Ohio parents plead guilty in son's cancer death

[alp227]

The parents of an 8-year-old Ohio boy who died of cancer in 2008 have pleaded guilty to attempted involuntary manslaughter in his death.

Monica Hussing, 37, and William Robinson Sr., 40, face up to eight years in prison each; sentencing is scheduled for February 16.

"They thought the kid had swollen glands," John Luskin, Hussing's Cleveland-based attorney, told CNN on Tuesday.

From time to time, the boy's parents would notice a lump on his neck, but it would come and go and did not appear to bother him, Luskin said.

full: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/10/justice/ohio-cancer-death/index.html

[yardwork]

1. Like something out of Dickens. People jailed because they didn't have health insurance.

[frazzled]

4. I don't think this is about not having insurance

Although it may be about being poor and either ignorant or, possibly, abusive. As the article says, they could have taken the child to an emergency room for free. There's got to be more to this story: more evidence of willful neglect of the welfare of the child. If they just honestly didn't know (but at some point, as the child lay dying, I would think you'd have to know something was terribly amiss.)

There have been a number of cases brought against Christian Scientists for not bringing their child to a doctor, though this is still very controversial. The most famous is Commonwealth v. Twitchell. I'll just quote from Wikipedia:

Commonwealth v. Twitchell, 416 Mass. 114 (1993) was the most prominent of a series of criminal cases in the late 1980s and early 1990s in which parents who were members of the Christian Science Church were prosecuted for the deaths of children whose medical conditions had been treated only by Christian Science treatment.
In 1988, Massachusetts prosecutors charged David and Ginger Twitchell with manslaughter in the 1986 death of their two-year-old son Robyn.
Robyn Twitchell died of a peritonitis caused by a bowel obstruction that medical professionals declared would have been easily correctable.
The Twitchells' defense contended that the couple were within their First Amendment rights to treat their son's illness with prayer and that Massachusetts had recognized this right in an exemption to the statute outlawing child neglect.
The Twitchells were convicted of involuntary manslaughter. They were sentenced to ten years probation and required to bring their remaining children to regular visits to a pediatrician.[1][2] The conviction was overturned in 1993 by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[3]
The Twitchell case, and others like it, have become rallying points for both people who criticize religious exemptions to child neglect laws,[4] and those who believe that the government oversteps its bounds when it prosecutes people who believe that prayer is a legitimate alternative to medical treatment.[5]

Geez, I love these new html buttons!!

[evilkumquat]

5. I'm so sick of this "Emergency room is free" bullshit.

It isn't fucking free!

Sure they can't turn you away if you show up in agony, but goddammit if you don't have insurance or or cash on hand, they will fucking sue you and ruin your family, especially when anything approaching serious occurs. So of course most families without insurance or who are barely making ends meet will hope whatever it is will go away instead of taking their child to an expensive doctor or ridiculously expensive hospital, especially when the child isn't showing severe symptoms are writhing in agony.

Again: "Emergency rooms are free" = BULLSHIT!

Yes, I speak from experience.

[frazzled]

10. So you let your kid die

There is a CHIPS program to provide insurance to needy children, there are many ways to deal with a kid with cancer.

The proof in the pudding is given in the posts downthread: these people appear to have been guilty of serious serial child neglect. They knew the kid was sick. The sister reported them. They fled rather than even try to get help.

[evilkumquat]

15. Not saying let the kids die, nor saying these parents aren't at least partial guilty

I'm responding to the popular "emergency rooms are free" argument used by those who for whatever misguided reasons are against universal/single payer health care.

My wife, both my small children and myself have all had visits to the emergency room; not every occasion did we have insurance.

The last time for my wife occurred last year and luckily she still had her job and we had insurance; we're still paying off the CO-PAY to the hospital as well as the entire ambulance ride for which our insurance company refused to pay any portion.

[frazzled]

17. Well, I agree; I know they are not free

However, several things: let's not argue about single-payer health care here (I'm all for it). Let's deal with what happens in the current, real world when you suspect your child may be seriously ill: hospitals will take on charity cases, especially for a child with treatable cancer; there are also, as I mentioned, the CHIPS program, through which this family, if poor enough, could have gotten free insurance for their children, or many foundations that deal with financing cases like this. I don't believe the doctor quoted in the article was saying that any time someone goes to an emergency room that it is free.

Second, I bet if one of your children started displaying truly serious symptoms, that you would not care what the eventual cost would be, even if you knew it would put you in the poor house. You sound like the kind of person, like most of us, who would give their right arm for their children. It shouldn't have to come to that in this country. But given what it is now, especially until the ACA goes into full effect, we have to turn to other means. We will soon have universal, though not single-payer insurance. And these people, on a low income and with 6 children, would surely qualify for a full subsidy for insurance, if not Medicaid. In fact, I'm surprised these people were not on Medicaid as it was. It just sounds like they didn't participate in much of anything, including sending their kids to school.

As for your insurer not paying up for the ambulance ride, I can't tell you why. Did they say? I believe our insurance charges $100 for an emergency room visit. I remember paying it after the police found my husband lying unconscious on the side of the road, on top of his bicycle and took him to a hospital 25 miles away. (PS: They made me take him home with a fractured shoulder, 4 broken ribs, and a punctured lung!) There was an ambulance involved in that, but I don't recall that we had to pay for it. However, I remember several months later, when his doctors sent him to the emergency room when a hematoma incurred from the same accident got the size of a grapefruit and his whole leg was swollen, that we didn't pay anything: because he had to be admitted straight into the hospital (staph infection). I think that's how it works--probably, to discourage people from using the emergency room for things that are not serious.

I wish things were different. But, again, I don't think we can draw too many lessons about health care in society from this particular case. These parents were negligent in some way, have pled guilty, and need to get their act together for the sake of their other kids.

I know how hard it is to have to pay for health costs when you are uninsured: when our daughter was in her early twenties and lost her job and had no insurance, we nearly went broke paying for care and a hospitalization. It took us a number of years to recuperate from it. If ACA had been in effect then, we could have put her onto our insurance, because she was not then 26. So some things have gotten better in the last 3 years.

[lame54]

34. what happens when you suspect your child is seriously ill...

posted under husbands name - will repost on mine.

[unapatriciated]

35. what happens when you suspect your child is seriously ill...

and the hmo doctor refuses to do a simple blood test....nothing. In May of 1990 I requested my son be tested for Lupus do to rashes and fatigue (also family history of Lupus). I still remember his words on the many times I would take my son in. "Don't worry it's growing pains" or "it's a reaction to your detergent". The best one was "stop playing detective and let me be the doctor". He finally did the test I had requested in late December. I still remember that phone call telling me my son had systemic lupus. This turned out to be an incorrect diagnosis but at least we were referred to Childrens. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis and it had been active for almost a year. On the second day of my son's three month stay at Childrens, this same doctor tried to have him released. He stated that there was nothing more they could do for him and he would be better off at home with his family. My insurance company than started a battle of denials and delays, that would last for ten years. If my son had been treated early on he would not have endured as much pain and might have not lost as much muscle as he did. The disease is controllable (with little or no damages) in most cases involving children when caught early.

Insurance Companies do not belong in the business of for profit health care. Our health gets in the way of their profits and we lose.

[leftynyc]

38. YOU know your children better than their doctors do

Always remember that. If anything like this ever happens again, insist on the blood test and tell the doctor if he doesn't do it, you'll find someone else and will sue him into the poor house if it turns out to be serious. I have several mal-practice lawyers in the family (and please people, don't even bother calling them vultures, I've watched how they are the only ones who will fight for the patients while the doctors are lying and destroying records) and never held any doctor other than our family one in high regard. They have
G-d complexes and don't like to be questioned but the second you stand up and fight and mention a lawyer, your care will get much better.

[unapatriciated]

45. It was my threat to sue that finally got the blood test done.

Unfortunately, when I questioned his doctor at Children's about the delay and the effect it had on getting him into remission...You guessed it, they defended him. Telling me how rare Dermatomyositis is and difficult to diagnosis. According to his doctor at Childrens it is easily missed. Yet even they were surprised when my HMO doctor tried to release him to my care. When it comes to suing your Insurance Provider in regards to denials and delays it is even harder. I saw one of the leading attorneys in regards to this (Shernoff). After he looked over my files he stated they were staying just within the law. He also complimented me on my ability in getting most of my claims paid. I agree mal-practice lawyers for the most part care about their clients. Without them the little guy doesn't stand a chance.
http://www.shernoff.com/

[spotbird]

23. They made no such choice

You can hate them for being poor, but don't pretend they made a choice to let their child die.

[Tumbulu]

27. You are correct and any sensible person will not use the ER

unless it is actually and emergency. It is absolutely not free.

[JDPriestly]

11. If they thought he had swollen glands, they would not take him to the emergency room.

It's very easy to miss cancer symptoms. Even doctors miss them once in a while.

[frazzled]

13. See expanded information below, plus they pled guilty

These people seem to have been neglecting their children (to the point of abuse) all over the place. Let's not try to draw broad social lessons from these "news of the weird" stories.

[msanthrope]

8. They were jailed because they criminally neglected their children--see post 6 below.nt

[yardwork]

22. I appreciate the additional info. Thanks.

[Gman]

2. Who TF thought it would be a good idea to prosecute these people

I suspect there's more to it than in the article. Surely there is.

[msanthrope]

7. Six kids, none in school--moved to avoid Child Protective Services--see post 6.

[JDPriestly]

12. That gives a different perspective on the matter.

People can miss cancer symptoms. It is not uncommon that a cancer diagnosis is too late to help the victim, but not putting your kids in school. That is bizarre. Even homeschooled children usually participate in some formal group activities.

[Gman]

21. Hang the bastards

[roguevalley]

3. agreed. there has to be more to this. :(

[msanthrope]

6. These bastards deserved more time--More info on case--

Willie died shortly after his father took him to MetroHealth Medical Center in the final stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma, one of the most common and curable childhood cancers.

The couple moved to Cleveland three weeks before Willie died to avoid the scrutiny of Trumbull County Children's Services, which began investigating after Hussing's sister reported that Willie needed medical attention.

Willie's five siblings were also not going to school or getting medical care. They are now living with a maternal aunt, who supervises their parents' visits.

Cuyahoga County Children & Family Services continues to monitor the family.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/parents_who_failed_to_get_medi.html

[Wait Wut]

9. Thanks for this.

Like most others here, I was thinking that there had to be more. This goes beyond neglect.

[Tunkamerica]

14. From the Wash. Post:

Willie Robinson collapsed at his home on March 22, 2008. Prosecutors say he had begged his parents to take him to see a doctor but was rejected.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/ohio-parents-plead-guilty-to-denying-medical-care-for-8-year-old-son-who-died-from-cancer/2012/01/11/gIQAV34fqP_story.html

[azurnoir]

16. you left quite a bit out- here from your link

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 12:18 AM - Edit history (1)

“The kid had what appeared to be swollen glands,” Luskin said. “This was not a tumor that was getting bigger. It would come and go. He would have his good days, he would have his bad days.”

Hussing’s daughter, Lillian Hussing, said the family didn’t have money for medical care when they lived in Warren, tried repeatedly to get help from social services and visited a free clinic but left when told they would have to pay $180.

<snip>

And Lillian Hussing said a case worker had told the family the boy’s lump looked like a swollen gland and to hold off until they could secure financial assistance before getting it checked.

About two weeks after they moved to Cleveland, she said, her brother came down with something. Her mother treated him with cold medicine and he died within three days.

I work in medical it is quite questionable whether or not ER staff would have found the cancer, even if they preformed a CBCw/diff (complete blood count w/white cell differential) there would have been abnormalities but how they were interpreted is questionable and yes like it or not it's all about money the kid in this case would have stood a better chance in a public teaching hospital than in a private one

[Tunkamerica]

19. there's 3 paragraph limit

and I was just pointing out that the kid had asked repeatedly to go to the doctor.

[Duer 157099]

18. But when an insurance company does it...

then it's just bad luck

[Deep13]

20. If they had claimed they were relying on prayer...

...Ohio law would have granted them absolute immunity.

[azurnoir]

24. something no one here has mentioned the family was being under the auspices

of child protection and social services, why did that agency not help this family obtain medical care or even help the parents apply for one the programs mentioned here?

[Tunkamerica]

25. the washington post article said that their social worker told them not to get the lump

looked at till they were on some sort of program since it just looked like a swollen gland.

[azurnoir]

26. The same article says that social services had been involved since July of 2007

it does not take 6 to 7 months to obtain medical assistance. social services was dragging its feet at best

eta in my state MN it takes from 6-8 weeks for a medical assistance application to process and any accrued medical bills are paid retroactively for 2-3 months back from the date the application is ok'ed

[LisaL]

28. How believable is that?

The idea that social worker told them not to get lump looked at comes from the family's side. One of the articles says children's aunt contacted CPS because she was concerned the boy needed medical attention.

[azurnoir]

29. but if that is true how was it that social services was involved for at least 6 months

without that happening?

[mntleo2]

30. The LAST thing CPS does is help families

...indeed they spend literally 1000% more on everything BUT helping the family. Besides the $millions they get in Title IV money, they additionally go in and take 1/3 of the TANF, Medicaid and food stamp money and then refuse to help desperate families in need, crying about all the cuts. Literally out of the mouths of babes. Then they go in and harvest little kids so they can sell them to the highest bidder in adoptions ~ where CPS workers actually receive bonuses for the children they take. Where the Title IV funding literally mandates to stakeholders, "For every child you take, the more money you will make. If you return these children home, you will lose any present and future funding for any returned children ..."

DYS agencies are well aware that less than 10% of the children they take are truly abused and that there is little need to take most kids. They are well aware that, if families are given services, these children will thrive far better than in foster care. They do not have to observe or respect Constitutional rights nor will they even have to produce any credible evidence in court showing any abuse has occurred at all. They can claim "imminent danger" for a child with no proof in order to take children from their homes. This means that even though nothing has happened to a child in the past they THINK it MIGHT happen in the future ~ which is used a "fact" in family court. This has been in admitted in such courts as the 9th circuit where the court itself said that the "investigations" CA CPS conducts are not believable (Humphreys vs Los Angeles County). If you think this is JUST in CA, think again since most states model their CPS agencies after these dolts.

CPS is now taking children from low income families when it costs literally 1000% LESS to assist their families. This comes out of the frankly elitist, stoooooooopid attitudes among many Americans that taking a child from poverty and putting them in upper income homes is "better" or "in their best interest". In fact there are statistics showing that in foster care after children are removed, they then face another 5-7 X greater chance of being abused and in adoption homes it is not much better.

Just because someone has a split level home and a nice car does *not* mean that behind those closed doors everything is peachy keen. Adoptions pretend this is the main criteria and overlook so much abuse after being bedazzled by the swing set in the back yard. They know for a fact that taken kids are more likely to drop out of school, go to jail, become homeless, become mentally ill, go through teen pregnancy, than if they are left in the home with services, even when the parent is drug addicted. do not say these workers are "damned if they do, damned if they don't" since not one CPS worker in my state in over 30 years had gotten so much as a slap ion the wrist. They enjoy absolute immunity even after having been proven in court to have lied. They know kids should never be taken for anything but the worst abuse, but hey there is money to be made...

Most of these families are low wage working families needing help with ESPECIALLY medical, affordable housing, food, affordable transportation, and most of all DECENT wages. But n-o-o-o-o. Paying the CPS worker, the 6 figure family court judge, all the large non-profits and the "independent" GAL agencies who spend thousands to send their lawyers in court for the GAL NOT the kid, for adoption agencies eager to see the child to the highest bidder since they will retain a pretty penny of what they get from the government, the adopters, and their "child saving" donors.

In the end because everyone refuses to admit to their part and give these families and their children the assistance they need (you know "it takes a village for everyone BUT poor doncha know), a little boy died without treatment and his family had fled the injustices of family court. They were scrambling to make ends meet without any assistance, and then we want to pretend that the whole thing happened in a vacuum when in fact it did not.

If any of the judgmental people in this discussion underwent what this family has, I can tell you they would SHUT THE HELL UP. THEY are the ones causing this hysteria that is destroying low income families and supporting austerity cuts that would help kids instead of making their lives worsened but WE CAN'T HAVE THAT CAN WE? We would rather let a little boy DIE than help his family ...

Cat in Seattle ~ and yes this angers me as an activist who has seen terrible poverty as well as the the judgement and hatred of the the poor with dummasses who think social worker's so-called fake "concern" is SO caring, but never does an f-ing thing about the poverty that causes this s**t.


.

[azurnoir]

33. Thank you well said n/t

[bluestateguy]

37. CPS workers are not well paid

I have known many of them, dated one a few times, and they make very mediocre salaries. The notion that CPS is some kind of dangerous elite is rather silly. You'll also find these agencies very underfunded in most states: we'd rather waste money on cops and prisons.

[mntleo2]

41. It is not the CPS worker for which I am speaking ...

...it is their AGENCY, their consultants, family court and all the non-profits who profit off of taking little kids. Also perhaps these "mediocre waged" workers never talk about the Title IV bonuses many get for every taken child. Sorry but $40,000 a year with all the bennies IS rich to many of the families from whom they take these children who barely make a quarter of that with no benefits ~ including medical.

Worse CPS workers merely have to point the finger and anything they say in court to be "fact". They do not have to observe Constitutional rights for the accused ~ and have absolute immunity even after being proven in court to have LIED.

While I will say many of these "child savers" keep themselves intentionally ignorant about how their agencies are funded as well as about true poverty and the "wonky" side of this funding, I am telling you they live on Title IV paid salaries whose mandates say, "The more kids you take, the more money you will make and if you return these children home, you will LOSE all present and future funding for returned kids ..."

You know as a Progressive and having done much research and hours of conversations with legislators, university researchers, DYS agencies, and many others, it is often discouraging to hear people say knowing what I know is "rather silly". I wish to GOD it was, but the only "silly" thing about CPS and their minions is that they think spending 1000% more on taking kids where 90% of them are simply needing services that would cost YOU 1000% less than it would be to helping families. It is far more than "silly" knowing when you know that giving services would be more successful and that taking kids and putting them in foster care is somehow "better" for kids knowing it will traumatize them for life, now THAT is more than "silly", it is greedy, self serving, absolutely cruel, and beyond tragic.

As usual the "silly" part is the CPS worker paid to carry water for large non-profits, consultants and their agency directors so somebody can spend 1000% more to hurt kids instead of helping them for profit. your wide-eyed "dates" might do a little research on family preservation and how much better it works for kids but then hey, I am the "silly" one when I have no degree and yet know more than they do...go figure ...

No due process: http://nccpr.info/the-nccpr-quick-read/

Interrogation process questioned in court: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/06/high_court_punts_on_bend_girls.html

Impact on child development in foster care showing children are at "a significant heightened risk" when being placed in foster care: fixcas.com/scholar/impact.pdf

I can give you more links on studies and the impact n children in foster care, the family preservation efforts that work better and are FAR less expensive for YOUR tax dollars,and the lack of true due process in family court. But I suspect from such a "silly" person, it would be too complicated and wonky to understand for you and your "dates".

Cat in Seattle

[2 Much Tribulation]

44. What makes them dangerous is enormous power + little understanding

That seems to fit the description of the non-expert you dated, and the position of every CPS worker is one of enormous power.

[mntleo2]

48. Thank-you, you said it all in a nutshell! nt

[happyslug]

40. That is NOT my experience with my State's Children, Youth and Families (CYF).

Now, over the last few years we have had a scandal over Juvenile Court (A Couple of Dauphin County Judges were taking brides to send Juveniles to a private prison in Allegheny County even if the case did NOT call for such imprisonment) but Children, Youth and Families were NOT involved in that Scandal.

One of the problems CYF has, is instructions from the State to minimize costs, thus placement with parents are preferred, for the amount set for Welfare in Pennsylvania is much lower then the grant to a Family that takes in a Foster Child (and the Local Welfare office refuses to tell relatives that they can get Foster Care money for the child, if they refuse to take the child without foster care). CYF hopes the relative takes the child without the Foster care Grant for any welfare the family gets for the child is much less then the Foster Care Grant for the family. Any Welfare program involving Children, the Federal Government will pay 1/2, but the state has to pay the other half, thus the state to save money prefer children on Welfare as opposed to Foster Care.

At the same time, the law is quite clear, the child has to be put in the care of the nearest available relative. In most cases this is an aunt or uncle, or grandparent of the Child. Unless that relative refuses the child unless they get Foster Care, they can NOT get Foster Care. Yes, relatives have to be cold blooded about this, for that is what the State is (i.e. more worried about money then the welfare of the child). Foster care is three to four times what Welfare will pay in Pennsylvania, but Foster Care will only be granted to a family member if the relative refuses to take the child without it.

Except for the problems in regards to Foster Care to Relatives, my local CYF is noted for providing assistance to families, and this is also done by my County judge who hears the cases of CYF.

Just pointing out the problems you claim, I have NOT seen locally and I deal with CYF on an almost monthly basis (I do a lot of Custody and Visitation Law, and that is related to Children, Youth and Families). CYF has problems, mostly do to a lack of funding (State Legislators and Congressmen talk about helping children, but tend to vote against it when it comes to spending actual money to help Children).

[mntleo2]

42. Relatives are usually the LAST consideration for these kids

...Even though most CPS agencies are mandated to look with the family first. But I cannot tell you how often in case after case how kids are placed with strangers rather than relatives. Grandparents are often targeted for TAKING these children from them and have no rights, even after having raised their grandchildren for years. Foster families have more rights than a relative. They have more rights to adoption, they have a right to choose a lawyer if accused, they are heard with more weight in court, and GALs and CPS workers are far more likely to listen to a foster parent than a relative. This is because (sorry I have to yell since I say it over and over) they ignore this mandate because THERE IS MORE MONEY FOR STAKEHOLDERS WHEN THEY PLACE KIDS WITH NON-FAMILIES INSTEAD OF FAMILY.

As a Progressive myself, I just KNEW this was going to be a hard conversation with a bunch of wide-eyed "liberals" who have *no* idea about the corruption and huge money given with no questions asked, of The Foster and Adoption Industrial Complex ...(sigh).

Just sayin' ...

Cat in Seattle

[mntleo2]

47. This is a PN parent story you might "like"....

...I knew this woman and work with parents and families like her all the time.


The fact she was from Pennsylvania might interest you though while I worked with her, her story is not just for your state, but for most states ...

Just sayin' ....



Robin Committed Suicide Last Week

"... Interesting story for the Seattle Times to note on Family Reunification Day with children taken by CPS and then returned to their families. While this self glorification is about DSHS being “fair” I might question their motives and misinformation for We The People.

Because she is on my mind a lot these days, I thought of my friend Robin
who was not so lucky as those families. A mother of 4, her 4th child was
taken by CPS almost at birth a mere days after her own doctor took them to his family home in an effort to prevent this travesty. DSHS's claim that 2/3 of the children they take are returned to their families. This is not exactly true and they know it.

Family Court, CPS, and their workers know they did not have to have any legal reason that they had to prove in an independent court to take these kids. Because CPS can merely point the finger and use their rubber-stamp CASA and consultants, as well as Family Court judges who can unconstitutionally take children without proving a thing by saying it is, "in their best interest".

Robin, who was not a drug addict, had never abused anyone in her life,
indeed she and her children were fleeing an abusive spouse, was penniless
and had no chance. But even if she had been any of those things, there is
a much more likely chance that, not only would it be thousands of dollars
cheaper and statistically a better chance of success, but Robin's children if left in her home with services, would have done much better than their 3X more likely chances to be abused in foster care after being permanently traumatized from losing their mother. As adults having endured this benign neglect at the hands of CPS and Family Court, taken children are more likely to grow up to become homeless, more likely to be in prison, more likely to be unemployed, drop out of school, and more likely to use drugs, this is a statistical and real world fact.

Since Robin's "defense" lawyer, the judge, CPS workers, the CASA worker,
all non-profits, the foster homes, and any of their paid consultants are
all paid out of the same Title IV/TANF/Medicaid funding, they had no
reason to allow Robin to take her babies home. All of them go into family court with tax-paid lawyers to defend THEMSELVES but there is no such independent defender for the child.

Even though CASA's lawyer and staff receive millions supposedly as "independent" advocates for children, they are certainly not independent ~ instead they rubber stamp all CPS actions ~ with their own lawyer present in court dependency hearings representing CASA personnel, not the child, leaving the child with nobody to defend them.

Worse, since ALL this funding is based on how many children taken, NOT on
returning them to their families, every single one of these professionals
had a reason to ensure Robin's 4 children would never see her again.
Their jobs.

This is most certainly not because these "poor misunderstood" workers are
"damned if they do and damned if they don't" take Robin's kids.

Even in the Wenatchee Sex Ring abuse cases, later proved to be mere witch hunts, not one single professional was so much as disciplined, from the judge, to the counselors using proven and unethical methods, to the CPS workers who lied, to CASA workers, to the police officers, nor to the prosecutors who took up a ridiculous case that wasted millions of tax dollars, decimated almost 30 intact families, alienated over 200 children from their families by forcing them to lie against their own parents, wrongly imprisoning dozens of innocents for decades, but not one of these professionals paid a thing.

And according to Freedom Of Information Act requests, never once has any irresponsible publicly employed WA CPS, judge, CASA, counselor, nor any other professional faced any such discipline or firings since then either, even after being proved to have lied. Indeed the caseworkers who raise questions, such as Supervisor Juanita Vasquez and Paul Glassen tried to address, are pariahs, harassed and fired by DSHS for even raising any doubts, later having to sue and win millions for this harassment.

My State of Washington has never learned a thing from decades ago to
today. They are far more "concerned" for the one non-foster care case that tragically slips through the cracks, than the thousands of permanently traumatized kids they take "in the best interest of the child" because of the funding they depend upon. Where it is studiously ignored about the once a month foster deaths while out of family care and instead trumpeted to the media the once every two years death at the hands of a sick parent in order to "prove" a child is better off in foster care than with their families. From personal experiences as well as statistical data, it is a fact that the desire to promote hysteria and witch hunts has not subsided ~ merely to make a buck off the backs of traumatized little children, many who will never see their families again, in order to line DSHS and family court pockets.

When her first three children were taken, Robin lived in clean and sober
non-profit low income housing where she and many other residents observed
that in the time they resided there and most likely since, EVERY SINGLE
CHILD WAS TAKEN AND EVERY SINGLE PARENT LOST THEIR RIGHTS. These same
non-profits "coincidentally" often houses an adoption agency, now what an
amazing coincidence! Not one person in the media or government oversight, has any questions as to why every single parent in these CLEAN AND SOBER housing situations deserved their rights terminated.

Really? In a clean and sober housing project every single child was being abused? Since DSHS gets around $8000.00 + per month per child, and an additional $20-50,000 per adoption, this must have reaped them and their Family Courts a pretty Title IV, TANF, and Medicaid penny.TANF and Medicaid money by the way, that should have helped Robin and her children, but instead was taken out of the budget and given to pay CPS workers, and all their paid-for rubber stamps in court including
foster care, consultants, CASA, and judges, all paid to take her children instead.


Robin told me that her 4 year old son begged her to take him home every
time she saw him, and her baby did not even know who she was. Her other
two children, one which was handicapped, (even more money in DSHS pockets, woo hoo!) were abused while in their foster home, as they are 3 X more likely to endure than if they had gone home, according to Michigan and WA State studies of over 200,000 foster alumni. These abused children also begged for their mother, but CPS and the CASA worker did not care about that. No, they were more concerned about "the best interest", which it appears pertains more to them and their funding, than for Robin's children.

This month, in June, 2010 Robin was informed she was losing her rights as
a parent and that CPS was going to drag her through court unless she
voluntarily gave her children up. As they did in my own family's case,
every single one of these well paid professionals "forgot" to tell Robin
of her alternative right to turn over guardianship to her sister who
wanted all 4 of her children and was willing to work to help the family
stay together. This guardianship would have taken DSHS, CPS, CASA, THE
COURTS AND ALL THEIR MINIONS RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER THE WHOLE CASE ~ AND
SADLY ALL THAT MONEY.

It must have been a slip of the mind since DSHS was so excited about the $200,000+ they would bring in for adopting Robin's children out instead - in addition to the $32,000+ per month they had already gotten over the years for all four of her children under their jurisdiction. And they would receive nothing as they never do, when returning kids back to their homes, only when they retain a hold on these children.

Robin had no way of defending herself unless it was with a lawyer who was
not even required to show his/her success in court for any of his or her
cases, a clear violation of ABA ethics making no effort winning cases as
paid to do. Attorneys who would actually benefit more if he/she lost,
since they got the same funding as the CPS worker, paid consultants, CASA, judge and prosecutor they faced. Robin said she was so organized when going into court, DSHS and court personnel often thought SHE was the lawyer ~ and though she had barely a high school education, Robin was smart and she knew her rights often better than her "defense" lawyer. But as with many in Robin's shoes, it was information too late.

Robin's 30th birthday was spent without her children and she was in deep anguish. Without health care, this woman went to a hospital seeking help for her deep depressionin in desperation, but found none. So after penning a farewell note to those who loved her, and there were many myself included, this mother of 4, best friend to her sister,
cherished daughter, revered friend, and aunt to 5 nieces and nephews, died by her own grief-stricken hand.

Robin will never be reunified with her children but perhaps at least she will be reunified with her other sister who died at the hands of a foster parent at the age of 8.

The data stated in this letter comes from The Annie E. Casey foundation,
UofW, Uof MI, National Coalition for Child Protective Reform, Representative Jim McDermott's Office, and the Health and Human Services in WA DC. Our state (WA)DSHS refused to give me their (supposedly public) budget information. They know it would be a wake up call to people who believe most children are better off in foster care than in their own homes. Decided by people who would rather pay $2000 + a month to foster care and $6000 to themselves than give 1 penny of these services to a family in need. "Robin" indeed did exist, as has hundreds of other parents in this situation whom I know who have not taken Robin's way out but whose cases are just a hopeless. I protected my friend Robin for her children and family and have changed her name.

National Coalition For Child Protection Reform. Much information on this stite
Families and Foster Care Against False Allegations
Annie E. Casey Study (scroll down to page 13 to see the graph of funding resources )

The public housing where all children are being harvested for adoption noted in this writing: I would like to note here that there isn’t ANYONE else within the government who has a single question nor has done any research about why EVERY SINGLE CHILD is taken from these housing projects. At least as a concerned citizen I did this research ~ for free I might add instead of the $100,000 salaried disinterested government official who does nothing.

The women from whom have I have heard personal stories about this harvesting are mothers from:

* Opportunity Place in Seattle WA, YWCA 2005- 2007 (and there are surely more, but these are the specific years and locations where residents described the routine CPS sweep of housing for the taking of children) * Pennsylvania Transitional Housing 2009-2010 (and who knows how many more years) * Michigan Housing Authority 2008-2010 (plus how many more years)? * Georgia Housing Authority and various transitional housing projects 2007-2010 (again nobody knows how many years other than this)
Sincerely,

Catherine Sullivan

Address, phone and email included ..."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/07/13/883930/-Thanks-to-CPS,-Robin-Committed-Suicide-Last-Week-?via=blog_645833

Hope this helps ...

Cat in Seattle

[2 Much Tribulation]

43. +1 for being very VERY true nt

[Stonepounder]

31. Just not enough information

After reading this post, the CNN article, and the comments, my conclusion is that there is just not enough information to make any sort of determination as to where blame (if any) should attach. Were the parents in contact with Social Services? Were there insurance and/or financial considerations that constrained the parents? Were they actually negelectful or just not in tune with what was going on? Etc.

[alp227]

32. more articles with background info

"Prosecutors say Monica Hussing and William Robinson, refused to take their son, Willie, to the doctor, even though he begged them to." (WJW, circa March 2009)

"Hussing’s attorney, John Luskin, said his client took responsibility in the case but, given her education and background, didn’t realize the boy was seriously ill and was treating him with cold medication.

“She is a mother that just did not have the capability to recognize” cancer, Luskin said Wednesday." (AP, 1/11/12)

[Tsiyu]

36. These folks are the Teabaggers' and Libertarians' Dream Parents

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 10:11 PM - Edit history (1)

"Let 'em DIE!" is their idea of economic justice for uninsured health issues.

They applauded this concept at one of the debates. Where are they now, to stand beside this couple?

[alp227]

46. they're picketing Planned Parenthood clinics in the name of "LIFE! LIFE!"

[Tsiyu]

49. But under no circumstances - once you're out of the uterus- dare

you interfere with anyone's profits.

Don't you DARE! If you get sick it's your own fault.

We can't pay for your medical needs.

We can't afford to keep you alive.

That would mean we'd have to fire someone.

To keep our bonuses. Our multi-million dollar bonuses.

Do. Not. Interfere. With. Our. Bonuses.









Just die.

[Auntie Bush]

39. If we had an Obama's health care plan

These parents wouldn't be going to jail, their son would still be alive and all the pain and suffering by the child and parents wouldn't have happened. We don't need to put them in jail...we need national health care.