Adopting Parents Want Free Care and Money for Adopting 'Damaged Goods' Foster Kids
Mike
By KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) -- Deb and Doug Carlsons' adopted sons have trashed bedrooms,
stolen credit cards and threatened to kill them. One drew a disturbing
picture of beheading the southwest Florida couple and throwing a party.
When the Carlsons adopted the now teenage boys from foster care in 2007,
they were handed a slim file with few details except that the two suffered
from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. No one told the empty
nesters the boys had severe mental health issues and had bounced between
foster homes. Now teenagers, the boys are living in separate therapeutic
group homes.
Therapists say one son needs to be in a supervised residential facility,
which the state will no longer pay for, unless the Carlsons turn back
custody to the state.
"We love him and he's part of our family. To have to make such a difficult
decision to get him the care he needs is ludicrous. It sends a horrible
message to him," said 55-year-old Deb Carlson. "You really feel like once
you sign on the dotted line you're on your own. You're totally abandoned
by the state."
While the overwhelming majority of adoptions end happily, some families
like the Carlsons say they weren't told about their new child's
psychological problems and can't get help from the government agencies
that recruited them.
Their complaints come amid a nationwide push to find homes for older
foster care children and those with serious behavioral and mental health
problems, which can emotionally and financially drain adoptive families.
Most states focus money on recruiting parents but once a child is adopted
few funds are directed to supporting the new families, some experts say.
About 50,000 foster children are adopted annually in the U.S., almost
double the number in the 1990s.
"We place them in an adoptive home and we don't support or train the
parents ... we sometimes set families up to fail and then those children
are placed back in the system," said Rita Soronen, president of The Dave
Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The Ohio nonprofit estimates more than 20
percent of the nearly 6,300 foster children it has served came from a
failed adoption.
But there's no national data to show how many adoptions fail or track how
many children need additional help, and states aren't required to track or
report the figures. Florida is among the few states tracking so-called
disrupted and dissolved adoptions, which happens when adoptive families
return children to foster care while in the process or after finalizing
the adoption. Florida had nearly 200 dissolved or disrupted adoptions in
2008-2009. There were 3,777 total adoptions that same year. However, most
of the dissolved adoptions each year are actually adoptions that took
place in previous years.
In Oklahoma, one child advocate said half the 14 boys in the group home
where she worked had been adopted and returned to the system. Legislators
there pushed for a law in 2009 fearing there was little transparency in
the process.
A Pennsylvania adoption program estimates about 60 of the 200 foster
children they work with come from failed adoptions.
A majority of failed adoptions involve older children with trauma issues,
including reactive attachments disorder, or RADS, where children struggle
to bond and act out against their adoptive families. Some have been
victims of sexual abuse and, in turn, act out sexually on other siblings
in the home. States typically cover a portion of care, but that coverage
can run out quickly. The costly services can drain private insurance,
leaving parents forced to pay out of pocket or return their child to the
state to access government-funded mental health services.
Many states have relinquishment policies that force parents to choose
between keeping their children and getting them help. Those who do
relinquish their children may face criminal abandonment charges and may
not be eligible to adopt again, said Mary Boo, assistant director of the
North American Council on Adoptable Children in Minnesota.
"States could fund the treatment and not bring the kids back into foster
care but they don't. It's a way to keep the states from having to pay the
bill," Boo said.
The demand for more post-adoption services comes as most state child
welfare agencies are already slashing budgets. Programs vary widely across
the country, from telephone assistance lines that link parents with
services to intensive family therapy sessions and respite care. There's
little research evaluating which programs work best, making it difficult
to get funding.
Florida's Department of Children and Families has trained more than 150
therapists to work with adoptive families. More than a dozen of the
agency's private contractors have hired case managers to work with
families after the adoption.
Ohio's program offers adoptive parents up to $10,000 for services - a drop
from $20,000.
A few states, including Pennsylvania and Illinois, offer robust programs
and are even increasing services.
Casey Family Services, covering New England and Maryland, has expanded
over the past three years after hearing from more families in crisis.
Diakon Adoption and Foster Care in Pennsylvania, which specializes in
finding homes for hard to place foster children, also had an increase in
failed adoptions. Diakon connects families with a case manager to help
with school problems and links them with therapists and other medical
help. Services also include support groups and respite care, but families
can only receive them for one year.
But in Florida, the Carlsons encountered problems when they tried to get
counseling and other post adoption services for their boys: The
organization's waiting list was so long they eventually told the Carlsons
they couldn't help anymore.
The boys can't be left alone or play in the neighborhood like normal
teens. Each week brings new crisis. Deb Carlson quit her job as a payroll
manager to deal with the chaos. She spends hours on the phone navigating
the system. A nonprofit advocate recently agreed to take one son's case in
hopes of getting the state to pay for more residential care.
Deb Carlson doesn't understand how a loving family's noble ambition to
help neglected foster children could turn into such a nightmare.
"You have these idealized visions, you treat them nicely and give them
things and make up for all the things they didn't have in their life," she
said. "All of the resources I've found I did on my own."
In May, several child welfare organizations lobbied Congress for more
post-adoption services to help families like the Carlsons. Sen. Amy
Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced a bipartisan bill that would have required
states to spend a portion of the federal dollars they already receive on
adoption services and accurately report failed adoptions, but the bill
stalled in committee.
"The minimal services could make a big difference for these families. They
feel very abandoned sometimes. We don't even have the statistics to look
at when it goes wrong, how and why," Klobuchar said. "It's very hard to
improve things if we don't have that data."
--
The Bible commands us to cut off Welfare, Unemployment, Food Stamps,
Medicaid, Medicare & Social Security in the USA.
If you are not working you're the problem with America.
"If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Waldo
wrote:
Reminds me of "an ounce of prevention"..... Birth Control.. some
realistic
info on what bringing a child into the world means. and prenatal care.
This is why we must support Planned Parenthood..They do a lot to prevent
"unwanted" children from even being conceived. So many criminals were
unwanted children. You do the math.
as the motto of P.P. goes. Let every child be wanted.
That's the best way to lower the abortion rate.
--
Karma, What a concept!
Dakota
Where are the so-called pro-life advocates on this issue? They don't
seem to care what happens to an unwanted child after he or she is born.
Mike
I knew a pro-lifer that said God was punishing the parent(s) of a sick or
troublesome child for their sins, especially unwed mothers.
SilentOtto
> On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:12:09 -0500, Dakota <ma...@NOSPAMmail.com> wrote:
> > On Tue 8/23/11 7:23, Waldo wrote:
You've just named the real motivation behind the Christian anti-
abortion crowd.
They see the miseries associated with unplanned/unwanted children as
the just and rightful punishments of God for living a sinful life.
And, they see abortion as a means of avoiding God's punishment, which
is why they oppose it.
That's the most basic thing one has to understand about the anti-
abortion fanatics.
They -want- the children and their parents to suffer because they want
to be able to point to the suffering and say "See? Misery is what one
gets if one doesn't lead a Christian life. And, if -you- don't lead a
Christian life, the same will happen to you.".
And, if the Christan anti-abortion fanatics don't think that events
are making the people involved with unplanned/unwanted pregnancies
sufficiently miserable on their own, they're more than happy to join
in and heap on some extra misery themselves.
They don't give a damn about the lives of children.
Their only interest in abortion is to preserve a means of coercing
people to accept their Christian faith.
malestrom
> They -want- the children and their parents to suffer because they want
> to be able to point to the suffering and say "See? Misery is what one
> gets if one doesn't lead a Christian life.
You're fucking insane, you screwed up out of work welfare bunny.
--
Greegor
When blood parents have a kid who is autistic etc.
they may be put in the very same situation where
they are forced to give up the kid to the state
in order to get the kid the extreme kind of help
they need.
In fact, these "special needs" kids are a financial
bonanza for the state, fosters and adopters
because they get paid much more each month
for "special needs" kids.
This extra "special needs" money is such a big
deal that the CPS agencies like to apply that
label to as many kids as they possibly can,
even if they have to LIE.
Interestingly, the state does NOT have to pass
on all of the Fed money they get to pay foster
contractors or adopters, and some states KEEP
a cut of the federal money they get for each
foster and adoptive kid.
Apparently different states get different monthly
amounts per kid PLUS the % the state skims
off that varies wildly.
It seems to be habitual that state agencies
withold the actual history of the kid from
the adopters.
It seems likely that states are keeping most or all
of the monthly stipend money they get from
the feds for some kids.
I know that on top of the monthly stipend for each kid,
fosters can get food stamps without regard to their
income or holdings, medicaid, grant money
to add a room onto their house, tax breaks and
clothing allowances. I know that ADOPTERS
get a stipend and Medicaid for each adopted kid,
but I don't know how many of the other forms
of help they can get.
I think it's very sad that blood parents could have
a kid with very serious and expensive medical
problems and that in order to get help they
are forced to give up the child to the state.
WHY can't parents with a kid like that get
MOST of the same help that fosters or
adopters get???
Kent Wills
Greegor <gree...@gmail.com> wrote:
Cite, please.
>I think it's very sad that blood parents could have
>a kid with very serious and expensive medical
>problems and that in order to get help they
>are forced to give up the child to the state.
>
>WHY can't parents with a kid like that get
>MOST of the same help that fosters or
>adopters get???
It's only the parents of such children who lack the education or
commitment to care for these children that are asked to allow the
state to have "custody." I've hear, though I have no means to confirm,
that in many cases, the children are not removed from the home.
As for how the money is used: Perhaps you can show the cost of
services and the distribution of the funding for an individual case to
support, or maybe prove, your insinuation that these services should
be delivered for free. It would be a good idea to show the readers the
detailed budget breakdown for expenses.
What is your excuse for suggesting a SOCIALIST agenda that the
State MUST support the child for the parent(s)? Other than the TRUTH
that you're a socialist, of course.
Which of these women is Lisa Rene Watkins:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/kwills_photo/8b1234bd.jpg
"I am Bob Larson."
Gregory Scott "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson offering more proof that he is
as mentally ill as he presents.
Message-ID:
<df610804-da3b-4aa8...@cu4g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>
A select number of items that really are about Gregory Scott "Piggly
Wiggly" Hanson (They are so accurate, Greg compared them the comment
that water is wet):
Title: ST VS GREGORY HANSON
(DOB 05/22/1959)
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT 04/10/1996
Comments: CT 1 OWI 1ST
OTHER CITATION 04/10/1996
Comments: CT 2 SPEED
Disposition Status
GUILTY PLEA/DEFAULT
"That's the chick, but not the pic, zipperhead!"
Greg "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson proving his bigotry towards Asians, by
attacking my first wife (deceased).
http://www.rsdb.org/search?q=zipperhead
Me: "I suspect your stalking is due to the use and abuse of illegal
drugs, Greg. Is the reason for your stalking the members of
alt.friends due to the use and abuse of illegal drugs?
Gregory Scott "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson, wife beater and child abuser:
"Of course."
"My family's case is for Neglect, but we are treated
in virtually every regard as child abusers, marked on
the Child Abuse registry, for example."
-- Gregory Scott "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson, wife beater and child
abuser
" ... But there ought to be conferences and studies on how to curb
minority overpopulation, repatriate minorities abroad, imprison more
minorities, increase use of the death penalty and divest minorities of
the power they have usurped over us in recent years. That would
address the most pressing problems of our day. ... "
April 2000, Gregory Hanson
http://www.nationalist.org/ATW/2000/040101.html#Hanson
Path:
news.datemas.de!newsfeed.datemas.de!goblin1!goblin.stu.neva.ru!postnews.google.com!y21g2000yqn.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail
From: Greegor <gree...@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
misc.kids,alt.support.foster-parents,uk.people.parents,alt.support.child-protective-services
With the Christmas season upon us again, my stepdaughter was launching
into her usual tirade of "I need this" (Nintendo 64 games, Pokemon,
videos, Rhianna CD, etc.) After enduring a trip through Kmart, I
was at my wits end. I took the kid home and filled the bathtub with
water. Then I dunked the brat's head under the water and counted out
a full minute, with her flailing her arms. I brought her up and she
gasped for air. When she'd caught her breath, I asked her, "When you
were under that water, did you 'need' Nintendo? Pokemon? Rhianna?"
She shook her head. "What were you thinking about?" I
prodded. She told me "I was thinking that I needed air."
"Now you know the difference between 'need' and 'want'" I exclaimed
triumphantly.
--a true story
As of Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011:
SMALL CLAIMS ORIGINAL NOTICE
Comments: OPA $2805.04
COPIES TO PA
VERIFICATION OF ACCOUNT
JUDGEMENT DEFAULT
Comments: JUDGMENT AGAINST GREGORY HANSON FOR $2805.04
+ INTEREST AT 7.271% FROM 8/6/98 & $45.00 COSTS.
Comments: NOTE OF GARN/NOTE TO DEFT SERV 9/24/98 BY WCSD
TO SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT (ED POLKERS) FOR GREG HANSON
FEES $35.60
Gregory Scott "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson has a Garnishment order against
him. There is nothing to even suggest any of the money legally owed
has been paid. The SoL on the order has likely expired, but Greg still
can't risk getting a job due to it.
Greegor
> At one time, Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:47:51 -0700 (PDT) to be exact,
>
Nice try Kent!
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ia-supreme-court/1360099.html
mythomaniac
http://www.doc.state.ia.us/InmateInfo.asp?OffenderCd=1155768
Kent Bradley Wills, 1110 South F Street, Rogers, Arkansas 72756-5520
County parcel # 02-00444-000 (Owned by Kent's folks Fred and Janet.)
Kent Wills
>> >WHY can't parents with a kid like that get
>> >MOST of the same help that fosters or
>> >adopters get???
>>
>> It's only the parents of such children who lack the education or
>> commitment to care for these children that are asked to allow the
>> state to have "custody." I've hear, though I have no means to confirm,
>> that in many cases, the children are not removed from the home.
>> As for how the money is used: Perhaps you can show the cost of
>> services and the distribution of the funding for an individual case to
>> support, or maybe prove, your insinuation that these services should
>> be delivered for free. It would be a good idea to show the readers the
>> detailed budget breakdown for expenses.
>> What is your excuse for suggesting a SOCIALIST agenda that the
>> State MUST support the child for the parent(s)? Other than the TRUTH
>> that you're a socialist, of course.
>> What is your excuse for suggesting a SOCIALIST agenda that the
>> State MUST support the child for the parent(s)? Other than the TRUTH
>> that you're a socialist, of course.
>
>Nice try Kent!
[Snip of items you've openly admitted are not about me]
Rather than attempt to distract from the TRUTH I write, why don't
you man up and answer the questions I asked.
Then you can answer the question of why you LIED and claimed a
post sent in 2005 was quoted in 1998.
Explain why you honestly thought your LIE wouldn't get exposed.
Explain why you have a psychological NEED to stalk minor
children.
You'll NEVER do so, since it would require you to be honest, and
you are psychologically UNABLE to be honest intentionally, unless you
think the truth will promote one or more of your lies.
Greegor
KBW > why you LIED and claimed a
KBW > post sent in 2005 was quoted in 1998.
You want me to explain something you falsely
claim that I said, without a link or quote.
You ARE Kent Bradley Wills, DOB Jan 8, 1969
convicted of two thieving felonies and one misd
form using a teen as your accomplice to the
garage burglary.
You are the world's most famous garage burglary felon.
You are also a well known usenet liar.
Kent Wills
Context restored at no additional cost.
>> Rather than attempt to distract from the TRUTH I write, why don't
>>you man up and answer the questions I asked.
>> Then you can answer the question of why you LIED and claimed a
>>post sent in 2005 was quoted in 1998.
>> Explain why you honestly thought your LIE wouldn't get exposed.
>> Explain why you have a psychological NEED to stalk minor
>>children.
>> You'll NEVER do so, since it would require you to be honest, and
>>you are psychologically UNABLE to be honest intentionally, unless you
>>think the truth will promote one or more of your lies.
>
>
>You want me to explain something you falsely
>claim that I said,
I make no false claim.
At no time have I ever claimed, directly or through implication,
that you've stated you are psychologically UNABLE to be honest. I
have stated, accurately, that you PROVE this truth. Not the same
thing as you dishonestly present.
>without a link or quote.
>
I want you to explain why you LIED and claimed a post sent in
2005 was quoted seven years before it was sent. You claimed I quoted
the post sent in 2005 in a post I from 1998.
Are you still trying to figure out the theoretical physics of
time travel?
Once you've done that, you can explain why you honestly thought
your LIE about the post wouldn't get exposed.
You can then explain why you firmly believe someone who is 15
years of age is 22 years of age.
Then I want you to explain why you have a psychological NEED to
stalk minor children.
Go on, Greg, let everyone reading know how you MUST stalk minors.
It's not like it's a secret. You've worked very hard to make certain
people KNOW that you posses a deeply rooted psychological NEED to
stalk minor children.
You were stalking a female juvenile (according to you) named
Sean. You would post the URL to her Facebook account frequently.
You then began seeking out the name of my juvenile son after I
admitted I foolishly posted his name on-line.
To try and hide your psychological NEED to stalk minor children,
you LIED and claimed my son, who is 15 years of age, is 22 years old.
You'll never offer an explanation, of course. You will either
attempt to evade, most probably by distraction as you've done in the
post to which I am replying, or you'll run away and HIDE from the
TRUTH.
Poor widdle Gweggie. If you would just be honest, your
pathological lying wouldn't get exposed nearly every day.
Sadly, your mind isn't wired for honesty.
>You ARE Kent Bradley Wills, DOB Jan 8, 1969
>convicted of two thieving felonies and one misd
>form using a teen as your accomplice to the
>garage burglary.
Nope. But you'll continue to claim I am. That you openly, though
accidentally, admitted, more than once, that I am not won't matter.
Your Aspergers DEMANDS that you follow the pattern.
You'll recall how you requested I post the MID for one post where
you slipped and admitted the truth, because you could make use of MIDs
with Google (it's mind numbingly easy to do).
Of course, when I posted the MID, your ability to make use of
them suddenly vanished.
Don't worry. I'm sure I'm the only one who notices the MASSIVE
discrepancy in your claims. LOL
>
>You are the world's most famous garage burglary felon.
>
Since, as you've admitted in the past, I have no such felony,
those who do must really be unknown, huh? For someone who has never
been arrested for a felony, let alone tried and convicted, to be more
famous for it than those who have the conviction says a great deal.
Mostly it says that you are a pathological liar. But then, you
go out of your way to offer PROOF that you are, so maybe it's not
saying as much as one might think at first glance.
>You are also a well known usenet liar.
Yet you must LIE to make the claim.
How do you explain this TRUTH I present about you, Greg?
Which of these women is Lisa Rene Watkins:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/kwills_photo/8b1234bd.jpg
"I am Bob Larson."
Gregory Scott "Piggly Wiggly" Hanson offering more proof that he is
as mentally ill as he presents.
Message-ID:
<df610804-da3b-4aa8...@cu4g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>
A select number of items that really are about Gregory Scott "Piggly
Wiggly" Hanson (They are so believable, Greg compared them the comment
Greegor
KBW > I want you to explain why you LIED and
KBW > claimed a post sent in 2005 was quoted
KBW > seven years before it was sent. You
KBW > claimed I quoted the post sent in 2005
KBW > in a post I from 1998.
Post a quote and LINK to where I said that, Kent!
In my posting history I searched for 1998 and 2005.
Most hits on those are caselaw related to your convictions.
One is a response quote like this post.