new article on IL DCFS BH consent decree and funding

http://www.galesburg.com/news/news_state/x135748884/DCFS-budget-cuts-limited-by-18-year-old-consent-decree?view=print


DCFS budget cuts limited by 18-year-old consent decree
By DEAN OLSEN
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Jul 10, 2009 @ 09:11 PM
It’s unclear how Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration plans to cut $16 million from the budget of a state agency designed to protect Illinois children from abuse and neglect.
But whatever decisions are made, state officials say they will be careful not to violate a federal judge’s recent order to avoid budget cuts that would “present a certainty of irreparable harm” to the 16,000 children under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.
“With a $9.2 billion budget deficit, efficiencies and cuts must be made, but DCFS will not violate the court order,” Quinn spokeswoman Katie Ridgway said in an e-mailed response to questions from The State Journal-Register.
Chicago-based U.S. Judge John Grady on June 30 forbade the Quinn administration from implementing $460 million in cuts to DCFS under Quinn’s proposed “doomsday budget” for the state. The governor has since taken that budget off the table.
Grady issued the order after the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois questioned whether the doomsday budget would violate an 18-year-old consent decree.
The decree, set up to maintain an acceptable level of child-protection and foster-care services in Illinois, settled a 1988 class-action lawsuit in which the ACLU represented the interests of all children in the DCFS system, ACLU associate legal director Benjamin Wolf said.
The cuts outlined more recently by Quinn under his proposed “Tough Choices” budget would cut $16 million from DCFS through 12 furlough days for each of the agency’s 2,977 employees around the state and a 10 percent reduction in grants to an unspecified number of social-service agencies.
Wolf said he doubts DCFS could cut any grants to social-service agencies without violating the consent decree.
The judge’s order requires the state to give the ACLU at least 14 days’ notice before implementing any cuts to staffing, programs and services, he said. The advance notice would give the ACLU time to ask Grady to stop any cuts that might violate the decree, Wolf said.
DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe said DCFS officials are “evaluating all operations and contracts… There was never any intent to violate the court’s order.”
The annual budget of DCFS totals $1.3 billion, one-third of it from the federal government.
The agency provides a statewide child abuse and neglect hotline that initiates more than 67,000 investigations each year. It also provides foster homes and other placements and services for 16,000 wards in state care, support services to 6,000 intact families and monthly subsidies to more than 36,000 families caring for former foster children through adoption or guardianship.

It will be interesting to see how the unions representing DCFS workers and private agency employees react to the planned furlough days. Furlough days will also affect case loads, giving workers that much less time for children in need.

Social service agencies resorting to nasty attack TV ads now

I was lying down, trying to get some relief from my back pain and watching food network when a commercial came on villifying Mike Bost for not voting for a tax increase that the social service coalition is wanting.

Here is a link to the ad video and a list of political targets.

http://progressillinois.com/2009/7/9/citizen-action-ads

Question: how much do these TV commercials cost and gee, isn't that money that can be spent on seniors, people with health problems and needy children?

Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to reach some agreement on the state's budget deficit. With the state facing massive social service cuts, Gov. Pat Quinn has already vetoed what he considered an underfunded social service appropriations bill and an overfunded operating budget. An override of the latter is possible, as Sen. James Meeks noted in the SouthtownStar today. But even if that portion of the budget is ultimately approved, deep cuts would still be required unless the General Assembly agreed on a new source of revenue (i.e. an income tax increase).
Of course, the Meeks tax plan (HB 174) that passed the Senate in late May is still sitting on the table. And Citizen Action/Illinois is using the airwaves to remind certain legislators of that fact. Beginning today, the group is running television ads on cable stations in 21 Illinois House districts asking "key representatives" to support HB 174, calling it "a responsible solution to addressing the long-term structural deficit in Illinois while providing relief from regressive taxation." Watch it (this version targets Rep. Donald Moffitt):
Below is the full list of targeted lawmakers:
Daniel Beiser (D-Alton)Mike Bost (R-Carbondale)John Bradley (D-Marion)Rich Brauer (R-Springfield)John Cavaletto (R-Salem)Lisa Dugan (D-Kankakee)Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville)Robert Flider (D-Decatur)Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria)Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville)Thomas Holbrook (D-Belleville)Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth)Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls)Donald Moffitt (R-Galesburg)Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg)Raymond Poe (R-Springfield)Robert Pritchard (R-Sycamore)Dan Reitz (R-Sparta)Chapin Rose (R-Charleston)Jil Tracy (R-Quincy)Jim Watson (R-Jacksonville)

This adoption agency PR release made me frown

Paternity Questions About Michael Jackson's Kids Shine Light On Embryo Donation/Adoption06 Jul 2009 Entangled in all the controversial drama surrounding the sudden death of Pop-Icon Michael Jackson is the issue of his three children's paternity. With conflicting facts out there, many people are talking about the possibility that his children may have been born through embryo donation and adoption. This practice is not new. Many families are successfully birthing healthy babies from frozen embryos throughout the United States. The Snowflakes Frozen Embryo Adoption program (Snowflakes), a service offered by Nightlight Christian Adoptions, reports that through its agency alone, 205 babies have been born through embryo donation and adoption and 13 more babies are expected by January 2010. Statistical estimates show that nation-wide through all agencies offering this form of adoption, over 1,500 children have been born and the total births from embryo donation and adoption are increasing 15 percent each year. Here's a quote from one family that adopted a child this way: "We felt like everyone had some control. The donor couple selected us, so they had some choice in the destiny of their surplus embryos. We were delighted and felt truly blessed to be chosen from a lot of other needy infertile couples that had also completed a home study (family assessment) with the adoption agency. Snowflakes actually helped match the genetic parents of the embryos with our wants as the adopting couple, and then the clinic completed our successful embryo transfer." Snowflakes has a plethora of information on this cutting-edge form of adoption on its Website. In fact, the following link offers personal stories from parents who have successfully used embryo donation and adoption to build their families and those who decided to donate their own frozen embryos to another family - http://www.nightlight.org/adoption-videos. Just yesterday, Georgia became the first state in the nation to have a law allowing adoption of an embryo - The Option of Adoption Act. The law's language does not specifically define an embryo as a person but supporters say there's no mistaking the implication. This move by Georgia is seen as the first of many similar laws in states throughout the union and will surely serve to grow the practice of embryo donation and adoption. SourceNightlight Christian Adoptions
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156386.php

I'm well aware of Search Engine Optimization techniques. A blogger or PR firm uses terms that will results in the most hits for their blog or PR release.

Micheal Jackson is one of the top search terms right now. However, the question of the Jackson children's parentage being used as a lead-in to drive internet traffic, utterly horrible taste. These children are grieving a loss of a parent figure right now. Using these children to promote embryo adoption, the connection is very remote. This press release could have been better thought out if you ask me.

I'm no big Micheal Jackson fan. However, the "controversy" to quote the press release is frankly not any of my business. The children's right to privacy matters and some might say being the children of celebrity erases any right to privacy. I disagree.

Illinois woman charged with chld abuse after dead animals found in home

Illinois woman charged with chld abuse after dead animals found in home

By Associated Press Posted: Monday, July 6, 2009 5:50 pm ABINGDON, Ill. -- Aggravated battery, child neglect and child abuse charges have been filed against an Abingdon woman in whose home police found eight dead animals, feces and flea infestations.
Abingdon Police Chief Fred Andrews says police entered the residence on Friday to try to find the husband of 28-year old Rebecca Geier and discovered eight dead animals, feces and flea infestations. He said police were responding to a domestic disturbance call at the home.
According to Andrews, most of the dead animals were cats and dogs, some of which had decomposed to skeletal remains. He said he's not sure what specifically killed the animals and called the stench in the house, ``horrible.''
Andrews said Monday two children living in the home were taken by DCFS and placed with other family members.

EWWW! This is not the type of thing I like to read during my first cup of coffee. I hope that pending legislation that connects animal abuse to child abuse is signed by the governor soon.

Out of state company to handle payment cards for child care providers

ACS Wins IDHS Contract
By Amara Channell at 6 July, 2009, 3:31 pm
Affiliated Computer Services Inc (ACS) has won a contract to provide an electronic payment card system for the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). The program is designed to facilitate the distribution of state payments to child care providers as well as personal assistants to people who have disabilities.

Under the contract, ACS’ EPC program will design MasterCard debit cards that can be reloaded and used throughout the country at numerous stores and ATMs. The cards will be available, in lieu of paper checks, to child care providers involved with the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program and aides for people with disabilities.

“ACS’ agreement with the State of Illinois demonstrates the flexibility of our electronic payment card solution and how we can help government agencies with innovative and creative solutions,” remarked executive vice president and group president of ACS Government solutions group, Joseph Doherty. “We anticipate that this project will become a model for other states.”
ACS is currently providing support for 24 other Electronic Payment Card systems that distribute payments for state and federal programs such as child support, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, disability and unemployment insurance.

http://www.acs-inc.com/pages_exp.aspx?id=522 with locations in KY, TX, PA, UT and GA.

What's up with hiring an out of state corporation when so many Illinoisans need jobs? This reminds me of FL outsourcing their food stamp call center to India. Quite an uproar when Floridians discovered good jobs were being sent overseas and very ironic since the call center was to help the unemployed.

IL DCFS budget cuts but how much federal funding?

There is a cool search engine to find out about federal funds received.

CHASI, here's the search results. http://harvester.census.gov/sac/dissem/asp/finalPrintPages2008.asp?ID=483192008

Childserv is at http://harvester.census.gov/sac/dissem/asp/finalPrintPages2008.asp?ID=484692008

Babyfold is at http://harvester.census.gov/sac/dissem/asp/finalPrintPages2008.asp?ID=532982008

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is at http://harvester.census.gov/sac/dissem/asp/finalPrintPages2008.asp?ID=491512008

Here is the link to the search engine for adoptive and foster families doing due diligence prior to selecting an agency. http://harvester.census.gov/sac/dissem/asp/incompleteEntity.asp

Illinois child welfare agency on budget cuts 07-07-09

The Baby Fold, Healthy Start adjusting programs after cuts
By Paul Swiech swiech@pantagraph.com Posted: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 12:00 am
BLOOMINGTON -- The bell tolled for more human service programs on Monday as programs to reduce incidents of child abuse and neglect and to assist youth before they're sentenced to juvenile jail were among those reduced or eliminated as a result of state budget cuts.
"These programs - not just ours - are saving the state a lot of money," said Tim Glancy, coordinator for the Catholic Charities' branch office in Bloomington. "Fiscally, it makes no sense to cut them."
Programs that help to keep youths out of jail, teach young mothers how to parent and keep people in school and working cost society less money in the long run than paying for people in prisons or in hospitals, he argued.
Children's Home + Aid Children's Foundation and The Baby Fold announced Monday that state funding for the Healthy Start program has been cut by $182,300 to $141,325. Healthy Start - run in Central Illinois by Children's Foundation and Baby Fold - tries to reduce child abuse and neglect by helping young, first-time mothers build strong relationships with their children.
The cut will affect 60 clients, said Pete Moore of The Baby Fold. Healthy Start will pull back from DeWitt, Piatt and Tazewell counties to serve only McLean County, said Lisa Pieper, Children's Foundation regional vice president.
At Children's Foundation, one full-time employee has been let go and three other positions will remain unfilled. Baby Fold has let go four part-time employees, Moore said.
Cuts in Healthy Start, Crisis Nursery and Early Learning Center at Children's Foundation have resulted in 20 people losing their jobs, Pieper said.
"I don't know how long we can go on until there's irreparable damage here," Pieper said.
Catholic Charities is cutting its Unified Delinquency Intervention Service, which works with youth on probation to keep them out of jail; Redeploy Illinois, which provides crisis response to youth before they end up in jail; and the Bloomington-Normal Area Project, which works with youth in targeted neighborhoods, Glancy said.
The first program is servicing about 10 youth, the second about 30, and the third about 100 this summer but many more throughout the year, Glancy said. Catholic Charities is keeping the latter, summer program - at Holy Trinity Junior High School in Bloomington - going through the end of July even though state funding ended a week ago.
About 15 full- and part-time employees are losing jobs in Bloomington as a result of the cuts, Glancy said.
"The hope is that when they (state legislators) get back on July 14, they'll put some money back into these programs," Glancy said. If all the human service cuts remain, Glancy said "there would be chaos in the state."


A very wise reader's comment was made on this article.

WoodfordPundit said on: July 7, 2009, 5:50 am
Look. Here's the problem. Even at the $140,000 level for "Healthy Start" - that's some $2,300 per "client". Does the "client" get $2,300? Of course not. One presumes that 80% of that amount goes into salary and benefits for the providers.Perhaps a healthier start would be to just write the check to the client and mandate some counseling as to long term plans.I'm a big believer in these social service agencies but they've sold their souls for government money. Maybe Illinois budget cuts are a blessing in disguise. It could force some of these agencies to reassess their priorities.Social service was never meant to be a jobs program.Just some humble thoughts.

What's interesting about the Baby Fold and this can be verified by going to Guidestar.org and looking at some not-for profit tax returns is that the Baby Fold received over $174,00 from Children's Home and Aid Society per CHASI's 2007 990. CHASI also listed Childserv as a subcontractor on their 990 tax return and paid them over $303,000 as a subcontractor. Even more interesting is that CHASI paid a temporary job service over $338,000. Temps providing social services? This info is on Guidestar and listed under the five highest paid sub-contractor section on page 10 of the return.

Now, what I want someone to explain to me is why CHASI is paying Baby Fold and Childserv as subcontractors. The tax returns don't say what type of child welfare services were purchased from the subcontractors.

Incidentally, both CHASI and Childserv are part of the coalition of social service agencies pushing for tax increases. LSSI (Lutheran Social Services of Illinois) has their logo on the press release listing all the agencies involved with the Rally for the Common Good.