “put the other children in that home…At-Risk, to Contract the Disease. My granddaughter doesn’t know / realize the Impact This Disease is Going to Have on Her Life.
Even tho I have Court Papers of Full-Guardianship / Custody Visits, with My Granddaughter, DHS refused to allow me to have Possession of My Granddaughter..
at any time, since December 1995, to present time.
WHAT THEY DID IN THIS CASE IS ILLEGAL,
BIG TIME !! I just don’t know how to “fight it any longer”, to get the child back here, into the family.
THE DHS & A HOME HEALTH AGENCY, WANT ME TO “PUT MY GROWN DAUGHTER, OUT ON THE STREET…OR THEY WON’T PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ME, IN THE WAY OF A ..PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANT…& I AM APPROVED BY THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, FOR LONG-TERM CARE OF HAVING A PCA, IN MY HOME…BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE & ALSO TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO MY DAUGHTER.
ONE THING THAT IS “REAL IN OKLAHOMA” IS THE FACT, THAT DHS WORKERS, ARE “CORRUPT”. IT IS A FACT, THAT IN CHOCTAW COUNTY, IN OKLAHOMA, DURING THE YEARS OF THE LATE 1980′S / EARLY TO MID 1990′S, A 35 YR OLD FEMALE DHS WORKER WAS A “DRUG DEALER” & MADE SURE THAT “IILEGAL DRUGS WERE AVAILABLE TO CLIENT (FAMILIES) OF DHS” & THE OTHER DEPT OF DHS WOULD / COULD THEN “STEP IN & TAKE THE CHILDREN. THAT WOMAN WAS NEVER CHARGED, WITH THIS CRIME, BUT SHE DID LOSE HER JOB.
THE VOLUNTEER DRIVERS (MEN) FOR DHS, WAS “SEXUALLY ABUSING / RAPING THE FEMALE CLIENTS OF DHS, AT A VULNERABLE TIME IN THEIR (THE FEMALES) LIVES. I WAS ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS TAKEN TO ER, BY A DHS DRIVER, & I WAS GIVEN AN INJECTION THAT “MADE ME SLEEPY” & ON THE WAY BACK HOME, THE GUY, PULLED INTO A SIDE ROAD & DID THAT TO ME. “NO ONE WANTED TO LISTEN TO ME, LATER”.
THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT DHS OFFICE,
SAID “CRAP HAPPENS, DON’T IT !”
The People of that Office, knew what was happening to the Children & the Female Clients (most single women with children, too).
Our military veterans aren’t very successful in marriages, & when they split up by divorce, their children are “at High-Risk” of being put in Foster-Adopt Homes too.
I hope this helps with any type of Investigations into the Corruption Activities, happening in the State of Oklahoma.
We have an Excellent Lady in the Chamber of Commerce of Haskell County Now, & She’s Allowing Me to Provide Assistance, in Designing Programs for Children & Youth…that will hopefully help curb, some of the Parent / Child Separations, at least in this area of Oklahoma.
Please View My Journalism on that Website of the Veterans for Common Sense.org
I intend to submit more of articles like I’ve written there, about Our Families, & their Connection to the Military / Wars / American Veterans.
Sincerely,
Hazel Davis
Oklahoma
I live in Oklahoma
1. Federal data also shows that Oklahoma children experience frequent moves, extended stays in shelters and lack getting much needed therapy.
That is the biggest understatement I’ve EVER heard, this is why so many children in Oklahoma are in and stay in foster care, foster-to-adopt parents are afraid of becoming too attached and the child being yank from them.
2. Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services is fighting the suit. Their defense? A good record for monthly checks, which are performed by social workers, on the foster families. Allegedly, they are so diligent with the monthly checks, more issues are found. Therefore, their record appears to be worse than other states where they are not as diligent in making their monthly rounds. Foster parents and children in Oklahoma are not buying this story as they report that the workers are not showing up for the checks, but falsifying documents stating that the visits occurred.
So true my now husband was in foster care, was sent back to his abusive father, ran away to live with his mother at 16, DHS investigated and they STILL have the other two children in the home (ages 17 and 11), also my husband was sexually abused by his gay uncle (who is still around the children and now has HIV/AIDS) yet DHS did nothing and has still done nothing to protect these children despite repeated inquires by the mother and grandparents!
Still don’t believe me? google Joshua Minton or Kelsey Briggs and tell me DHS is doing their job.
What do you think needs to be done to improve the foster care system?
It’s the foster care and legal system that need to work together. They need to get these children out of abusive homes and put their parents in jail! They need to secure stable homes for these children, terminate the parental rights, and make it easy for good families to adopt them.
I think that it is shameful that Oklahoma DHS has fallen down on foster care and adoption and they want to punish other agencies. My husband works for DHS as a carpenter and they are being threatened with layoffs because of this lawsuit in an effort to save DHS money, when in all reality, it will cost DHS more to privatize the work. Also, we have waited, as an approved couple, for almost 2 years for adoption through DHS and still have not had a child placed with us, but, if DHS lays my husband off, we cannot afford a child anymore and the state will lose a home they have already paid to do a homestudy, fingerprints, background checks, etc…on, who are the brains behind this??? Seems to me that they are doing more harm than good!
Foster-to-adopt families are afraid of having the children yanked from the homes because (as we learned in the OKPride course) the goal is reunification with the biological parents. If they were worth having the children in their home, they wouldn’t have been removed to begin with, just place the children in homes of people who want to love and take care of them and stop giving the biological parents chance after chance when they do not deserve it and the majority of them blow their chances anyway. Let the punishment fit the crime! I cannot get my husband to foster because of this very thing…we are already approved for foster and adoption but we know that no matter what a parent did to the child, they will be given a chance to redeem themselves, some things are not forgivable!!! Stop punishing the children!
After reading the meany blogs posted, I feel compelled to share the story of a friend of mine from Oklahoma. Her home is a foster to adopt home. An infant girl was placed in her care three years ago. She and her husband fell in love with the child and knew they wanted to adopt this litle girl right away. The baby was taken away from the birth mother due to a drug and alcohol problems. After a year, the Judge awarded unsupervised visitation to the mother, even though there was no documentation of the birth mother recieveing treatment for her addictions.Instead of proceeding with the wishes of my friend who wanted to adopt the little girl, The Oklahoma Department of Human services went a step futher in helping the birth mother attepmt to regain custody of her daughter by using State funds to ship the birth father from Mexico back into the US. The birth mother became pregnant with a second child, a little boy which was also taken into custody after DHS found that both birth parents had severe drug problems. The social worker called my friend and demanded both children be placed in the same home together. The social worker decided to threaten my friend by means of placing the little girl they wanted to adopt into another foster home if my friend didnt accept the little boy as a foster child. Needless to say my friend fell in love with the second child as well so they are now in the process of adopting both children. Oklahoma DHS could have avoided using tax payer money to ship a drug dealing illegal alien into the US only to create another child to be placed within the system. The child support enforcement agency is just as bad. The State of Oklahoma funds CSE to provide custodial parents with a way to collect support from negligent parental partners. I myself have personally dealt with this agency only to be awarded $15.00 a month for two children. Thats right folks..15…no help with health care, dental or anything else children need to thrive! I guess after 8 years of asking the agency to help I can be greatful and give thanks to CSE for fighting on my behalf to furnish the cost of four Happy Meals to feed my children. I thank God for having an education to provide financially for my kiddos yet, I cant help but wonder how many people are drawing welfare waiting on CSE to pull through…Youd think CSE would get off their asses and start pulling some support out of these non paying negligent jackasses. Maybe then the Govt would have just enough money left to pay back a couple years of social security monies desperately needed to take care of the elders who paid into the system years ago.