AZ: Government has no place playing parent

With stories of new failures by Child Protective Services appearing in the newspapers almost daily, you don't have to be a lawmaker to understand that something is seriously wrong with the state agency charged with protecting Arizona's children.

Whether it's Anndreah Robertson, the 10-day-old infant who had been exposed to crack smoke and died three days after caseworkers declared her home "safe," or Liana Sandoval, found beaten to death the same day CPS marked her abuse file "unsubstantiated," the agency's track record of protecting children has gone from dismal to grim.

What would Karen Johnson know about anything? This woman portrays herself as some sort of moral saint all the while she's been married and divorced three times and on her fourth husband...

She lets her religious belief drive how she votes... She's the worst kind of legislator I can think of...

Instead of removing children from dangerous homes, agency caseworkers now focus much of their time and attention on enrolling families in government welfare programs.

CPS in AZ is out of control. They removed a relatives three children from their home for three years on unsubstantiated claims. A nickle-sized bruise on the 5-year-olds butt caused when his friends were playing "swords" with 1" PVC pipes caused this family to be nearly destroyed. CPS should not be kidnapping children for any old reason. 50% of all deaths caused by child abuse nationwide occur after CPS has removed children and placed the children in state care/foster care. They are worse than the problem they are trying to solve.

Children can be permanently stolen from loving parents without a jury trial or even criminal charges being filed. Some parents have found their children placed up for adoption before the permanent severing of parental rights had occurred - while they were still fighting to get their kids back. The state and the CPS (doctor, counselor, lawyer, caseworker, psychologist, etc) industry profits for every child they steal. The Federal Government subsidizes this child abduction industry.

I haven't read this entire article, but from what I read I had to vent.

CPS must end its culture of secrecy. Current practice allows CPS to cover its tracks and close its books in a way that would make the CIA jealous.

Another relative had a run in with CPS and this time an attorney was obtained who knew what to do. CPS never got their hands on the kids and this relative was able to record the caseworker making threats, lying, and breaking the law. The attorney forced the case to criminal court (NEVER, EVER let it stay in "family" court) and won a quick acquital in a jury trial. The caseworker perjured herself numerous times on the stand and the attorney was able to play back the recordings to prove it. A couple of weeks ago, the attorney went back to pursue perjury charges or a civil suit against the caseworker he found that the court had conveniently lost the transcripts AND erased the audio recordings of the trial.

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