Most Vulnerable Children at Risk in Georgia

December 6, 2013
Written by The Associated Press in
All About Family
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It has been reported all to often that The Division of Family and Children's Services agency's shortcomings have contributed to dozens of children's deaths.
It has been reported all to often that The Division of Family and Children's Services agency's shortcomings have contributed to dozens of children's deaths. Photo Credit: ajc.com

The most vulnerable children seem to be at great risk while under the care of the State of Georgia, and it seems to be an ongoing problem.

Christmas being a special time particularly for children – it would be nice if the State of Georgia managed to keep more of them, over which it has oversight and responsibility, alive to enjoy the day … and all days.

Unfortunately that has not been the case for some decades now, with attention called to the situation only during intense, but brief, flare-ups of print and "film at 11" interest as recently occurred in a whole series of sorry-outcome cases topped by the emaciated, burned body of a 10-year-old girl being found in a garbage can outside her family's Lawrenceville apartment. She had been, literally, thrown out with the trash.

This has happened time and again, to the point that one newspaper simply reported as a fact everybody knows: "The Division of Family and Children's Services agency's shortcomings, which have contributed to dozens of children's deaths…." Just things as normal in Georgia, so children beware. You are on your own.

Gov. Nathan Deal jumped in with the right words, the proper level of concern, a quick infusion of money – more promised than delivered. He likely meant the feelings expressed as well. Many citizens forget that he used to be a judge dealing with family issues and started in politics as a Democrat, not a Republican with solid dollar-denying credentials. His "bleeding heart" moments are not a pose – they just no longer melt his bottom-line beliefs.

At Christmastime, the focus on children become highlighted, but their safety and care should be priority all year round.

Moreover, Deal likely understands how complicated and legally messy this whole realm of state responsibility is. It is not simply a police matter, or even a social-worker problem. There are basic rights at play – parental ones, children's privacy, the inviolability of what happens inside a family's castle. The whole thing is a nightmare that too long has left a bystanding public tossing and turning in an uncomfortable bed that it pays for.

On the day they buried the most-publicized victim, Deal said he would propose to the legislature spending an additional $27 million over three years to hire 525 new child-protection workers. That would begin, in the 2015 budget that starts on July 1 of 2014, with $7.4 million to hire 146 additional caseworkers and 29 supervisors.

The fewer remaining caseworkers are said to average 20-30 cases each (some involving multiple children). Any single parents out there trying to watch over 30 children … but only allowed 40 hours a week?

It is not just money that will remedy this situation, although the present conditions have been neglected to the point that more funding will certainly be required. Rather it is a greater investment in public interest, societal attitude, personnel competence and state leadership that will be necessary in an abundant quantity that is now missing.

Failing that, a body count that is constant but gets mentioned every now-and-then is the only alternative.

Northwest Georgia News

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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All About Family

Comments

How does this happen?

Submitted by PARKS2014-14 on

When I read this article I was left with more questions than answers. Have they looked into other states? What if there are more states like this? How are they so sure that money and more workers will fix the problem? Why did it have to reach so many kids before something happened to it? They should have done something before then.

What I'm Trying To Figure Out

Submitted by PARKS2014-08 on

What I'm Trying To Figure Out Is Why Are Children Being Killed In The First Place. What Are People Thinking. Somebody Needs To Do More Than Pay For Caseworkers and Supervisors.