|
QUESTION:I cannot speak to NY, but I know that you are missing some facts when
it comes to other parts of the country. It is extremely rare that
families would be adjudicated to recieve services for the minimal
things you point out. However, after the fact of serious foul and
dangerous (and it isn't for teens, but is for crawling babies....one
must look at the whole picture before drawing conclusions, musn't one
now) environs, THEN clear instruction on how to keep house are not
only given, they are taught by state paid "homemakers" who cover even
more that just cleanup.
ANSWER: Ach, you're from Cali, no? You have a warm fuzzy system. The burden of
teaching parents how to clean house falls to caseworkers in Columbia County,
NY. They aren't "Child Protective" Caseworkers, but some other designation,
"Family Services." Sometimes a worker with a degree in this stuff comes in
from a semi private agency, but always on referral from the DSS.
In a specific case I'm thinking about, mom and dad were limited, and their
landlord was a total slumlord. The septic was backing up - ewwww. It was
winter and the furnace was broken - brrrrrr. Besides the fact that the
folks were probably not good housekeepers to begin with. Dad was working,
so no financial help to pay for a furnace repair, or plumber was
forthcoming. DSS said they could go live in a hotel room - essentially
abandon the house they were living in with >1 kids. Mom and dad balked,
because the plumber was coming sooner or later, and DSS swooped in and
rescued the kids. Plumbing and furnace eventually got fixed, when dad could
save enough money for the bill. Kids were NOT returned. Parenting classes
mandated. (Not MY case). Well not according to all those mistreated families that are picketing
so successfully in San Diego. You saw it on the national news didn't
you?
|
|
|
|
