Posted on 12/16/2008 6:23:21 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Denise Revels Robinson announced Monday that she will step down from her position as director of the embattled state-run Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare.
In a letter to the state Department of Children and Families, its private agencies and bureau staff, Revels Robinson wrote that she had requested a transfer within the department.
"The details of my new position are being finalized; however, I expect to begin my duties in January 2009," she wrote.
The state-run bureau in Milwaukee has been under fire for the way it and one of its private contractors, La Causa, handled the case of Christopher Thomas, the 13-month-old foster child police say was beaten to death by his aunt last month, despite regular visits from a La Causa caseworker.
Department of Children and Families officials admitted Friday that a series of serious mistakes were made in Christopher's case, and promised to enact sweeping reforms in the Milwaukee County system.
The La Causa caseworker has been reassigned and placed on probation and her supervisor demoted. The nonprofit agency that employs them is under threat of losing its $11 million contract with the state.
Reggie Bicha, secretary of the department, also vowed Friday that every foster child in Milwaukee County 3 years old or younger will be examined by a nurse and that caseworkers will be required to double the number of home visits they make to foster children under 3.
Revels Robinson became director of what was then the Milwaukee Child Welfare System in February 1997, a year before the state, in response to a class-action lawsuit, took over the Milwaukee County child welfare system.
She began her career in 1969 as a foster care caseworker in New York City. She came to Milwaukee from Minnesota, where she had been the director of the Family and Children's Services Division with the Minnesota Department of Human Services since 1992.
"Child welfare has been my life's work," Revels Robinson wrote in her letter. "However, at almost 62 years of age, I believe it is time for me to take my professional life down another path."
In a statement, Bicha said Revels Robinson would move to the Division of Prevention and Service Integration. "She will continue to work on protecting children, strengthening families and building Wisconsin communities," he said.
Bicha thanked Revels Robinson for her leadership of the Milwaukee bureau, during which the number of children living in out-of-home care in Milwaukee County shrank from 7,000 to fewer than 3,000 and hundreds have been adopted.
"She has dedicated her entire career, nearly 40 years, to serving children and families," he said.
Change welcomed
Child welfare advocates welcomed Monday's announcement, but warned that changes in leadership would not be, in and of themselves, sufficient to solve Milwaukee County's child welfare problems.
"Leadership is unquestionably a determining factor in how a child welfare system is run and whether it protects children," said Marcia Robinson Lowry, executive director of New York-based Children's Rights, the organization that filed the class-action lawsuit against Wisconsin in 1993. The lawsuit settled in 2002, and Children's Rights continues to monitor the Milwaukee child welfare system.
"But merely changing the leadership of BMCW is not going to make Milwaukee's children safer unless it is coupled with a commitment to address the system-wide problems that are leaving children in harm's way to begin with," she said.
Susan Conwell, executive director of Kids Matter Inc., a Milwaukee-based foster and kinship care advocacy group, saw Revels Robinson's departure from the bureau as step forward in accountability.
"The good thing is that the department is accepting responsibility," she said. "But what it means is wide open.
"They haven't announced a plan. If they are serious about getting people in the community together and putting their shoulders to the wheel, that's great."
Kia Woda-Rudolph of West Allis is the foster mother of a 17-month-old girl. She and her husband, Joe, have adopted two of their foster children: a daughter now 5 and a son now 9. She is also president of Voices United Inc., a support group for foster, kinship and adoptive parents.
The foster care system, she said, "hasn't changed, hasn't gotten better, in 10 years."
"We need positive change in the bureau," she said. "It starts at the top. Change is good."
Sen. Robert Jauch (D-Poplar), chairman of the Senate Committee on Children and Families and Workforce Development, said current economic troubles will put Revels Robinson's replacement in a difficult situation. Adequate support must come from the entire state.
"We all share the social and moral responsibility of protecting children," he said. "In memory of Christopher Thomas, we should all step up."
Money Quote:
"We all share the social and moral responsibility of protecting children," he said. "In memory of Christopher Thomas, we should all step up."
In other words, "Open up your wallets, Taxpayers! We can't protect 'the children' without more of your money!"
The shortage of foster parents pushes kids further and further into risky familt situations, even with the best of intentions.
She is requesting a transfer. Gotta keep that phat gubbermint job. The lifeline for dolts. Wonder if she got kickbacks?
(rant)
I have been personally involved in helping families devastated by out-of-control case workers. A few of these case workers revel in their ability to destroy families. Many people quit these agencies in disgust. Much of our data about agency abuse actually came from ex-agency people.
The agency placed 100% of children taken from parents on psychiatric drugs. Each child is “evaluated” by a shrink and (surprise!) each is found to be mentally ill and prescribed drugs. Disgusting.
Children have been taken based on totally insane criteria.. for example a dirty house is enough. Even a mild argument between parents in front of the kids can justify removal of the kids. The absolutely worst example was one where a Family Court judge ordered a newborn infant taken from the mother based on a past abuse allegation. The judge then took leave and adopted the child herself. The agencies get big bucks for every child they can adopt out. So it’s no mystery why many more investigations are done on cases where the parents can’t afford lawyers.
It’s amazing how many case workers are not parents. I had one tell me that she was more qualified to make child-rearing decisions because she had a college degree. LOL! But then these “experts” in turn allow the most obviously rotten people to be foster parents.
(end rant)
I'm serious.
A well-run orphanage, with a board of visitors and staff directly accountable to the public, frequent inspections, and a cottage-style living environment, would be cost effective and much safer compared to parcelling out children to hundreds of foster parents scattered all over.
There are many well-intentioned, diligent, loving foster parents, but there are far too many who are just in it for the money or even more nefarious reasons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.