Wednesday, November 30, 2011

New Study Shows U.S. Government Fails to Oversee Treatment of Foster Children With Mind-Altering Drugs

Children in foster care are more likely to take multiple antipsychotic medications for longer periods of time than any other group of children.
By DR. MARK ABDELMALEK, BRINDA ADHIKARI, SARAH KOCH, JOSEPH DIAZ and CLAIRE WEINRAUB

Nov. 30, 2011
The federal government has not done enough to oversee the treatment of America's foster children with powerful mind-altering drugs, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to be released Thursday.

ABC News was given exclusive access to the GAO report, which capped off a nationwide yearlong investigation by ABC News on the overuse of the most powerful mind-altering drugs on many of the country's nearly 425,000 foster children.

The GAO's report, based on a two-year-long investigation, looked at five states -- Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Texas.

Thousands of foster children were being prescribed psychiatric medications at doses higher than the maximum levels approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in these five states alone. And hundreds of foster children received five or more psychiatric drugs at the same time despite absolutely no evidence supporting the simultaneous use or safety of this number of psychiatric drugs taken together.

GAO Key Findings

Overall, the GAO looked at nearly 100,000 foster children in the five states and found that nearly one-third of foster children were prescribed at least one psychiatric drug.

The GAO found foster children were prescribed psychotropic drugs at rates up to nearly five times higher than non-foster children, with foster children in Texas being the most likely to receive the medications compared to foster children in the other four states.

Although the actual percentages of children who received five or more psychiatric drugs at the same time were low in the five states included in the GAO report, the chances of a foster child compared to a non-foster child being given five or more psychiatric drugs at the same time were alarming.

In Texas, foster children were 53 times more likely to be prescribed five or more psychiatric medications at the same time than non-foster children. In Massachusetts, they were 19 times more likely. In Michigan, the number was 15 times. It was 13 times in Oregon. And in Florida, foster children were nearly four times as likely to be given five or more psychotropic medications at the same time compared to non-foster children.

Initially part of GAO's investigation, Maryland was later excluded from GAO's analysis "due to the unreliability of their foster care data" according to the report, a problem ABC News learned many states face.

Foster children were also more than nine times more likely than non-foster children to be prescribed drugs for which there was no FDA-recommended dose for their age.

For the most vulnerable foster children, those less than 1 year old, foster children were nearly twice as likely to be prescribed a psychiatric drug compared to non-foster children.

When Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., lead requestor of the GAO report, first learned of the report's findings, he said, "I was almost despondent to believe that the kids under the age of one, babies under the age of one were receiving this kind of medication."

ABC News has reviewed dozens of medical studies published in recent years that echo GAO's findings -- research showing foster children receive psychiatric medications up to 13 times more often than kids in the general population.

In some parts of the country, as many as half of foster kids are on one or more psychiatric medications. This, compared to just 4 percent of kids in the general population.  FULL STORY

Foster Parents; CPS reform ineffective? Part 2 of 4

Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

We were exploring an article that came to our attention, on Az Central, the article was called a time for a new approach to protecting children… FULL STORY

Foster Parents; P.R.I.D.E. or beyond? Part 5 of 5

Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

In this series, we explore the definition and components of a program called P.R.I.D.E. we discovered what the acronym stands for, and that...… FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

American Minute


American Minute with Bill Federer

November 30

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was his first popular story, written while in San Francisco.

He then sailed to the Holy Land and wrote Innocents Abroad.

While on this trip, he saw the picture of his friend's sister, Olivia Langdon of Elmira, New York, and he fell in love.

Immediately upon his return, he met and married Olivia.

His name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, born NOVEMBER 30, 1835.

In Innocents Abroad, 1869, Mark Twain wrote:

"We dismounted on those shores which the feet of the Saviour had made holy ground...

One of the most astonishing...observations is the exceedingly small portion of the earth from which sprang the new flourishing plant of Christianity."

Mark Twain continued:

"The longest journey our Saviour ever performed was from here to Jerusalem - about...one hundred and twenty miles....

He spent His life, preaching His Gospel, and performing His miracles, within a compass no larger than an ordinary county of the United States."

Mark Twain wrote:

"In the starlight, Galilee has no boundaries but the broad compass of the heavens, and is a theatre meet for great events; meet for the birth of a religion able to save the world."

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with credit to: www.AmericanMinute.com, PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Overruled 2.0 Launch - Please Help

ParentalRights.org logo
Sign the Petition Donate Volunteer Learn More View Online
November 29, 2011

Farris Takes Up Parental Rights Case
ParentalRights.org President Michael Farris has taken up the case* of Jacob Stieler, an 8-year-old Michigan boy who has battled cancer this past year - and whose parents must now battle the state of Michigan over who makes the tough decisions in this little boy's care.

Parents Erin and Ken were thrilled when a PET scan
following surgery and a regimen of chemotherapy revealed no cancer. They were afraid the chemo itself would kill Jacob, and now no more was necessary. Sadly the doctors disagreed - and they called Child Protective Services.

To get the latest full account in Michael Farris' own words, visit HSLDA's page here.

Constitutional Literacy

Constitutional Literacy for your $75 gift
For a limited time, we are again offering this 25-part DVD set for your donation of just $75 or more. You can't buy it for less anywhere!

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Overruled 2.0 Launch - Please Help

When we released Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights on November 17, we were modestly pleased that it scored nearly 37,000 views in the first week. and we were very grateful for the wonderful comments many of you left us on YouTube. But that is not nearly enough for it to go viral.

Frankly, with an email list of more than 120,000, we were hoping to generate a lot more views than we did. I know it’s a busy time of year, but this is a remarkably easy way to support a very important cause. As one person commented, “This is very possibly the most important 35 minutes you will spend in front of your computer this year, and maybe in your life!”

While we really appreciate all of you who watched, we know we can do better if more people decide to help.

As it turns out, we had to make a few minor edits, which unfortunately meant a whole new upload to YouTube and a brand new viewer count. So now we get a second chance to give Overruled the kind of launch this issue really deserves. Here’s how you can help:

First, if you haven’t watched it yet, we urge you to do so. Watch it, comment on it, give it a thumbs-up, and pass it on to your friends. And be active about it. Don’t just post it and leave it. If you post it, follow up and ask your friends if they’ve watched it yet. Everyone in America needs to know what is going on and how the Parental Rights Amendment can help.

If you’ve already seen it, we need you to “watch” the movie again. I put that in quotes, because you don’t actually need to sit and watch it again. We know you’re busy. But if you could load the video on your computer and just let it play, that will boost the count and help move the new video up the popularity list so others will find it and watch. This helps the video “go viral,” which means it gets spread all over the country without us having to drive that growth. (Of course, you could also invest a second viewing in showing it to someone who hasn’t seen it yet!)

And again, we urge you to actively promote the video. In addition to spreading the link (which is a terrific start if it is all you can manage), specifically encourage your friends and family to take the time to watch this vital production.

Finally, if you embedded the YouTube link to a blog, site, or network, you will need to replace it with the embed code for the new video. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuSc_U5VqDQ

(Note: If you linked to OverruledMovie.com, there is no need to change the link. That site will be updated with the new video, which went live last night.)

Together we can protect the right of fit parents to direct the upbringing of their children without the burden of government interference. Overruled is a great tool to help us in that effort. Please take a few minutes today to make this successful – and thank you to those who have already been doing these things for the last couple of weeks!

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research
*ParentalRights.org is not a legal organization, does not have lawyers on staff, and is not in a position to take up parental rights cases. Mr. Farris has taken this case through his role as chairman of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a prominent national legal organization. ParentalRights.org is a lobbying organization whose mission is the adoption of the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
P.O. Box 1090 Purcellville, VA 20134 * (540)-751-1200 * info@parentalrights.org

Obama's Job Approval Drops Below Carter's

November 29, 2011
U.S.News & World Report

President Obama's slow ride down Gallup's daily presidential job approval index has finally passed below Jimmy Carter, earning Obama the worst job approval rating of any president at this stage of his term in modern political history. FULL STORY

I personally want to see him tried for Treason.

Foster Parents; CPS reform ineffective? Part 1 of 4

November 29, 2011
Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

An article came to our attention, on Az Central, the article was called a time for a new approach to protecting children written by Laurie Roberts is… FULL STORY

365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy

Human Events


No. 333 of 365

Have children.

Liberals are too selfish and fussy to think of kids as anything but a bother or an expensive accoutrement to their lifestyle.

Foster Parents; P.R.I.D.E. or beyond? Part 4 of 5

Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

In part 2 &3, we explored the definition and components of a program called P.R.I.D.E. we discovered what does the acronym stands...… FULL STORY

Monday, November 28, 2011

American Minute


American Minute with Bill Federer

November 29

His death went unnoticed, as he died the same day John F. Kennedy was shot, but his works are some of the most widely read in English literature.

Originally an agnostic, he served in World War I and became a professor at Oxford and Cambridge.

He credits his Catholic friend and fellow writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "Lord of the Rings," as being instrumental in bringing him to faith in Christ.

Among his most notable books are: The Screwtape Letters; Miracles; The Problem of Pain; Abolition of Man; and The Chronicles of Narnia, which include The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe.

His name was C.S. Lewis, born NOVEMBER 29, 1898.

Over 200 million copies of his books have sold worldwide and, 40 years after his death, continue to sell a million copies a year.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote:

"All that we call human history - money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery - is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with credit to: www.AmericanMinute.com, PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Does your child belong to the state?

Cases reveal how government undermining rights of parents
Posted: November 28, 2011 8:00 pm Eastern
By Michael F. Haverluck © 2011 WND

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=372409

Should 200 LB Child Have Been Taken From Mother for ‘Medical Neglect?’

November 28, 2011
Patriot Update News



It’s becoming a more and more popular question: Is a child’s unhealthy weight grounds for removing him or her from a household? It was enough for county officials to place a Cleveland third grader who weighed 200 pounds into foster care, according to The Plain Dealer.

The Plain Dealer reports that the 8-year-old was taken from school by social workers in October and his mother, who adamantly claims she had been trying to help him lose weight, only sees him for two hours every week. It calls this the first case of a child being taken from a parent over a weight-related issue in Cuyahoga County and it marks a stronger national debate on the topic:

Cuyahoga County does not have a specific policy on dealing with obese children. It removed the boy because case workers considered this mother‘s inability to get her son’s weight down a form of medical neglect, said Mary Louise Madigan, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Family Services.

http://patriotupdate.com/videos/should-200-lb-child-have-been-taken-from-mother-for-medical-neglect

Oh yeah. The Annamarie Martinez-Regino case in New Mexico. I had forgotten about that one.
Lawsuit Self-Help ... Step-by-StepTips & Tactics
November 28, 2011
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BREAKING: Farris defends major parental rights case (medical decisions) in Michigan

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

Who should make very difficult decisions for children? Parents or doctors?

In March of this year, 8-year-old Jacob Stieler was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a dangerous bone cancer. His parents took him to a highly-rated children’s oncology center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Jacob had surgery to remove the tumor, which was followed by several rounds of chemotherapy. The treatment was incredibly difficult, and Jacob’s mom, Erin, told me that when she looked her son in the eyes, she knew in her heart that he simply could not survive many more rounds of these drugs.

Erin and Ken, Jacob’s mom and dad, joined by hundreds of others, prayed for Jacob and his complete recovery.

After all of these rounds of chemotherapy were completed, there was a PET scan done to check on the status of the cancer. There was no evidence of cancer detected in Jacob’s body. Jacob’s family and friends rejoiced in his healing—praising God for this wonderful outcome.

But the doctors wanted to give Jacob several more rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, despite the clean PET scan. When asked why they wanted to keep giving Jacob these incredibly dangerous drugs, the doctors replied that this was “the standard of care” for his illness.

Jacob’s parents begged the doctors to make an individual diagnosis, rather than simply following unbending standards. But the doctors were steadfast. All children with this cancer needed multiple rounds of these drugs—regardless of PET scan results, the doctors contended.

Jacob’s parents did extensive study of the side effects of the five different chemotherapy drugs that the doctor wanted to administer. And they believed that the risk of the drugs was far greater than the risk of recurrent cancer, since Jacob had a clean PET scan. They said no to the doctors. No more chemotherapy treatment for now.

But the doctors would not take no for an answer. They called child protective services in Jacob’s county and asked the agency to file charges against the family for medical neglect.

After looking into the matter, both the local CPS agency and the local prosecuting attorney refused to file charges. They believed that the parents were making reasonable decisions for Jacob.

The doctors still would not take no for an answer. They called higher authorities in the state level CPS agency. The doctors had to make several calls before they finally found someone who would agree with them.

As a result of all of these calls, the local CPS agency was pressured into filing medical neglect charges against the parents.

The local prosecutor still refused to take a case against the family, so the state level CPS officials hired an independent private lawyer to serve as the prosecutor against Ken and Erin Stieler.

A jury trial is scheduled for early January to determine if the doctors will be given the authority to take over the medical decision-making for Jacob.

When I heard about this case—and checked out the facts—I knew that I could not sit on the sidelines and watch this family be overrun and parental rights be trashed by well-meaning but overzealous doctors.

I recently flew to Michigan and took the depositions of all three doctors who were scheduled to testify against the family.

Jacob’s treating physician is the key.

I prepared for the depositions by obtaining copies of the official “package inserts” that the FDA requires all drug companies to give to physicians and patients. Undoubtedly, you have seen these inserts when you have picked up prescriptions for your children.

The inserts tell you several things:
  • Indicated uses—that is a list of the diseases for which there is evidence that the drug is a safe and effective treatment.
  • Warnings—these are strong cautions that indicate serious potential issues.
  • Side effects—these disclose all of the potential consequences that arise from taking the drug.
  • Approved for children—there is a specific disclaimer on many drugs that indicate whether the drugs have been proven to be safe and effective for children.
“Have all of these drugs been approved by the FDA as safe and effective for children?” I asked Jacob’s treating oncologist.

“Yes,” she replied, they have been FDA-approved for children.

According to the official package inserts that we were able to obtain, she is just flat wrong.

She wanted to continue to give Ifosfamide to Jacob.

The FDA disclosure for this drug says: “Pediatric Use: Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.”

The oncologist wanted to give Jacob a weeks’ worth of Etoposide.

The FDA disclosure says: “Pediatric Use: Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.”

The warning on the drug Doxorubicin says: “Pediatric patients are at increased risk for developing delayed cardiotoxicity.” This means that the drug can cause severe harm to a child’s heart—at even higher rates than it can in adults.

In fact, as it turned out, the treating doctor had never even seen, much less read, these official FDA-required package inserts. She did state that she had seen similar information from other sources.

Most of the drugs did not list Jacob’s form of cancer as an “indicated use.” This means that these drugs had not been tested and validated as safe and effective for this particular kind of cancer—even for adults, much less for children.

And then we get to the official warnings and side effects.

In addition to the strong warnings about “congestive heart failure” from Doxorubicin, other drugs the doctor wanted to give were known to have caused cancer—new forms of cancer—in patients being treated for an original cancer. Vincristine’s label is typical of these warnings:

“Patients who received chemotherapy with vinchristine sulfate in combination with anticancer drugs known to be carcinogenic have developed second malignancies.” The warning labels say that sometimes these second cancers develop years after the treatment.

All five of the drugs that the doctors want to give Jacob are either known to cause other cancers or have not been fully tested.

Some of the other side effects for these drugs include:
  • Damage to the cranial motor nerves
  • Serious infections
  • Failure of boys to sexually mature
  • The inability to father children
  • Anorexia
It would take pages to recite all of the warnings and side effects.

Parental rights are increasingly being lost in the medical arena. I am beginning to wonder why physicians even bother asking for parental consent if they will just do an end run around the parents whenever it is convenient for them to do so.

This is not an easy case. It is not a case where a child has a current illness and the treatment is tested and proven to be safe and effective—those cases are easily resolved. The best evidence is that Jacob no longer has objective evidence of cancer. And not a single drug that the doctors want to give Jacob is FDA-approved for children for his kind of cancer.

This is a case where there must be a judgment call—a balancing of risks.

Who makes that call?

The doctor told me during the deposition that she thinks that she should make the call—for every child in this situation. And she would give the same answer every time, rather than making an individual judgment.

I can’t imagine a more clear case of the need for parental rights. This is a decision that requires the wisdom of God.

HSLDA was established to defend parental rights in the context of homeschooling. But the assault on parental rights comes to us on many fronts. This is why we have set up the Homeschool Freedom Fund to enable us to fight important cases for the broader principle of parental rights. Our regular membership fees do not stretch far enough to cover these kinds of cases. We truly need your help to be able to fight for the principles we all hold dear.

If you would like to stand with us in this critical battle for parental rights, I would ask you to send the very best gift you can to the Home School Foundation’s Homeschool Freedom Fund. All gifts to HSF are tax-deductible.

This trial is coming soon—we will send out email alerts if there is any change in the schedule.

Fighting a case of this magnitude is an expensive proposition. I hope you will be as generous as possible so that we may cover travel costs, local counsel, and deposition expenses—for this case and future cases where justice demands action to preserve freedom.

Our nation was founded upon the traditions of Western Civilization. This civilization was founded on the principles of the Word of God. God gives children to parents—not to the state, and not to doctors. In cases like this one, our legal system must remain steadfast in following the principle that God has delegated these kinds of decisions to parents, not to doctors, social workers, or courts.

Please pray for the Stieler family’s case and help as best you can. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Michael Farris
HSLDA Chairman

The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
Home School Legal Defense Association • P.O. Box 3000 • Purcellville, Virginia 20134-9000
Phone: (540) 338-5600 • Fax: (540) 338-2733 • Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org

This is reminiscent of the nearly identical Parker Jensen case in 2003.  Today, Parker Jensen is still alive, doing well, and CANCER FREE

County places obese Cleveland Heights child in foster care

Published: Saturday, November 26, 2011, 9:00 PM Updated: Monday, November 28, 2011, 9:20 AM
By Rachel Dissell, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An 8-year-old Cleveland Heights boy was taken from his family and placed in foster care last month after county case workers said his mother wasn't doing enough to control his weight.

At more than 200 pounds, the third-grader is considered severely obese and at risk for developing such diseases as diabetes and hypertension.

But even though the state health department estimates more than 12 percent of third-graders statewide are severely obese -- that could mean 1,380 in Cuyahoga County alone -- this is the first time anyone in the county or the state can recall a child being taken from a parent for a strictly weight-related issue.

The case plays into an emerging national debate that has some urging social-service agencies to step in when parents have failed to address a weight problem.  FULL STORY

Yes indeed.  CPS can fix a fat kid. Elena Andron's 9 year-old son Johnny, could not walk, talk or feed himself. He had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He starved to death in $12,000 a monthFoster Care in Michigan.  See the STORIES at 7 Action News WXYZ.com

'Same-sex unions' called 'destructive'

'We are convinced natural family, marriage, and birth and rearing of children are linked'
Posted: November 27, 2011 8:16 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh © 2011 WND

More than 80 non-governmental organizations and experts have endorsed a statement that describes alternatives to a husband-and-wife family, "particularly … same-sex unions" as "socially destructive."

"We are convinced that the natural family, marriage, and birth and rearing of children are inseparably linked to each other. Artificial separation of the birth and rearing of children from the natural family, family life, and marriage violates the genuine rights of the child and leads to the destruction of any society."

The powerful statement in support of the traditional family comes from more than 80 NGOs and experts who assembled in St. Petersburg, Russia, recently for a series of public hearings to address concerns about a draft recommendation offered by the Council of Europe on children's and parental rights.

According to officials with the Home School Legal Defense Association, who monitor such statements on the important issue of the definition of family, the result of the meeting was to raise a concern about the "destructive tendencies" of the document "which purported to create policy on the rights and legal status of children and parental responsibilities.

"This is just another example of non-governmental organizations [Council of Europe] attempting to increase the power of the state over individual citizens and families and to advance a radical agenda," the American-based organization said. "HSLDA applauds the work of these pro-family groups and agrees with their concerns. This demonstrates why it is critically important to pass a parental rights amendment to the United States Constitution and to be vigilant in the defense of our own freedoms." FULL STORY

Foster Parents; P.R.I.D.E. or beyond? Part 3 of 5

Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

In part 1 & 2, we explored the definition of P.R.I.D.E. we discovered what the acronym stands for, and that it is designed...… FULL STORY

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Mystery surrounds Edmond baby's homicide

Just when you think you have seen it all in how blatantly evil this system is,
a new record for "off the scale" malfeasance is reached-


Mystery surrounds Edmond baby's homicide
Panic heard in 911 calls to Edmond police. Almost nine months later, no one has been arrested.
BY NOLAN CLAY, RANDY ELLIS AND ROBBY TRAMMELL
Published: November 27, 2011
The Oklahoman

Read the whole story there, and DON'T miss the video!

American Minute


American Minute with Bill Federer

November 28

Following the hated Stamp Act of 1765, the British committed the Boston Massacre in 1770, firing into a crowd, killing five.

Colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

In retaliation, King George III blockaded Boston Harbor in 1774 to starve the city into submission.

The President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress was James Warren, husband of Revolutionary War author Mercy Otis Warren.

James Warren proposed Sam Adams form Committees of Correspondence to inform the nation of injustices committed in Boston.

President James Warren, who died NOVEMBER 28, 1808, approved the Massachusetts Resolution:

"In Provincial Congress, Watertown, June 16, 1775 - As it has pleased Almighty God in his Providence to suffer the calamities of an unnatural war to take place among us...the most effectual way to escape those desolating judgments...will be that we repent."

The Resolution continued:

"Among the prevailing sins of this day, which threaten the destruction of this land, we have reason to lament the frequent prophanation of the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath...

It be recommended by this Congress, to the people...that they...pay a religious regard to that day, and to the public Worship of God thereon."

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with credit to: www.AmericanMinute.com, PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Seasons of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Toni Hoy

In 2011, my family has much to be thankful for. A year ago, our eldest son returned safely from deployment in Afghanistan. In January, we gained a sweet daughter-in-law. In May, our middle son graduated from high school. Against all odds, we successfully regained custody of our youngest son on July 14, 2011. Shortly, thereafter, we gained the blessing of a wonderful foster son. Thankfully, we have retained employment all year.

I am thankful that I found a publisher and distributor that are excited about my soon-to-be-launched book, Second Time Foster Child.” I am thankful that NAMI is excited about it and willing to help promote it. We pray that it touches the right people in just the right ways.

In regards to advocacy, I have found my home at NAMI, where they not only allow, but encourage advocacy. I am thankful for the Safeco Insurance Community Hero award and their monetary gift to NAMI on behalf of my advocacy efforts.

Mostly, we are thankful that we were given back our rights to be parents. We are grateful to sign our names on the lines marked “parent or guardian.” We are thankful that school and clinical staffing notices are sent directly to us, as opposed to being addressed to government employed or government volunteered strangers and copied to us as an afterthought, as has been done for the last 3 ½ years. FULL STORY

Increasing Mandatory Reporting in the Wake of Penn State - A Time Not to Take Action

Numerous state and federal legislators have responded to the crimes committed at Penn State (rape, assault, facilitating, aiding and abetting, failing to report under current law, covering up) by introducing legislation to enlarge laws on mandatory reporting of child abuse, and/or to increase penalties for failure to report. They are, perhaps out of unfamiliarity with the legal systems involved, missing the target: mandatory reporting laws are intended primarily to protect children in their own families, and are most often used that way, to involved child protective services. Criminal actions should be dealt with by the criminal justice system.

I propose that the groups involved in these list serves, as well as other, join in issuing a public statement about mandatory reporting.

I propose the following statement:


Increasing Mandatory Reporting in the Wake of Penn State -
A Time Not to Take Action 

INCREASING MANDATORY REPORTING OF ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT WILL HARM CHILDREN


In the wake of the Penn State cases, there have been calls to increase the number of people required to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Some proposals would make every American a mandated reporter. There are a series of problems with these proposals:

--More mandated reporting will further overload child protective services agencies. Even now, more than three-quarters of reports don't meet the minimal standards required for CPS workers to "substantiate" them. That means caseworkers spend three quarters of their time spinning their wheels. More mandated reporting will leave these workers even less time to find children in real danger.

--Mandated reporters, afraid of the penalties for failure to report, will call in more cases that are patently absurd, like the recent case in Florida in which an assistant principal - a mandated reporter - called in a report about two 12-year-olds kissing as "a possible sex crime" - and sheriff's deputies investigated. http://bit.ly/tiimfc

--A child abuse investigation is, in itself, a significant trauma for a child - particularly when it involves the kind of "visual inspection" required in physical abuse cases and the kind of intrusive medical examination required in cases of sexual abuse. More mandated reporting will force thousands more children to endure this trauma needlessly. Even non-physical investigations scare children and reduce their trust in their parents.

--Many experts who once favored expanded mandatory reporting have changed their minds. For example, Prof. David Finkelhor of the University of New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Research Center used to be a big booster of mandatory reporting. Here's what he told AP:

"Maybe it's better that people use discretion ... If everybody obeyed the letter of the law and reported a suspicion of abuse, the agencies would be completely overwhelmed with reports."

He's not alone. As far back as 1983, Dr. Eli Newberger of Children's Hospital in Boston, like Prof. Finkelhor, someone who once strongly supported ever-more mandated reporting, wrote that "had professionals, like me, known then what we know now, we would never have urged on Congress, federal and state officials broadened concepts of child abuse as the basis for reporting legislation."

And even Richard Gelles, an strong proponent of ASFA, who has suggested that only 20% to 30% of children taken from their parents should ever be returned home, says that more mandated reporting is a mistake: http://bit.ly/tGx0et

--There is no evidence-base for mandated reporting. In all the decades since these laws passed in every state, there have been no studies of their effectiveness. As a result, in 1998, the National Research Council recommended against expanding mandatory reporting to domestic violence.

--Eighteen states already require everyone to report child abuse. There is no evidence that children in these states are safer than children in the others.

All this is why, in this editorial: http://bsun.md/vuR5IP The Baltimore Sun urged caution on adding tougher penalties to Maryland's reporting laws. According to the Sun:

The threat of prosecution could inundate authorities with a flood of spurious reports that overwhelm investigators and make it even more difficult to identify those children who are truly in danger.

Given that two-thirds of abuse reports are ultimately found to be unsubstantiated, some child advocates argue that the last thing the system needs is for more people to report their suspicions just for the sake of making sure they are protected from criminal liability in case abuse is actually occurring. Moreover, abuse investigations are inherently traumatic for children. They often involve hours of intensive questioning about sensitive issues of sexuality, shame and guilt as well as intrusive physical examinations that frighten and humiliate suspected victims. The stress brought on by such procedures can leave lasting emotional and psychological scars even on children who turn out not to have suffered abuse.

Similarly, in this editorial: http://bit.ly/u2ae4w the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette warns that:

There is danger in broadening the reporting requirements, according to experts in the child abuse field. They warn that a vast expansion of who must report and to whom could swamp the child welfare system, raising the prospect that substantiated allegations could be neglected as workers attempt to respond to more cases, and it could subject more children to the rigors of an investigation unnecessarily.

David J. Lansner
Lansner Kubitschek Schaffer
325 Broadway Suite 201
New York, NY 10007
212-349-0900
www.lanskub.com
dlansner@lanskub.com

Saturday, November 26, 2011

It doesn't matter...

AFRA EDITORIALS
By Leonard Henderson

November 26, 2011
It doesn't matter...

Liberty Quotes


"I do verily believe that if the principle were to prevail of a common law being in force in the United States (which principle possesses the general government at once of all the powers of the state governments, and reduces us to a single consolidated government), it would become the most corrupt government on the earth." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President Source: Thomas Jefferson to Gideon Granger, 1800. 10:168
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.AD06

"He [King George III] has erected a multitude of New Offices and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President 1776 Source: Declaration of Independence, listing the reasons for declaring independence from England.
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.ACD5

"The policy of American government is to leave its citizens free, neither restraining them nor aiding them in their pursuits." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President Source: Thomas Jefferson to M. L'Hommande, 1787.
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.9125

365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy

Human Events


No. 330 of 365

Sympathize with liberals who feel uncomfortable about celebrating "Christmas."

Helpfully suggest that they might want to celebrate the pagan festival of Julfest instead—where you still get to have a decorated tree in the house, but without those awkward Christian connotations. "After all," add, "it's what all the most dedicated Nazis used to do in Hitler's Germany, and they were pagan socialists just like you are..." 

American Minute


American Minute with Bill Federer

November 26

In order to thank God for the First Amendment, which was passed a week earlier by Congress, President George Washington issued the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789:

"Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me 'to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God,

especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness;'"

Washington continued:

"Now, therefore, I do recommend...Thursday, the 26TH DAY of NOVEMBER...to be devoted by the People of these United States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;"

Washington concluded:

"That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks...

for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government...particularly the national one now lately instituted,

for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed...to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue."

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with credit to: www.AmericanMinute.com, PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Friday, November 25, 2011

365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy

Human Events


No. 329 of 365

Quote Richard Lamm, former Democratic Governor of Colorado:

"Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it."

WARNING – Parents in California – Withdraw Your Children from Public School Now!

Written on NOVEMBER 24, 2011 by GIACOMO
WARNING – Parents in California – Withdraw Your Children from Public School Now!
Godfather Politics

http://godfatherpolitics.com/2196/warning-parents-in-california-withdraw-your-kids-from-public-school-now

I left a nice comment there-

The author of this article seems to be blissfully unaware of Childrens "Protective" Services. As far as they are concerned, homeschooling is "educational neglect", for which they will happily kidnap your child(ren), put them on antipsychotic dope, and place them with homosexual fosters.

As an added feature, they will do a character assassination on you (the parent) and run you through the unconstitutional courts of NO Due Process.

It's a LOT worse out here in the proletariat than people realize.

Leonard Henderson, co-founder
American Family Rights http://familyrights.us
"Until Every Child Comes Home"©
"The Voice of America's Families"©

Foster Parents; P.R.I.D.E. or beyond? Part 2 of 5

Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

In part one, we started this series with a definition of what is P.R.I.D.E. what does the acronym stand for. We reiterate that...… FULL STORY

The Dr Phil SystemSuckology Special - Falsely Accused Parents being spun off into an hour long CASA Commercial

The Dr Phil SystemSuckology Special - Falsely Accused Parents being spun off into an hour long CASA Commercial
Legally Kidnapped
November 24, 2011

I love you all dearly, but if I see one more person put even the slightest ray of hope or faith into Dr Phil after this, I will personally vomit. He's got his agenda and I'm sure he's paid well to preach the Imperialistic Morality Parade to the stupid who watch him on a regular basis.

Dr Phil, however is a bought and sold system suck who doesn't give a rats ass about you. This episode of his show, which I'm about to show you, pretty much sums it up.
"Especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon. We may ask what is relevant but anything beyond that is dangerous. He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen."~ Father Merrin The Exorcist 1973
And with that in mind, I present to you via the miracle of somebody who made it available on YouTube the highly anticipated Dr Phil Parents Falsely Accused show. FULL STORY

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving from AFRa

Happy Thanksgiving from

JurisDictionary- Control Corrupt Courts!

Lawsuit Self-Help ... Step-by-Step Tips & Tactics
November 24, 2011 © 1997-2011 by Jurisdictionary® - All Rights Reserved

Control Corrupt Courts!

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You must know how to control corrupt judges and overcome crooked lawyers. You must be able to re-direct the judge's bias and the lawyers' sneaky tricks!

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5-Year-Old Handcuffed, Charged With Battery On Officer

Boy Cuffed With Zip Ties On Hands, Feet
Dave Manoucheri/KCRA
POSTED: 2:59 pm PST November 23, 2011
UPDATED: 7:39 am PST November 24, 2011

http://www.kcra.com/news/29847063/detail.html

The problem with Corporal Punishment controversy solved-  Arrest 5 year olds and charge them with a crime.  Give him a court appointed attorney to talk him into a Plea Bargain.  You just gotta luv Great Big Fat Nanny's solutions.

The #1 Cause of Accidental Death in the U.S. - Are You at Risk?

Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 24 2011

With all its designer drugs and state-of-the-art machinery, you'd think modern medicine is the perfect fix for providing patient-focused care.

You might also expect that Americans would be the healthiest people on Earth, seeing that the U.S. is the epicenter of all this technology, and especially since we spend more on health care than any other country in the world.

Yet, every year in the U.S., seven out of 10 deaths are due to preventable chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, and obesity.

How can that be?

How is it that we're not just chronically ill, but also lagging behind most industrialized nations in life expectancy?

The answer lies in how we approach health care: like it or not, the real focus of modern medicine is on selling disease and making money, not making you well. FULL STORY

FRAUD EVERYWHERE. Now the government owns it. The beast has been Nationalized and Socialized.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

New Study Examines Antipsychotic Treatment among Youth in Foster Care



New Study Examines Antipsychotic Treatment among Youth in Foster Care
by YaMinco | November 23, 2011 at 12:34 PM

A new study, Antipsychotic Treatment Among Youth in Foster Care, examined concomitant antipsychotic use among Medicaid-enrolled youth in foster care, compared with disabled or low-income Medicaid-enrolled youth. The study looked at a sample of roughly 17,000 youth who were continuously enrolled in Medicaid program and had at least one psychiatric diagnosis and one antipsychotic prescription. Most of the children in the study were in foster care, some also had a disability, and the others were adopted out of foster care during the study period. For comparison, the researchers also looked at kids on Medicaid who had disabilities or were receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, but were not in foster care.

They found that more than a third of the kids in foster care without disabilities had multiple antipsychotic prescriptions lasting longer than 90 days. The children who were not adopted had the highest rates of prescriptions, representing 38 out of every 100 children in foster care. In comparison, 26 out of every 100 children who were on public assistance but not in foster care had more than one antipsychotic prescription.

The findings suggest that children in foster care are being prescribed antipsychotic drugs just as frequently as some of the most disabled children on Medicaid. The authors recommend that additional studies are needed to assess the clinical rationale, safety, and outcomes of concomitant antipsychotic use and to inform statewide policies for monitoring and oversight of antipsychotic use among youth in the foster care system.

While statistics suggest that up to 80% of all children in foster care have serious emotional problems, approximately half of them have chronic medical problems, and the youngest, those ages 0-5, have developmental delays, experts believe that doctors are this population with the same powerful drugs given to people with schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder, even though there is no evidence to support this kind of use in young children, and despite the fact that these disorders are rare in young children.

In recent years, doctors and policy makers have grown concerned about high rates of overall psychiatric drug use in the foster care system. Previous studies have found that children in foster care receive psychiatric medications at about twice the rate among children outside the system. In 2008, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a hearing on the utilization of psychotropic medication for children in foster care. In 2010, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the prevalence of prescribed psychotropic medications for children in foster care.

http://childrensmonitor.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/new-study-examines-antipsychotic-treatment-among-youth-in-foster-care/

So what's gonna be done about the obvious, ungodly FRAUD?  I have a suggestion-

Senate Committee Announces Hearing On Child Abuse


Senate Committee Announces Hearing On Child Abuse
by YaMinco | November 23, 2011 at 12:31 PM

Prior to the introduction of his Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act of 2011, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) wrote to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families requesting a hearing to examine federal statutes designed to force those who witness the sexual abuse of a child to report the crime to authorities. In his letter, Casey explained that the serious nature of the allegations of sexual abuse and the evidence on the public record of failure to report by individuals at Penn State warrant a review of the relationship between federal and state reporting requirements on child abuse and neglect. Furthermore, he asked that the hearing pay special attention to the Child Abuse Prevention a nd Treatment Act, which was recently reauthorized and contains a new provision to strengthen reporting of child abuse and neglect.

This week, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee, along with Ranking Member Richard Burr (R- N.C.), joined with Casey to announce that the Senate would hold its first hearing in the wake of the Penn State child abuse scandal. As a former social worker, Mikulski said she believes that the hearing will shed light on prevention and deterrence of child sexual abuse. She also thanked Casey for his

The hearing will also examine existing gaps in the system and examine proposals to improve reporting requirements. As previously reported, only 18 states currently require all adults to report suspected child abuse. Mikulski and Burr are working on putting together a balanced and comprehensive hearing which is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th.

Just more of that knee-Jerk Paranoia the Communists love to foment.

Foster Parents; P.R.I.D.E. Trainings? Part 1 of 5

November 23, 2011
Marilyn Harrison, Foster Families Examiner

By now, you know your Foster Families Examiner, you know the FPLS approach to any topic. Let us begin with a definition of P.R.I.D.E..… FULL STORY

Acceptable Risk

AFRA EDITORIALS
By Leonard Henderson

November 23, 2011
Acceptable Risk

Our good friend Dana Lawhon in Oklahoma says-
A few students are pepper sprayed in the Occupy protest at their College. Now law makers say they need to have an emergency meeting to address the problem about what was done to these students.

Over 50 children die in one state under the watchful eye of DHS/CPS and for some reason the law makers didn’t see any reason for an emergency meeting.  I guess they don’t see this as a problem.

Yanno Dana, I think you have stumbled into something.  FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Penn State Sex Scandal Fueling Parental Paranoia

by PAT ANSON on NOVEMBER 22, 2011
American News Report

A national child advocacy organization says the sex scandal at Penn State is fueling parental paranoia, along with phony statistics and over the top warnings about child abuse.

“We don’t need hype that turns every adult into a potential threat,” says Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. According to Wexler, some news stories falsely claim that “one in four girls and one in six boys” are victim of child sexual abuse, but no scientific study is ever cited to support that claim.

“The scandal surrounding allegations of child abuse by a former Penn State football coach can be a teachable moment,” Wexler said in a news release. ”It can help us address the serious and real problem of child abuse. But not if all we teach is that we should turn in anyone and everyone as a possible child abuser, and not if we teach children to fear all adults.

Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky faces 40 counts of child sexual abuse against 8 young boys. The scandal led to the firing of football coach Joe Paterno and Penn State’s president. An assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University is also under investigation for the alleged sexual abuse of ball boys.

“At its worst, post Penn State paranoia risks setting off the kind of frenzy of false allegations that led to the mass molestation witch hunts of the 1980s, like the McMartin Preschool,” said Wexler.

A recent survey of registered voters by the Poll Position found there was a high level of concern over the relationship between coaches and young children. 42% of those surveyed said they were very concerned, 33% said somewhat concerned and only 21% said they were not concerned.

Women had the most concern of all. 81% said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about the relationship between children and their coaches.

Wexler believes many of those fears are overblown. He says studies have shown that about 10% of girls and about 5% of boys were victims of child sexual abuse. “That’s plenty serious enough,” Wexler said. “We don’t need hype that turns every adult into a potential threat.”

http://www.oh-yay.com/penn-state-sex-scandal-fueling-parental-paranoia-8812113.html

We concur with Wexler. Within days of the news, all sorts of legislation was proposed. As if there wasn't already plenty of legislation on the books. The truth is, just like the banks "Too big to fail", there are people "Too important to be held accountable".

Antipsychotics Linked to Childhood Diabetes

By Crystal Phend, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: November 21, 2011
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

Diabetes may be substantially more likely for children taking second-generation atypical antipsychotics, according to findings from a recent study, which included a number of caveats.

Incidence of diabetes appeared to be more than four times higher among children on a second-generation antipsychotic than in those not using psychotropic medications, Susan E. Andrade, ScD, of the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, and colleagues found.

If real, the risk would pose an important drug safety and public health concern, the group noted in the December issue of Pediatrics. FULL STORY

GAO Study on the Adoption Tax Credit


GAO Study on the Adoption Tax Credit
by SuzanneCWLA | November 22, 2011 at 5:07 PM

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released a study on the federal adoption tax credit. From analysis of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data and documents, observations of IRS examiners, and interviews of IRS officials and other stakeholders, the GAO explored IRS’ communications, processing, and auditing strategy regarding the credit. CWLA and member agencies on our adoption advisory committee were among the stakeholders consulted for this report.

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Representatives Charles Boustany (R-LA) and John Lewis (D-GA) requested the study citing the recent expansion of the credit and to identify possible improvements in advance of the 2012 tax year. The adoption tax credit was first established in 1996. The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) increased its maximum value from $10,000 to $13,170 and made it refundable for 2010 and 2011. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-312) made changes to the law by extending the credit through 2012, but as non-refundable and with a reduced maximum to $10,000. In 2013 and following, it will be limited to special needs adoptions and only available for qualified expenses up to a $6,000 value. Since 1996, $4.28 billion in adoption tax credits have been clai med, with $1.2 billion claimed in 2010.

The GAO determined that in 2011 there was diverse communications approaches to tax preparers and adoption advocates, but identified room for improvement in explaining certification requirements. In addition, they found that over two-thirds of almost 100,000 taxpayers claiming the credit were audited by mail, and that four-fifths of those audited had filed the credit accurately and none were fraudulent. These audits caused the IRS to expend unnecessary resources and delayed refunds for families. The study concludes with an outline of approaches to avoid both confusion and ineffective process that led to unnecessary expenditures in low yield tax oversight in 2011.

http://childrensmonitor.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/gao-study-on-the-adoption-tax-credit/