Another Child Dies Needlessly After The Child Welfare System Fails
Another Child Dies Needlessly After The Child Welfare System Fails
On February 10th, investigators for the Florida Department of Children and Families were called to the home of Jorge Baharona after someone called an abuse hotline to report that Baharona punished his adopted 10 year old twins by binding their hands and feet and forcing them to remain in a bathtub as punishment. A few days later, one of the twins, Nubia, was found dead and the other, Victor, badly burned with acid. Both were in Baharona's truck.According to published reports and court papers, an investigator went to the home but left without interviewing the twins or other children in the home. Ominously, this was the fourth time investigators had been called about Baharona.When an investigator went to the home earlier in the week, the twins were missing. Unfortunately, one from the state's child protective services unit bothered to call police. What did they do? Apparentnot much. They visited the school and home and called the father's cell phone.Four days later, investigators finally called the police after the twins still had not been found. Shortly thereafter, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper found Nubia dead and wrapped in a bag in the back of Baharona's truck. Victor was still alive but barely.Would a simple call to police four days earlier have saved Nubia? Probably, although no one will ever know. Baharona denies killing Nubia but claims he planned on killing himself and Victor. He is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. Homicide charges have yet to be filed while investigators try to piece together what happened to the 10-year-old twins.The story behind the story is the continuing utter and abject failure of our nation's child welfare system. As a prosecutor in Maine some years ago, I recall the case of Logan Marr, a 5-year-old girl murdered by her foster mother; her foster mother who was also a caseworker for the Maine Department of Human Services. Logan was suffocated after being bound with duct tape to a chair in the foster mother's basement. Sally Schofield, the foster mother and caseworker, was later convicted of manslaughter.When a child in state custody dies, headlines are made. Unfortunately, there are probably thousands of foster children that are abused annually. While no monitoring system is perfect, the death of Nubia and Logan Marr were clearly preventable as are many cases of care abuse.For many kids, the state child protective services unit is the last line of defense. It is their only safety net. Child welfare workers have a legal responsibility and duty to properly place abused and unwanted kids and monitoring those placements. When the state can't or won't do its job properly, the legal system must step in.The real story tonight is not whether Baharona is guilty or not. The criminal courts will ultimately sort that out. Florida, and every other state, must insure that their policies dealing with monitoring and following up on abuse calls are current and followed.If you suspect that someone is being abused, or if you are the victim of abuse, call your state's child abuse hotline and police. Keep calling and reporting until he feel that someone is taking your call seriously.{Note - as a former police officer and prosecutor, I know many wonderful child welfare workers It is a stressful job that few can handle. Although these workers almost always do a great job, kids do fall between the cracks. Don't be afraid to keep calling.} What Is An Early Child Consultant? What Role Does A Consultant Play In Childhood Development? Know How To Prevent Your Child From Getting Addicted to Television Mangosteen, Nature's Secret Healer Faulty Products Are Not Child's Play for Parents Playing Dress Up With Your Children Bronchial Asthma Treatment in Children How To Identify Child Stress Attention Deficit Disorder In Children Big Boy Toys for any occasion Know Your Limits – Parents Reward Child's Good Grades with Plastic Surgery Abercrombie Kids Outlets for Fashionable Wear Toys that occupy a baby Toys to make them think