Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law last month that would limit county child welfare agencies (CPS) from seeking child support from parents.
Assembly Bill 1686, authored by Los Angeles state Assembly member Isaac Bryan, encourages counties to avoid seeking child support payments from parents whose children are in the child welfare system.
Michelle Chan, a founder of California Families Rise, lobbied for the bill with impacted parents in the months leading up to the bill being signed into law.California Families Rise is an advocacy organization that represents and lobbies for child welfare system-impacted parents and family members.
“All of the parents that came and supported made a difference,” Chan said.
“This is a mess from the California State legislature and the Governor that our needs are being listened to,” Chan said.
AB 1686 states that
when the county child welfare department determines that it is not in the best interest of the child to seek a support order against the parent, the county child welfare department shall refrain from referring the case to the local child support agency.”
This law is not binding, meaning that to seek child support from parents, the county must prove it is not a burden to the parents or unnecessarily extends the child’s time in the welfare system.
Research shows that for every $100 parents pay towards foster care costs, their child’s duration in care lengthens by about six months.
The effects are especially pronounced for Black families and as you are likely aware, Black families are dramatically over-represented in California’s child welfare system.
Assembly member Bryan said that current practice exacerbates poverty and reduces the likelihood of positive family outcomes.
“Part of what we’re doing as state legislators is to stop this punishment and criminalization of poverty,” Bryan said via telephone.
According to a legislative analysis of the bill, more than 14,000 parents whose children have been removed to foster care are required to repay the cost of their child’s stay in care.
the federal child welfare authorities no longer demand that counties make the parents pay child support.
“They’ve changed the rules altogether,” Bryan said.
“They’re working to codify it in legislation.”
The Department of Child Support Services argued that millions of dollars would be lost as a result of a decrease in child support payments.
While the exact impact of the reduction is unknown, an assumed reduction in child support collections would result in a loss of approximately $4.24 million ($1.44 million General Funds revenue) in annual collections.
Bryan argued that counties only recover 27 cents of every dollar that they tried to collect and essentially are wasting resources doing so.
“In effect we’ve lessened the financial burden on struggling families, increased the likelihood of children reunifying with their parents and we save the counties money,” Bryan said.
Kiana Casey, 21, is charged in the death of a 3-year-old girl who was in her care. (Philadelphia Police Department )
Authorities say five people were hurt when nearly 100 shots were fired near a playground in West Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
A child welfare caseworker turned herself in to Philadelphia police to face charges in connection with the death of a 3-year-old girl from July.
On Monday, Jendayi Mawusi, 25, surrendered to police and was charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child with her involvement in the death of Hope Jones.
Mawusi was the contracted social worker in charge of monitoring the welfare of the child while under the supervision of Jones’ foster parent, Kiana Casey.
Mawusi’s final visit to Casey’s home as a Case Manager was on July 12, 2022 – shortly before emergency responders were called to the home and tried heroically to save 3-year-old Hope Jones’s life.”
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday
“As a Case Manager, Mawusi was a state-mandated reporter, meaning she was legally obligated to make a report if she had reasonable cause to suspect that Jones was a victim of child abuse. We allege that Mawusi repeatedly failed to investigate and intervene during what should have been obvious signs of physical harm inflicted on Hope Jones during her tragically short life.”
On July 23, Philadelphia Police were called to Casey’s home. Authorities found 3-year-old Jones unconscious. Police rushed her to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead a short time later.
A Philadelphia Medical Examiner later determined that the cause of Jones’s death was blunt force trauma.
An autopsy found that Jones had numerous contusions and hemorrhages across her body, particularly on her arms and legs.
The medical examiner’s report concluded that the injuries were in various stages of healing at the time of her death, indicating that she had been severely abused and assaulted on multiple occasions.
In July, Casey, was charged third-degree murder, aggravated assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Over the years It’s Almost Tuesday has been in contact with countless families affected by the child welfare system. We believe that all voices deserve to be heard.
We are looking to feature the stories of those families.
Are you a parent who lost their child to removal by CPS ? Did your child get injured or killed while in the care of the government?
Are you an adult whose childhood was robbed by the foster care system? Did you age out of foster care?
Are you a targeted parent of alienation? Are you the adult survivor of parental alienation in your childhood?
Tell us your story.
Email your story to Itsalmosttuesday@Yahoo.com with the subject line STORY SUBMISSION. All names must be redacted do ones remember to use either initials or a generic term like ‘mother, father or child’. And if you wish to include any documentation make sure it is redacted as well. You will be contacted if you’re story is selected at which time you can submit such documentation.
Please keep your story as factual and accurate as possible, no profanities, and close to 500 words as possible.
Your voice deserves to be heard and we would like to help make that possible. Godspeed.
Plaintiff, Jamyson Harris filed a lawsuit against Tulare and Kern county in California. Case number 18-cv-00699-LJO-BAM.
Allegations include kidnapping and child molestation.
In the fall of 1991, Jamyson, along with his brother and sisters were taken into Tulare county social services in Porterville, California. By their mother’s roommates. The roommates falsely accused their mother of abandoning and abusing her children.
This was while their mother was out of town moving into their new home.
While living in a foster home with his sisters. Jamyson alleges he was sexually molested by their foster mom. Then placed on heavy psychotropic drugs, kicked out and he had to shuffle from foster home to foster home. Until finally he was shipped off to another county across the state of California.
Both Tulare and Kern county are not denying or challenging what has happened as of yet. Both counties are just challenging the statute of limitations.
According to Government Code Section 911.6. Under some circumstances a late claim shall be granted. My claim qualifies because of circumstances 1-3 of the government code 911.6.
(b) The board shall grant the application where one or more of the following is applicable:
(1) The failure to present the claim was through mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable neglect and the public entity was not prejudiced in its defense of the claim by the failure to present the claim within the time specified in Section 911.2.
(2) The person who sustained the alleged injury, damage or loss was a minor during all of the time specified in Section 911.2 for the presentation of the claim.
(3) The person who sustained the alleged injury, damage or loss was physically or mentally incapacitated during all of the time specified in Section 911.2 for the presentation of the claim and by reason of such disability failed to present a claim during such time.
The plaintiff alleges, they were placed in foster care by mistake and neglect. Because their mother’s roommates lied to the county and the county social workers didn’t do their job.
“They just went with the lie and forced us to go along with the lie.” Jamyson said. “We didn’t know our 4th and 14th amendment rights were being violated. We were just minors, with no defense and our mother was gone Nobody cared. One side wanted us gone. The other side was getting paid to do it. There was no real due process for our mother. ” Jamyson continued.
Jamyson, is currently working with his therapist to gather evidence to support circumstance number three. Jamyson claims he was mentally incapable of presenting a claim in time. Because according to his therapist the trauma from being kidnapped, sexually abused and being placed on the medication. He dissociated himself from what happened and the damage was so bad. By the time Jamyson was taken off the medications. His memory was so scattered he had completely forgotten why he was really in foster care.
What do you think? Do you think the statutes of limitations should be lifted? For more info on this case go to pacer.gov and search for case number 1:18-cv-00699-LJO-BAM
If you would like to help. A gofundme account has been set up to help pay for legal expenses. Click link below to donate. https://www.gofundme.com/I-was-in-foster-care-illegally?member=462128
if you find this topic interesting, which I hope you will, I urge you to read my post called My HISTORY of CHILD ACTING. (check back and this link will be live when it’s finished).
I will be detailing my childhood experiences that are mostly untold due to the vast amount of trauma I endured. Peggy Akin, my birth mother, had a dream she expected me to fulfill and in doing so, she not only stole my childhood, my money, but later in life, my son, and my adulthood.
Years before she and a child molester kidnapped my son, ruining my adult life, she robbed me of my 3 brothers and my father, stole my innocence and tainted and erased all the memories I might of had of a family.
All of this was against the law. She did not care and to this day, she shows no remorse. For that reason, I am not holding back.
Cinema has played an integral role in society since its inception in the early 1900s.
With the development of motion picture film production, film has become a staple in society, reflecting current social and cultural attitudes of the time. The first child actor, Jackie Coogan, at the young age of seven appeared on film alongside Charlie Chaplin in The Kid in 1921.
Coogan’s success would come to make him “the youngest person in history to earn a million dollars.
Earning roughly four million dollars during his career, Coogan would come to only receive roughly two thousand dollars after his earnings were seized and spent by his mother and stepfather.
Having realized the extent of “Jackie-mania” that had engulfed the nation and the amount of money Coogan had generated in his career, Coogan sued his mother in 1938.
Coogan alleged that when he had confronted his mother about his missing wages, his mother had stated: “No promises were ever made to give Jackie anything. Every dollar a kid earns before he is twenty-one belongs to his parents.”
The court ultimately decided in Coogan’s favor, however Coogan would only come to recover a relatively “small portion of his earnings.”
In response to the atrocities experienced by Coogan, California would go on to pass the Coogan Law in 1939 in order to change California’s prior law allowing the parents sole ownership of the earnings of a minor.
“Such exploitation of child actors led to the California legislature passing the Coogan Act in 1939, which was intended to protect acting children’s assets.”
The Coogan Law, codified in the California Code, requires that a trust be established “for the purpose of preserving for the benefit of the minor the portion of the minor’s gross earnings.”
The code thereby “creates a fiduciary relationship between the parent and the child.”
Coogan’s Law mandates that the trustee “shall establish the trust pursuant to this section within seven business days after the minor’s contract is signed by the minor, the third–party individual or personal services corporation (loan–out company), and the employer.”
The Coogan Trust provides “no withdrawal by the beneficiary or any other individual, individuals, entity, or entities may be made of funds on deposit in trust without written order of the superior court.”
This provision remains in effect until the minor reaches the age of eighteen, and funds will only be released after providing “a certified copy of the beneficiary’s birth certificate to the financial institution where the trust is located.”
Although the Coogan Law aimed to prevent children’s wages from being wrongful consumed by the parents, the law only affected children performers in California and did not address any other issues besides issue of ownership of wages.
The Coogan law additionally did not discuss the potential conflict of interest that could potentially arise from the parent also being the trustee of the child’s trust.
Even with the plight of Coogan, that did not stop the influx of children actors that followed in his footsteps.
In the years following Coogan, Shirley Temple would break onto the Hollywood scene in the early 1930s. However, “before she made her big Hollywood debut in 1934, at the age of [five], she starred in ‘Baby Burlesks’, a very odd short film series that featured a bunch of toddlers in diapers acting out creepily grown-up plots.”
In her first speaking role in War Babies, three-year-old Temple stars as an “exotic dancer in a bar for soldiers, where she wiggles around in a little off-the-shoulder number, ogled by shirtless toddlers playing ‘army men’ with big safety pins in their diapers,” gaining her first onscreen kiss before the age of five.
(warning, some viewers might find this film disturbing)
Another film in the series, Polly Tix in Washington, features a four-year-old Temple “wearing a little bra and filing her nails when she gets a phone call from a top-hat wearing toddler telling her to go seduce a Senator to ‘get him to work.’
She walks in and greets the senator draped in pearls saying she’s been sent to ‘entertain’ him.”
(warning some viewers might find this film disturbing)
Temple garnished love from the public and politicians alike, with even President Franklin D. Roosevelt commenting on her impact on society.
The President expressed that Temple’s on screen presence was a necessity during the time of the Great Depression, going on to state:
“When the spirit of the people is lower than at any time during this Depression, it is a splendid thing that for just fifteen cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”
Shirley Temple’s rise to fame occurred during the time of the Great Depression, a time where society’s stance on child labor had shifted greatly. Motivating society, however, was mostly grounded in “the desire of of Americans in a period of high unemployment to open jobs held by children to adults.”
The President’s sentiments towards Temple and the cinematic industry would come to shape the implementation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Pressured by the public, President Roosevelt “sent Congress a special message proposing federal regulation to solve the problem of child labor, as well as set minimum wages and maximum work hours.”
However, President Roosevelt did not propose a uniform, national standard to encompass all areas of child labor, and instead specifically distinguished that certain differentiations would exist between different industries; one of these industries being children performers.
As a result of the message proposed by President Roosevelt, Congress would have to consider whether a total ban on child labor would be instituted or if, as the President suggested, it would be best for the federal government to regulate “oppressive” child labor and leave other areas of child labor to the discretion of the states.
One Representative would come to weigh in on the matter, by introducing “the exemption on the floor of Congress.”Representative Charles Paul Kramer stated:
The ability to perform in motion pictures requires an intellectual gift and quality, something which is born in the exceptional child. Not only the motion picture industry but the movie-going public would be denied much pleasure and enjoyment if children were barred from the screen. The old and young are delighted with the unassuming appeal of America’s little sweetheart, Shirley Temple. . .
These sentiments, mirroring the current public policy of the time, urged Congress to pass the so-called Shirley Temple Act.39 Congress would come to determine that child acting did not rise to the level of “oppressive child labor” and that child acting had a “positive contribution to the nation’s cultural and economic life”; thereby not arising to the level needed to require federal regulation.
However, that does not mean that everyone felt that child acting should be excluded from the Act’s provisions. “Robert H. Jackson of the Justice Department condemned the negative effect of child labor on national labor standards in that one state could subvert the nation’s labor standards by allowing child labor within its borders.
“Due to this exception from federal labor laws for child performers, states are left to draft their own statutes for regulating the treatment, protection, and experiences of child performers.”
Shirley Temple continued her career in the spotlight until the age of twenty-two, after a decline in her popularity.
Both Coogan and Temple rose to fame early in the development of the moving picture film industry and although both, and many others, experienced many issues, that did not stop others from following in their footsteps.
The Federal Labor Standards Act, although amended several times, still exempts children performers from its protections and leaves each state to dictate the rules and regulations the performers are bound by. Additionally, when the Act was developed there were certain technologies currently available now, that were unavailable at the time the Act was considered.
The biggest development since the introduction of the act is the widespread usage of the internet, where anyone can upload anything at any time.
This freedom to upload has led to a development in the amount of ways entertainment can be produced and distributed, while being compensated.
These areas of production are not covered by many state codes, including children actors performing on monetized social media platforms such as YouTube.
For more on this subject please visit the link below to read The Children of YouTube: How an Entertainment Industry Goes Around Child Labor Laws .
Guzman, J.D., Neyza (2020) “The Children of YouTube: How an Entertainment Industry Goes Around Child Labor Laws,” Child and Family Law Journal: Vol. 8 : Iss. 1 , Article 4.
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Barry Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Child and Family Law Journal by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Barry Law.
please also like and share this article to get the truth out… Thank you and Godspeed
You may feel betrayed when someone hurts you or breaks your trust. However, the betrayal can be traumatic if it’s someone close to you, or someone you depend on to care for you.
“This type of trauma usually relates to primary attachment figures like a parent, caregiver, or other important relationship from childhood. In adulthood, it tends to repeat among romantic partners,” says Dr. Romanoff.
This article explores the causes, symptoms, and impact of betrayal trauma, as well as some coping mechanisms that may be helpful.
Origin of the Betrayal Trauma Theory
The betrayal trauma theory was proposed in 1991 by Jennifer Freyd, PhD, an American psychology researcher, author, and educator.
According to the theory, someone may experience betrayal trauma when:
They are terrified, sometimes for their physical safety or their life.
They are betrayed by someone who they depend on for survival, such as a parent or caregiver, whom they rely on food, shelter, and other basic needs.
Furthermore, if the child processes the betrayal normally, they may start to avoid the caregiver and stop interacting with them. However, the theory notes that the child may be more likely to block the abuse or betrayal from their mind and develop amnesia of sorts, if they are dependent on the caregiver for their daily needs and survival. The child is essentially forced to ignore the betrayal in order to maintain their relationship with their caregiver and survive.
Impact and Symptoms of Betrayal Trauma
Below, Dr. Romanoff explains the impact of betrayal trauma and the symptoms a person may experience as a result.
Impact of Betrayal Trauma
In the instance of a parent or caregiver who is abusive or acts in a way that betrays a child’s trust, the child remains reliant on them even though the parent is no longer dependable or safe. This creates a complex relationship with primary attachment figures who are simultaneously providing harm and support.
These children may grow up to be adults who select partners who violate their needs in familiar ways. In order to reconcile the two opposites of people who provide harm and care, they tend to avoid processing damaging behavior, make excuses for it, fabricate fantasies to compensate for painful memories, or even blame themselves.
At the core, people who have experienced betrayal trauma tend to dissociate from the trauma. In turn, they struggle with the consequences of extreme dissociation of their emotions, feelings, and reactions to the trauma. Instead of dealing with things directly, they may tend to self-medicate with substances, food, relationships, sex, or other forms or distraction.
Symptoms of Betrayal Trauma
Betrayal trauma can have a severe impact on the person and cause them to experience symptoms or health conditions such as:
PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Dissociation
Difficulty concentrating
Emotional dysregulation
Trust and relationship issues
Physical pain and gastrointestinal issues
Substance abuse
Causes of Betrayal Trauma
Below, Dr. Romanoff explains some of the causes of betrayal trauma, in childhood and adulthood.
Childhood Trauma
Abuse experienced in childhood is one of the most common causes of betrayal trauma. It can include physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse.
Trauma in Adulthood
In adulthood, betrayal trauma is usually experienced in relationships with intimate partners, especially if a person has experienced trauma in the past. However, people may also experience betrayal trauma at the hands of others such as a close friend, colleague, or other person in their life.
Betrayal trauma in adulthood could look like:
Physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse
Infidelity
Revelations of financial problems or significant debt
Ulterior motives or other secretive behaviors
Coping With Betrayal Trauma
If you have experienced betrayal trauma, Dr. Romanoff suggests some steps that can help you cope:
Acknowledge the betrayal: The first step is acknowledging how you were betrayed and hurt. Be honest with yourself and consider the impact of the betrayal on the relationship and your life.
Write your feelings in a journal: You may find relief through writing down your feelings in a journal. It can help you identify the emotions you’re experiencing and create space to reflect on them, instead of suppressing or avoiding them.
Process your emotions: Confronting the trauma you experienced in the past can bring up a lot of emotions, including grief, fear, anger, regret, loss, and anxiety. It’s important to process these emotions so you can start healing.
Seek support or treatment: It is also helpful to seek support by talking with a friend or therapist. People who have experienced betrayal trauma often feel like they can only rely on themselves and tend to isolate themselves when they are betrayed. Instead, it is important to do the opposite and reach out for support or treatment
Set boundaries: If the person who betrayed you is still in your life in some capacity, set firm boundaries in your relationship with them to protect your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Recognize patterns: If you have experienced betrayal trauma in the past, it’s important to recognize whether it’s affecting your relationships in the present. Understand that you deserve to have relationships that are mutually supportive and beneficial.
A Word From Verywell
Being abused or betrayed by someone you’re close to or someone you depend on can be devastating. It can affect all your subsequent relationships and take a toll on your mental and physical health.
It’s important to address the betrayal you faced, process it, and take steps toward healing and self-care.
Note: My first thought was well well well… They didn’t care when I needed them to do something but at least now they did care…. And did something about the predators in their crooked lovely little county… Way to go guys!!
*Meh*
COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – The Collin County Sheriff’s Office arrested 15 people during its two day ‘Operation Home Alone’.From March 22 – 24, 2022, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office conducted “Operation Home Alone.”
The undercover operation targeted suspects who allegedly use the internet to prey upon adolescent children.Sheriff’s investigators, in collaboration with agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation worked together.
“I want to thank the investigators who participated in this operation for their hard work and dedication to bring this group of sexual predators to justice.
These predators are very sophisticated in their use of technology and exploit online forums to target and communicate with children,” said Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner.
“Parents must engage with their children about their devices and how they use them – and please report any suspicious activity to your nearest law enforcement agency.
Here in Collin County, we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our children.
“Eleven men were charged with online solicitation of a minor, four were charged with prostitution of a person less than 18 years of age, one man was charged with sexual performance of a child and another was charged with possession of child pornography.During the operation, investigators seized a large number of electronic devices that were used by these individuals to commit their crimes.
These devices will undergo forensic examination which may result in additional criminal charges being filed.
In all seriousness I’m happy they’ve done their job to get these people away from kids so I don’t want to sound too cynical… That being said in my eternal grief I can’t help but wish they’d done the same for my children when they were victimized In today’s times it seems like the pedophiles are getting the green light from the powers that be, and it’s good to know at least these guys aren’t getting that. …
Of course innocent until convicted still applies. Even monsters deserve due process.
Governor Greg Abbott may have fought off his Republican primary challengers, but now he’s under fire as yet another foster care scandal comes knocking at his door. The fact that Abbott was apparently caught unaware is leaving some people scratching their heads.
For the past seven years, the Texas foster care system has been woefully undermanaged to the point of disaster on its young charges. Children are being forced to sleep in government offices because no place can be found for them, and many of those with medical and behavioral issues are stuck without specialized care.
Abbott convened an expert investigation that eventually came back with a list of fixes needed immediately, but little has been done besides creating more oversight positions. In particular, Abbott has declined to call another special legislative session to fund much needed changes.
Apparently, this investigation did not turn up the appalling incidences of child sex trafficking that took place at some facilities. At a place called The Refuge, young girls were photographed nude and had their pictures sold for profit. Seven children were allegedly involved in this scheme that included Refuge employees.
When the story broke, Abbott launched an investigation by the Texas Rangers.
The reports of child sex trafficking at The Refuge in Bastrop are abhorrent, Child abuse of any kind won’t be tolerated in the state of Texas, and we are committed to ensuring these despicable perpetrators are brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent of the law. No child should ever suffer the atrocities of trafficking. I expect a thorough and prompt investigation by the Texas Rangers into these horrific crimes.
Yet, it seems strange that despite all the fact-finding going on in the foster system under Abbott, the public is only learning about the sex trafficking now. Especially since a Refuge staffer first reported the problem in January according to court records.
One person particularly incensed is Abbott’s Democratic challenger, former congressman Beto O’Rourke. In an interview session, he skewered Abbott for his recent order to investigate the parents of trans kids supporting their children with lifesaving gender affirming care for child abuse while allowing the foster system to traffic minors.
Four months ago, Governor Greg Abbott is warned that there is a facility here, not too far from Austin, in Bastrop, where children who have been trafficked for sex are in the custody and the care of the State of Texas,” he said. “And they are, in turn, being abused by their caretakers… the governor knew there was a problem for four months and did not do shit to help those kids out.”
The underfunded and broken foster system makes it ripe for victimization. As Texas refuses to put real money and resources into the problem, it will only grow. Instead, Governor Abbott spent his special sessions on a delusion of voter fraud, banning abortion after six weeks, and keeping trans kids out of school sports. Meanwhile, the most vulnerable children in the state go wanting for leadership and protection.
Was taking cursive writing our of schools in the 21st Century a good thing? The explanations they are using is confusing of why. When you Google it, it’s because of stylistic choices and technological advancements.
Cursive has traditionally been used as a way of signing our name of important documents. If the Constitution of the United States is written in cursive, newbie generations won’t be able to read it.
But you can find some Charter Schools still teaching cursive writing. Do you prefer block letters or cursive writing? I noticed that when I stopped writing in cursive, my handwriting got worse.
Is this because of the permanent switch to laptops and desktops? The state that you live in will review their academic standards and choose to change or add what they deem important. Now I see why many parents have gone to home-schooling.
More parents are taking their kids education into their on hands, and it’s a beautiful site to see.
First African American, one-woman syndicated radio host in the Southeast region for major broadcast networks. Over the past 23 years my passion and perseverance has lead me to reach and relate to demographics spanning,
Sports stations, Country, Hip-hop, R & B, Gospel, Adult Contemporary & Top 40 radio stations. I have a unique way of setting the tone, and people feel comfortable telling their story,
