>of abuse are proven. This is often the way social service agencies prove 
 >their budget demands. By citing worst case scenarios and not using the
 >actual number of proven complaints, they inflate the magnitude of the 
 >problem and the mainstream media usually goes along with them, never 
 >questioning their statistics.
 >A point to keep in mind, this press conference comes at a time when the 
 >FACS is handing in to the regional council, their yearly budget request.
I've seen this a lot down here in Florida.  The HRS goes on to say how wide 
spread the problem of child abuse is and then doesn't go into detail about 
how many "reported" incidences are bogus reports.
In fact, it's become apparent many of the abuse problems have been recently 
occuring in "get this" HRS APPROVED foster homes.  The HRS says "We're 
overworked and underpaid"  "not enough manpower to monitor each and every 
foster home".  These comments came shortly after an investigation to an 
abused HIV positive 12 year old.  When this girl was finally taken to a local 
hospital due to malnutrician and emitiation (sp?) and brought to media 
attention, then the HRS finally stepped in to comment.
After all that was said and done on the above case, the HRS said they were 
going to investigate the situation.  Here's the problem, the HRS was doing 
the investigation... NOT the local law enforcement agencies.  WHO POLICES THE 
HRS AND SIMILAR AGENCIES?  NOBODY!
I personally know of a case involving a woman getting her children taken away 
from their mother due to illeged abuse by the mother and stepfather.  The 
children were taken out of the home and put into an HRS APPROVED FOSTER HOME 
and when everything was finally resolved... it was determined by the court 
that the children suffered more abuse (mentally and physically) by the foster 
family.  The girls came home with thousands of flea bites over there bodies, 
ciggarette burns, the house was filthy and had roaches crawling everywhere 
including on the dinner plates.  This is only the tip of the iceberg for this 
family.
To conclude... it seems more abuse occurs with the HRS and simliar U.S. wide 
agencies than in some of the "illeged" abusive homes.  Granted, there are 
some children in SERIOUS need of help due to abuse... I'm in no way saying it 
doesn't happen... but the children that REALLY need it CAN'T get it and the 
innocent people are taking the RAP for the false accusations.
Karen
Member of V.O.C.A.L.
Bradenton, Florida 
 
 
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