>>GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, I’M JON KARL AND I’M RACHEL LUCAS
THE CAROL COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION FOR VIOLATING FOR
GENIA LAWS.
>>RULES
AND POLICIES MEANT TO
PROTECT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
10 NEWS UNCOVERED 7 DIFFERENT
INVESTIGATIONS, SOME WITH
SERIOUS FINDINGS JENNA ZIBTON
TALKED TO ONE MOTHER WHO IS
STILL FIGHTING TO GET HER
CHILDREN BACK AFTER THEY WENT
INTO FOSTER CARE NEARLY 4 YEARS
AGO.
I WANT THEM TO KNOW.
>>ANGELA KEYS, 3 CHILDREN TAKEN AWAY. SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
THAT WAS MAY 2019.
>>AND YOU’VE BEEN SOBER NOW FOR HOW LONG FOR YEARS MAY 20TH.
THEY THEY TOOK THEM.
I DID EVERYTHING EVERYTHING I
COULD TO GET.
>>BUT SHE WAS SET UP
FOR FAILURE.
10 NEWS OBTAINED THIS REPORT
FROM AN OFFICE WITHIN THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE TASKED WITH
INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS
INVOLVING CHILDREN IN
FOSTER CARE.
THE REPORT DESCRIBES HOW THE
CARROLL COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES SHOWED LITTLE
REGARD FOR THE LAWS REGULATIONS
AND POLICIES
THAT WOULD HAVE PROTECTED THE
MEMBERS OF THIS FAMILY.
A STATE INVESTIGATION FOUND
FROM THE MOMENT, THE CHILDREN
WERE FIRST REMOVED FROM HER
CARE.
THE AGENCY ENGAGED IN ACTIONS
AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT MADE IT
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND
ULTIMATELY IMPOSSIBLE.
HER TO BE REUNITED WITH
THEIR CHILDREN. >>THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES DIDN’T FULLY
INVESTIGATE THE CASE AND FAILED
TO STAY IN TOUCH
WITH ANGELA.
IT APPEARED SHE WAS WINNING HER
BATTLE
WITH ADDICTION.
BUT CARROLL COUNTY DISCOUNTED
THE STRIDE SHE MADE.
>>WE NEEDED THEIR HELP.
WORK IT RETHINK HAITIAN.
>>WAS 3 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME.
>>PRICING SAYS MOMMY DOESN’T WANT HIM.
AND TONS OF THE WHOLE ENTIRE CASE FROM 2019 ON.
THE STATEMENTS OF OBJECTIONS IN CORRECTIONS. >>HE SAYS SHE REALIZED EARLY ON
THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND STARTED
DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING TO EACH
REVIEW THAT THE
FOSTER WORKER WITH SUBMIT TO
THE COURT THERE WAS TONS OF.
LIES AND MISINFORMATION AND
LACK OF INFORMATION SO I WOULD
CORRECT EACH OF THOSE
SHE HAS THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF
EMAILS
FACEBOOK MESSAGES DOCUMENTED
CONVERSATIONS AND MORE.
IF THEY WANTED ANYTHING FURTHER THAN THAT.
>>FRUSTRATED SHE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE THE OFFICE OF THE CHILDREN’S OMBUDSMAN WHO CAN
INVESTIGATE ANY DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES, THE
INVESTIGATION FOUND ISSUES WITH
THE WAY HER CASE WAS HANDLED
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THAT
ECHO
HER CLAIMS THE STATE
CONFIRMED AND INADEQUATE
INVESTIGATION BY CHILD
PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
INTEREST TO ACHIEVE
REUNIFICATION.
A MEANINGFUL VISITATION WITH
THE CHILDREN.
COURT RECORDS THAT CONTAINED
INCOMPLETE AND
INACCURATE INFORMATION AND
TROUBLING INTERNAL POLICIES.
IF THEY
HAD ALLOWED.
>>FAMILY THERAPY LIKE WAS
RECOMMENDED BY COUNSELORS AND.
BUT IT CHANGED THE WHOLE TRAJECTORY OF THE CASE MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN OR.
MEANINGFUL VISITATIONS THEY BASICALLY DID NOT WORK AT REUNIFICATION WHICH IS THE
WHOLE GOAL.
YEAH.
>>THE STATE FOUND REUNIFICATION WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE FOR THE MOTHER GIVING THE MOTHER OF
3.
SOME VINDICATION.
BUT NOT HER CHILDREN.
>>IT TURNS OUT ANGELA’S ISN’T THE ONLY CASE THERE HAVE BEEN 7 RECENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO
CARROLL COUNTY DSS
AND 2 OF THEM HAVE WHAT THEY
CALL
SERIOUS FINDINGS.
THE STATE WANTS CARROLL COUNTY
TO MAKE
SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS, BUT
THEY’RE NOT REVEALING WHAT THEY
ARE TO 10 NEWS.
SHE IS STILL WORKING TO GET HER
CHILDREN BACK HER PARENTAL RIGHTS WERE TERMINATED, BUT SHE’S APPEALING THAT DECISION.
HER CASE GOES IN FRONT OF A 3
JUDGE PANEL NEXT MONTH AT THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA.
>>NOW IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE FINDINGS AND DECISIONS OF THE COURTS ARE NOT SUBJECT
TO REVIEW DURING THIS
STATE INVESTIGATION PROCESS,
THE COURTS DETERMINED THAT
THERE WAS NEGLECT IMMINENT
THREAT TO THE CHILDREN AND
TERMINATION OF
PARENTAL RIGHTS WAS IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF
THE CHILDREN.
>>AND WE’LL KEEP WORKING FOR
YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH
ANGELA AND HER CHILDREN IN
COURT AND WE ARE IN CONTACT
WITH THE STATE TO SEE WHAT
ACTION
THEY TAKE.
>>AND WE ALSO ASKED CARROLL
COUNTY FOR AN INTERVIEW THEY
SAID IF WE SENT WRITTEN
QUESTIONS THEY WOULD BE HAPPY
TO REVIEW THEM
TO DETERMINE WHETHER RESPONSE
IS PERMITTED
OR APPROPRIATE.
>>THE DSS DIRECTOR TOLD US
IN PART EVERY CPS
AND FOSTER CARE CASE IS SUBJECT
TO A RIGOROUS SYSTEM OF CHECKS
AND BALANCES TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT DECISIONS ARE MADE FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES EVERY CHILD AND
FAMILY IS SERVED BY A TEAM OF
PROFESSIONALS WHO
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AN
ADVOCATE FOR THE GOALS OF THE
FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS.
MARY GOAL IS TO REUNIFY THE
FAMILY, HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL IS NOT ALWAYS ACHIEVABLE AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE
CHILD.