Florida's childrens' services sued to keep media from covering death of child, torture of brother.

[madfloridian]

What a beautiful little girl. From a story at the Palm Beach Post. Sweet picture.


WFOR-CBS4
Handout photo shows Nubia Barahona, a 10-year-old whose body was found wrapped in plastic in a pest control truck. The girl's adoptive father, Jorge Barahona, is being held as a suspect in the girl's death.

The DCF caseworker was fired. She had reported the home safe without contacting the children four days before Nubia was found dead.

The state Department of Children and Families today officially fired Andrea Fleary, the child abuse investigator who responded to the first allegation of abuse at the Barahona home just four days before Nubia Barahona's body was found in the back of her adoptive father's pick-up truck in West Palm Beach.

According to DCF officials, Fleary was given a "notice of intent to dismiss" on March 3, and Fleary had 10 days to respond.

An independent review panel charged with figuring out if more could have been done to keep Nubia and her brother safe criticized Fleary for filling out a report stating the Barahona home was safe for the twins without even contacting the children.

Here is much more on how the system failed these children as they have many others through the years. This op ed was written by a lawyer in Tallahassee. The Miami Herald and Channel 7 News in South Florida had to go to court to get information from DCF about the two children.

DCF Fails Children Over and Over

On Valentine's Day, 10-year-old Victor Barahona was found with life-threatening chemical burns in a pickup truck on the side of Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach. The battered-and-decomposed body of his twin sister, Nubia, was dumped in the back of the truck like so much garbage.

The real trash was spewed by the "child welfare" system that allowed Jorge and Carmen Barahona to "foster" the twins, and later adopt them despite unmistakable evidence that the couple was torturing the children to whom they were supposed to be loving saviors.

..."The miracle that Jackson Memorial's medical team had worked on Victor was a bright and badly needed point of light in this dark drama. After days of shocking revelations about the vile stew of bad social work, bad management and bad lawyering that these children had sustained, finally there was one picture worth a thousand words of thanksgiving.

You'd think the folks at the DCF would praise the Lord and pass the popcorn. Instead, they hauled Channel 7 into court to try to stop the broadcast.

From Channel 7 news. They are still investigating and searching the home.

Barahona house searched again

Police have once again returned to the home of Jorge and Carmen Barahona to search for clues.

Crime scene units returned to the couple's Southwest Miami-Dade home late Friday morning to collect more evidence. Detectives could be seen, Friday morning, hauling out a variety of bags and taking pictures from the home, as prosecutors continue to build their case against the couple.

The Barahonas both face first degree murder charges in the death of their 10-year-old adopted daughter, Nubia.

At the end of February the Miami Herald sued to get more information on the case.

Miami Herald Sues DCF Over Refusal to Release Barahona Adoption Records

MIAMI- A Florida newspaper takes the state on in the Barahona abuse case.

The Miami herald is suing the Department of Children and Families trying to get them to hand over documents related to the abuse case of the twins.

The 10 year old girl, Nubia was found dead in a pickup truck on I-95 in West Palm Beach.

This agency is apparently one of the private companies that have contracted to handle Florida's child care. There's a mixture of state and private companies handling things, and one wonders how that is working.

There is also a three member panel that is now looking at how DCF handled the case. The panel heard from the head of the private agency running foster care in miami-dade county on friday. We spoke to panel member, Bobby Martinez who said, " In my opinion something failed.. that should have never happened."

And also in court is Jennifer Perez, the mother of the girl who reported the abuse. Jennifer Perez's 7-year-old daughter told a counselor that in her grandmother's house, the children were being tied and told to stand in a bathtub for hours. Perez's daughter has also been taken into DCF custody, but she wants her daughter back. Perez said of the situation, "It hurts that I was lied to when all this was going on and that my daughter was there."

Missing from the story is the name of the private agency.

NBC Miami reported in strong words around the first of March.

Barahona's Case a "F---ing Outrage"

Judge was told of abuse four years before Nubia Barahona was found dead.

It appears the potential blame in the tragic case of Nubia Barahona can be spread to even more parties.

A report Tuesday revealed that a Miami-Dade judge was told of alleged abuse of the 10-year-old girl four years ago, but did nothing to stop her foster parents, Jorge and Carmen Barahona, from becoming her new parents.

Child welfare attorney Christey Lopez-Acevedo said Tuesday she told a judge at a hearing that Nubia claimed Carmen Barahona would beat her feet as punishment. The allegations came after a then 6-year-old Nubia wet her pants in school.

There was another child who disappeared several years ago. Her name was Rilya Wilson.


A caretaker for Rilya Wilson, the foster child whose disappearance four years ago exposed serious flaws in Florida's child-welfare system, was indicted Wednesday on charges of murdering the girl, who was 4 years old when she vanished. The caretaker, Geralyn Graham, was also charged with kidnapping and aggravated child abuse. Rilya's body has never been found.

These are not the only ones dead or missing in the Florida DCF system. Others have suffered as well. It's an example of making the welfare of children secondary to profit.

We need to remember them.

[Scurrilous]

1. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Horse with no Name]

2. Sickening. Privatization=No accountability

As a country, is this really what we want to entrust our children to? Whether it is Medicaid, CPS, education or any other entity? I can answer that easily.

[madfloridian]

3. I am trying to find the name of the contractor, the company.

I have tried every search term.

[damntexdem]

4. Did you try "worthless scumbags"?

jus wandrin

[Shallah Kali]

7. Our Kids, Inc

from article: 'Barahona Relief Act' bills would limit monetary awards for abuse victims
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/barahona-relief-act-bills-would-limit-monetary-awards-1296260.html

tate grapples with its child protective services
THE ISSUE: DCF reacts to rash of fatal child abuse cases.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorials/fl-dcf-editorial-dl-20110321,0,430105.story


business site: http://www.ourkids.us/Pages/default.aspx

[madfloridian]

11. Thanks! OMG... rather than try to fix the problems, they want to limit awards

in abuse victim cases? That is unbelievable. How heartless.

[Shallah Kali]

35. one ceo implied the money 'saved' would be used toward more caseworkers

somehow I doubt it. This is just evil putting profits ahead of children's lives and health.


House Measure Caps Child-Welfare Damages
Advancing bill would limit lawsuit awards.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20110317/NEWS/103175066/1374?Title=House-Measure-Caps-Child-Welfare-Damages

That in turn would allow the contractors to put more money toward serving children and less toward liability insurance or lawyers' fees, said Shawn Salamida, the CEO of Partnership for Strong Families, the lead community-based care organization for 13 Northeast Florida counties.

"I'd rather take that money and hire two new caseworkers," said Salamida.

Mike Watkins, CEO of another contractor, Big Bend Community Based Care, Inc., said his agency's liability insurance had just been cancelled. The carrier, Watkins said, had told him to expect a 100 percent increase in premiums – and that that was low compared to hikes faced by other CBCs.

"This is probably the greatest threat to community-based care," said Watkins.

snip

Farmer also pointed to a supporter of the bill, Our Kids, Inc., the community-based care organization in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties that handled Nubia and Victor Barahona's adoptions. Farmer said Our Kids had gross revenues of $101 million in 2008, while its CEO, Frances Allegra, earns more than $200,000 with bonuses. Half a dozen other members of the agency's executive team have salaries hovering around $100,000, Farmer said.

[Hannah Bell]

24. florida child & family services uses private contractors to investigate abuse?

[madfloridian]

5. Here are the orgs mentioned at the DCF website for S. Florida area

It's hard to tell more about these groups from the listing.

http://www.myfloridafamilies.com/programs.shtml

South Florida
Healthy Families Florida
Suite 120
915 Middle River Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, 33304
954.561.9681
Broward County
Building Strong Families: Healthy Families Plus

Home visiting, support services, and workshops using Gottman's Loving Couples/ Loving Children curriculum.
Fountain of Life International Ministries, Inc.
3541 S.W. 144th Avenue
Miramar, FL 33027
[phone]
Broward County
Healthy Marriage for Low-Income Couples

Workshops for low-income married couples in Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) curriculum: "Within Our Reach", mentoring programs and marriage enrichment weekends.
PAIRS Foundation, Inc.
2771 Executive Park Drive
Suite #1
Weston, FL 33331
877-724-7748
Broward,
Dade &
Palm Beach
Counties
PAIRS Relationship Skills for Strong South Florida Families

Healthy marriage and relationship skills education for married couples, parents, singles, high school students, premarital, engaged and committed couples.
Trinity Church, Inc.
17801 Northwest 2nd St.
Miami, FL 33169
[phone]
Dade & Broward Counties
Keys to a Healthy Marriage

Relationship skills education and sound financial habits for high school students; support programs for their parents.
EnFamilia Art & Family Education Center
240 N. Krome Avenue
Homestead, FL 33033
[phone]
Dade County
South Dade Alliance for Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Holistic, culturally sensitive workshops for Hispanic and Haitian fathers in the South Dade area of Miami designed to improve family well-being.
ReCapturing the Vision International, Inc.
9950 Hibiscus Street
Miami, FL 33157
[phone]
Dade County
ReCapturing the Vision

Money management and relationship skills education for low-income African American and Hispanic 10th-12th graders in select Miami-Dade High Schools in The Vessels of Honor and Capturing the Vision curriculum. Relationship skills, healthy marriage education, parenting, budgeting, conflict management, job/career counseling, and bi-weekly visits by mentor couples.to non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers.

[ellenfl]

14. the post had an article recently naming 2 of the private companies.

check palmbeachpost.com.

ellen fl

[madfloridian]

15. Yes, Shallah Kali posted these above.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorials/fl-dcf-editorial-dl-20110321,0,430105.story

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/barahona-relief-act-bills-would-limit-monetary-awards-1296260.html

They list Our Kids Miami-Dade/Monroe Inc, Child Net Inc., and group that oversees the private companies...Florida Coalition for Children, a statewide umbrella group of private foster care providers.

[WhiteTara]

6. this is why there is CASA

and it's needed in every city and state. If you have the time and energy, you could be the savior of children like this! Check it out
http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301295/k.BE9A/Home.htm
edited to add CASA link

[Angry Dragon]

8. When a country can not protect its children

then everyone needs to step back and fix it
The way it is going now the only value a person has is before they are born

[Canuckistanian]

9. Sounds like NBC Miami is being gagged

None of their videos are working. Only a message saying "This content is currently unavailable"

[madfloridian]

10. The video in my link is working for me.

Try again and see.

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R

[MedleyMisty]

13. Sometimes I feel like giving up on the human species

Then I look at people standing up for themselves elsewhere in the world, and think - maybe I should just give up on Americans. Maybe it's not the whole species that is so horrible.

Man though - why did I have to be born here with all the sadistic psychopaths?

Here's hoping that, one day, Americans find their humanity and say no to things like this.

[johnroshan]

20. Look deeper...

There are psychopaths EVERYWHERE, there are selfish greedy fucks EVERYWHERE, there are people who abuse children EVERYWHERE! Such is human nature, such is the human condition.

There are people with a heart EVERYWHERE, there is courage and selflessness EVERYWHERE, there are people who love children EVERYWHERE! Such is human nature, such is the human condition.

John.

[tcaudilllg]

21. Psychopaths in every country.

[Quantess]

16. Heartbreaking.

[Frisbee]

17. "We need to remember them"

We need to do more than remember them, we need to fix the system so their deaths were not in vain. What can be said about a society that allows profit to come before it's childrens welfare.

[McCamy Taylor]

18. K&R

[JI7]

19. does anyone know if other states are this bad or Florida really is the worst ?

it always seems to be Florida where i hear about foster/adopted kids being harmed by those who took them in. and there is always a case of the state having failed to keep a watch on the kids.

i remember Rilya wilson case. she would have been about 15 today .

[Patiod]

32. This happens all over the country - even in dark-blue Phila

DHS services have been privatized with horrific results
http://www.philly.com/philly/hot_topics/26375979.html

To echo others on the thread: Privatization means lower quality services. Period.

[madfloridian]

38. It would be interesting to see how wide-spread this practice is now.

Of privatization and little or no oversight.

[RockaFowler]

22. There are 2 more children murdered in South Florida

They were also in DCF custody. This story was the absolute worst one I have heard:

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_s_palm_beach_county/delray_beach/dcf-to-hold-news-conference-about-delray-canal-victims

On March 1, 10-yr-old Jermaine McNeil and 6-year-old Ju'Tyra Allen were found stuffed in luggage in the C15 canal in Delray Beach. Subsequently, their mother Felicia Brown was identified as the victim of a homicide believed to to have happened in August of last year. Clem Beauchamp Is the suspect in this case and he's currently behind bars on unrelated charges.

[madfloridian]

29. I had not even seen that one....found more. Shocking.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/15/2116394/records-reveal-tragic-life-of.html

"Their journey with the state ended in 2008, when both were returned to their birth mother, Felicia Brown, who had to adopt Jermaine because her parental rights had been terminated. Brown had completed intensive parenting classes, a domestic violence program and drug treatment, and was in therapy, a report by the state Department of Children & Families said. “She was managing successfully,’’ a report said.

The family reunion was short lived. On March 1, the bodies of Jermaine, 10, and his younger sister, Ju’tyra, 6, were found stuffed in luggage and floating in the C-15 canal that separates Delray Beach from Boca Raton. The body of their mother, who had disappeared months earlier, was identified days later as the “Jane Doe’’ who had been found in a landfill more than six months before.

The prime suspect in the violent deaths: Clem Beauchamp, 34, Brown’s on-again, off-again live-in boyfriend with a violent history and another woman in his life. Beauchamp is in jail on a federal weapons charge.

On Tuesday, DCF Southeast Regional Director Perry Borman said the agency was reviewing whether it made sense for the agency to have reunited Ju’tyra and Jermaine with their mother."

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/15/2116394/records-reveal-tragic-life-of.html#ixzz1HFbuFKYB

[Dorian Gray]

23. This is a heartbreaking story

Family and Children's Services in Florida are complicit in this murder. How can they live with themselves?

I hope that this case will spur an overhaul of the system. These children need advocates. They need people to look out for their best interests and their safety.

Poor poor babies. They deserved better. Hopefully children who will subsequently enter the system will receive better.

[madfloridian]

37. Yes, they deserve better.

I can't help noticing that the schools and teachers did their jobs. Reported it 4 times...were ignored.

[Tsiyu]

25. The sickening thing is

that many of these children are taken from their birth parents for the most evil of reasons.

They are taken because they are poor. Because the parents have trouble maintaining the home with few resources, perhaps no running water, and no public mental health or parenting services in counties that nevertheless seem to have plenty of money to invade a family's life, take their kids and give them to sadists.


People have no idea how dangerous it is to be poor in America.

[sulphurdunn]

26. Apparently, if the Palm Beach Post

is to be believed, and if I read the article correctly because it is hard to believe, the solution to this problem, as proposed by some Republican legislators, is to pass a bill capping the liability of private contractors responsible for such atrocities.

[madfloridian]

28. Yes, you read it correctly.

It's horrific to even think they would consider that.

[Jefferson23]

27. Horrific abuse that could have been averted..and it happens far too often.

I am not aware of a model other countries follow who may have much healthier/productive results..but I do
know ours is fraught with needless tragedy.

When you think about the failure rate of state agencies having in these cases..bad enough right? To even imagine
allowing privatization play a role...pathetic.

In the early 90's the documentary, Who Killed Adam Mann, revealed an inept workforce, to say the least. Looks
like across the country we have not improved, not at all.

In the documentary, the child was killed by his father, the autopsy report was enough to make you sick..literally.
There were other children involved, at the end of the piece it was the psychiatric professionals determination that
Adam's siblings were now severely emotionally disturbed.

The moral/ethical equation is clear, also the impact this has on our society when we have so much failure to protect
those who can't defend themselves. I am not aware of what happened to the siblings..the father received I believe
a 5 year sentence.

[Jamastiene]

30. Oh, I get it now.

People can do whatever horrible stuff they want to do to children in Florida. Just so long as the gays can't adopt, anything else goes.

Sick.

K&R for exposure. These kids should not have to go through the horrors they do.

[madfloridian]

33. You are so right.

Mean-spirited and hypocritical...and much of it done in the name of religion...so-called.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

39. and so long as women can't get birth control, health care, or abortions

and make 'em pay for their rape kits too.

Go Team Republican.

[WolverineDG]

31. Child "Protective" Services often uses their victims' privacy to hide their own abuses

They have no problem seizing children for much less than what they allow their foster & adoptive families to do to their victim children in their care.

Meanwhile, children who are truly suffering abuse & neglect are ignored, in favor of children who are more easily adopted out, which is where the $ is for CPS.

dg

[DirkGently]

34. Not acceptable. Neither are the resources the (gov't employed) state workers have to work with.

[madfloridian]

36. I blame the system itself. I have much respect for social workers.

I worked with so many great ones during my teaching career. I think they are caught in the system, just like teachers are now.

Politicians making decisions that benefit corporations.

[loudsue]

40. America has GOT TO QUIT privatizing stuff that has no business in corporate

hands!!!

Child Services
Education
Military
Prisons

etc. It just has to stop.

[bluesmail]

41. Recommended. Too late for an 'official' rec.