Past Haunts Child-Welfare Tragedy

By RICHARD WEXLER
Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 11, 2011 at 8:08 a.m.
The Ledger

There is a familiar ritual unfolding in Florida. The horrifying death of Nubia Barahona, allegedly at the hands of her foster/adoptive father, and the near death of her brother Victor are "raising questions" about the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Though The Ledger says the case is "a reminder that two decades of child welfare reforms in Florida" have not been enough, in fact Florida hasn't had two decades of reforms. It's had only four years of reform -- preceded by seven years of careening full speed backward under the disastrous policies of former DCF Secretary Kathleen Kearney and her immediate successors. Returning to those failed policies of the past would be the worst possible mistake.

At the heart of the most recent tragedy is not the false claim that the DCF supposedly does too much to preserve families now, but the fact that it did too little to keep families together before. FULL STORY