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Graham Thomson: Alberta human services minister tries to weather self-created storm

IHuman Services Minister Irfan Sabir talks about actions to improve, Alberta's child intervention system on Dec. 8, 2016, in Edmonton. Greg Southam / Postmediaf Human Service Minister Irfan Sabir is not willing to resign over his department’s bungled handling of an internal report into the death of a four-year-old girl, maybe he should resign for his performance the past two days, after the story broke.

The performance included actively avoiding the media, holding an irritatingly vacuous news conference, blaming the previous Progressive Conservative government and forming a bogus all-party investigative panel to distract attention from his performance as minister.

At the heart of the story is Serenity, the little First Nations girl who died while in government-supervised “kinship care” in 2014. The cause of death was a traumatic head injury, but she also suffered from a disturbing list of abuse including hypothermia, catastrophic malnutrition and genital bruising.

Royal Commission into SA child protection demands hundreds of changes after pedophile’s horrific crimes

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has urged voters to trust in his ability to fix child protection in the state, after a royal commission demanded hundreds of changes to the tragedy-plagued system.

But the opposition says Mr Weatherill is inextricably linked to the serious failings identified and has no choice but to resign.

Another SA carer arrested over child abuse

Another review of South Australia's scandal-plagued child protection system has been ordered after the arrest of a residential care worker who has been accused of abusing young children.

Education and Child Development Minister Susan Close confirmed the arrest of the man and says while she can't comment on the individual case an independent legal firm has been engaged to look into the department's employment and screening processes.

The man was believed to have been among 25 carers 'red-flagged' and suspended for a time after a 2014 inquiry into the children protection system but, along with several others, later cleared and allowed to return to work.

Premier backed down on child protection agency

Forcing the South Australian Labor government to establish a stand-alone child protection agency, with a new chief executive with specialist credentials, will help stem an exodus of social workers, the Public Service ­Association says.

The Weatherill government yesterday bowed to an interim royal commission recommendation announcing the creation of a new child protection department, splitting those responsibilities from education.

What is the "Right to Lie" case?

COURT CASE CLAIMS SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE IMMUNITY FROM PERJURY CHARGES IF THEY LIE TO REMOVE CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOMES [VIDEO]

A court case known as the “Right to Lie” case would establish whether social workers are legally immune from perjury charges if they lie to the courts in order to remove children from their families — and it is now one step away from the Supreme Court.

Case number 15-55563, also known as Hardwick v. Vreeken or the “Right to Lie” case, was heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in October. The case is an extension of a long-running court battle between a California woman and her two daughters against the child welfare system in Orange County, California.

How social workers failed Yorkshire schoolgirl abused by gang of 12

Twelve men have been sentenced to a total of 130 years for sexually exploiting a young schoolgirl in Keighley.

Professionals ‘believed children chose to consent to this type of crime’.

A CATALOGUE of mistakes and missed opportunities by police and social workers was blamed today for failing to protect a vulnerable schoolgirl from West Yorkshire who was systematically abused by a gang of Asian males whom, a court heard, saw her as “utterly worthless”.

The girl, identified only as “Autumn”, was aged 13 and 14 when she was repeatedly raped, sexually abused and passed around by the men. In one sustained attack she was raped by five of them in succession. Today, a “serious case review” published by Bradford Safeguarding Children Board criticised police for “not prioritising intervention in this type of crime”, and for a belief that “children involved in this kind of harm were actively consenting and choosing to become involved”. On one occasion, police treated information that Autumn had performed a sex act on an Asian man in a park as a case of prostitution, the review’s authors say.

Government ignores social workers, campaigners, Lords and more than 100,000 petitioners and forces child protection opt-outs back into Children and Social Work Bill

The Government has ignored social workers, children’s rights campaigners, more than 100,000 members of the public and the House of Lords and revived plans to let councils opt out of more than 80 years of child protection laws.

The Education Secretary Justine Greening will announce in the House of Commons this afternoon that she will plough on with proposals letting her exempt local authorities from almost any duty imposed on them by child protection legislation since 1933.

Jack Brabham's rapist son walks free after six months sentence for raping six year old girl

These dangerous laws sicken me. Child sex offender Gary Brabham has just been released - serving just 6 months for raping an 6 year old girl. Queensland's child sex abuse sentences are weak and offensive - they need urgent review.

I’m friends with the victim’s mum. The judge reported that Gary showed "no remorse". He even tried to appeal this lenient sentence. He's now out, free to abuse innocent victims again.

What about us? What about the children in care?

What about the children that were ripped and torn away from their family? Why are we getting pushed into the darkness? Why? Why? Why?

Are there any ANSWERS? NO! there are no answers for us kids and I will not stand down anymore.

I have been in care for 11 years now and I have had the worst bringing up then I would have had living with my parents ….. I have been pushed around, pushed to the back, put down and I have my rights thrown out the window I’m here to tell everyone that this needs to stop it needs justice!!!!

Australian governments own statistics prove children are safer at home than in foster care

At June 2010, there were 1.36 million children under 15 years of age in NSW 1

Nationally there were 35,895 children in out-of-home care on 30 June 2010 2

As at 30 March, 2011, Labor left NSW with 17,931 children and young people in out-of-home care 3

122 children (88%) of deaths of children were residing with their families at the time of death 4

11 children (8%) were under the Parental Responsibility of the Minister for Family and Community Services & six children were in other care arrangements, such as a disability residential service, or with extended family members 5

Therefore the rate of children dying whilst with family is 1 per 11,147 and the rate of children dying is out of home care is 1 child per 996 foster carers / residential facilities, and proves, without a doubt that children are safer at home.

Department of Family and Community Services Child Death Statistics 2010

Page: 13827

Ms CARMEL TEBBUTT: My question is directed to the Minister for Family and Community Services. In light of the Minister's commitment to immediately and publicly report the deaths of any children known to the Department of Family and Community Services, how many children known to the department have died in 2012 and where has this been publicly reported?

Mr Chris Hartcher: You should ask that after what happened under your administration.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Terrigal will come to order. The member for Keira will come to order.

Ms PRU GOWARD: Indeed, what a disgrace following a government that lied and hid its work in child protection for 16 years. Given the efforts we have made to make the work of this department as public as possible, that is an incredible hide.

Ms Linda Burney: You made a promise.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Canterbury will come to order.

Ms PRU GOWARD: I made a promise to ensure that the public was made aware of the deaths of children.  That is why we publish an annual deaths report, in which we closely examine the practices of the department and look for opportunities to improve. That is also why, whenever a child's death is reported—and remember there are often very important legal reasons and privacy reasons involved, and not wanting to compromise police investigations—we can only comment in a small amount of detail. That is why, whenever we are asked to comment on a child's death, we have done exactly that. I undertook never to hide from a child's death. It is true that in 2010, as the annual report made clear, there were 139 deaths of children known to the Department of Community Services.  At the end of 2011 there were 110 deaths of children known to Community Services. This year, and unfortunately the shadow Minister does not appreciate that we have not got to the end of 2012—

Ms Linda Burney: You promised you would report to the Parliament.

Alecomm Exposé of the 2014 Inquiry into Children in Out of Home Care

Conduct of child protection workers in the care courts:

  • Only 25% of cases reported that caseworkers that were subpoenaed for cross-examination actually showed up to comply with the court order.
  • 48% reported that caseworkers lied under oath committing perjury.
  • Only 2% of cases reported that the caseworkers evidence was based on fact, while 69% reported the caseworkers evidence was based on hearsay.
  • 48% reported that caseworkers omitted relevant facts that would have portrayed parents in a more positive light.  
  • 62% stated the court material contained uncorroborated stories about them.
  • Only 11% reported that the court material was objective, while 63% reported it was subjective in order to demean and belittle them as parents.
  • Only 5 cases reported that caseworkers told the truth and wrote truthful affidavits.

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