TX - Colton Turner, 2, Cedar Park, 11 Sept 2014 #1 *Arrests*

[rollinginit]

I do wonder sometimes how many complaints CPS gets that I would consider "one-up" complaints? One-ups being what I consider two parents battling back and forth over a child and both are constantly calling CPS making false allegations. They are both trying to outdo each other with their one-up complaints.

I remember Judge Judy (HAHA) had a couple on her show like that. I remember the judge telling them that after all her years in family court- she saw many parents like them. They play the system but in turn, actually hurt the system by making it harder for real cases.

Just a random thought this morning.
Prayers sweet Colton. RIP

 

[watergirl62]

Second vigil and balloon release scheduled for 7pm tonight.

 

[okmom23]

I do wonder sometimes how many complaints CPS gets that I would consider "one-up" complaints? One-ups being what I consider two parents battling back and forth over a child and both are constantly calling CPS making false allegations. They are both trying to outdo each other with their one-up complaints.

I remember Judge Judy (HAHA) had a couple on her show like that. I remember the judge telling them that after all her years in family court- she saw many parents like them. They play the system but in turn, actually hurt the system by making it harder for real cases.

Just a random thought this morning.
Prayers sweet Colton. RIP

I don't know an exact figure, but it's safe to say a lot! In my ER experience we see kids when custodial parent drops kid off for visitation and non-custodial parent brings them in for documentation of any bruise or scratch they see and ask the medical staff to call CPS then we see kids when non-custodial parent drops kid off after visitation and custodial parent brings kid in for same documentation of any bruise or scratch. It can be a real drain on the system and a waste of resources but the first time you don't take one if these instances seriously it will be the one time you should of and then you have opened yourself up to criminal and civil litigation.

 

[human]

H

Multiple Investigations into Texas CPS over the Colton Harris case.

Moody also confirms to KXAN CPS staff decided last Friday evening to conduct an internal review into how its investigators handled any complaints. Law enforcement sources told KXAN Monday there were four known abuse complaints made to CPS regarding Colton’s well being.....

Moody would not confirm whether there was an active investigation into abuse complaints or that its staff could not find Meagan Work, as police officials indicated. A team of Cedar Park Police patrol officers and detectives located Work in hours, Chief Sean Mannix told KXAN Monday.............

CPS will also conduct a standard death investigation. State law also requires CPS staff to fill out a form 2059 – a Summary of Client Needs. It could reveal more about how Colton was living before he disappeared – providing it turns out there was an investigation then......

KXAN also confirms the Office of Inspector General of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will review the Turner case.
http://kxan.com/2014/09/16/texas-cps-had-involvement-with-colton-turner/

Maybe I should be hopeful, but what I see usually is some low level employee being the sacrificial lamb when in fact it is the higher ups who are at fault.

My guess is that the legislators, in order to keep taxes low, do not provide enough funds for a decent job. And there are all of those laws protecting parents as well as reunification.

As far as looking for someone, many parents with CPS issues move to get out of the scrutiny.

I believe right now there is no state to state sharing of info.

I can just imagine the outcry of people when there would be a request to have a national data bank of child abuse reports. Not convictions, but rather reports not investigated like Colton's .

It is not as simple as I would like it to be.

I know from personal experience of working with probable abusive parents how they up and move when people start looking into their lives.

 

[renarde]

Texas law requires that anyone with knowledge of child abuse report it to authorities, and it demands criminal penalties for those who don't. But police concede they rarely charge people with such crimes.

"In my opinion, failure to report child abuse is a frequent occurrence," said Monica Faulkner, associate director of the Child and Family Research Institute at the University of Texas. "As a society, we tend to value privacy and the right to parent without government intervention. Unfortunately, this adult-centered approach can lead many people ... to choose to stay out of situations where children are in being hurt."

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...otos-raise-questions-of-reporting-5770051.php

 

[KateB]

Today would have been Colton's 3rd birthday.

 

[keyleigh]

Happy heavenly birthday Colton.

 

[renarde]

Different details: this article makes it sound like they dug the same grave over two nights. It also mentions where MT was working.

She said while they were in a truck parked behind the fast food restaurant where Turner worked, Colton began having seizures and was having trouble breathing.

The couple slept in the room with Colton's body on the floor. Work said she didn't return to the grave site the next night, but insisted that Turner dig it deeper.

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stori...earold-colton-brandt-turner-19153.shtml?wap=0

 

[blefuscu]

Urgh. I still can't understand how they slept with that precious baby dead on the floor. It turns my stomach. Happy birthday Colton. I hope you are at peace now baby.

 

[Thespyma]

"...a messy home strewn with dog feces and a wolf in the backyard."

You can't make up this... stuff.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26560484/details-revealed-about-meagan-works-home-life

I would think the hypodermic needles and cocaine would be much more dangerous than the pet wolf in the back yard. Maybe because I have owned a wolf but would NEVER do recreational drugs. Of course if the wolf were not raised properly it would be as dangerous as a badly trained pit or shepherd.

 

[human]

I am betting anything someone beat that baby.

I read this story over and over about how kids fell down, etc. But the child was beaten

 

[sindydee]

When is someone going to do something to save our children? This whole system is just not working. It appears to be down to funds and old legislation. It is also down to people being vigilant, strong and reporting these incidences. How many times do we read that people noticed something off, after the event. I don't doubt for one minute that so many of the social workers are over worked, and I don''t have any idea how they HAVE to prioritize their work load. Like with any job, you are also going to get the people that dont give a s*it, even when it involves childrens lives. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO CHANGE? rant over

 

[Thespyma]

I am imagining this wolf was very different from my wolfdog who was well socialized and a family member.

I agree. They probably just got one and stuck him in the back yard for "protection" like some do with Pitties. Our wolf was a sweetheart and was well trained and definitely part of our family "pack".

 

[MyBelle]

I do wonder sometimes how many complaints CPS gets that I would consider "one-up" complaints? One-ups being what I consider two parents battling back and forth over a child and both are constantly calling CPS making false allegations. They are both trying to outdo each other with their one-up complaints.

I remember Judge Judy (HAHA) had a couple on her show like that. I remember the judge telling them that after all her years in family court- she saw many parents like them. They play the system but in turn, actually hurt the system by making it harder for real cases.

Just a random thought this morning.
Prayers sweet Colton. RIP

My thoughts and prayers to Colton on this special day.

BBM. I think this is exactly what CPS ASSUMED was going on. The problem, of course, is when there is validity to the parent's call such as in Colton's case or the Elaina Steinfurth case from last year. I also think the solution is simple: prosecute anyone if they make a false report.

The system has been broken for a long time because mothers over time have been conditioned to believe they--not the father--are the superior parent to the child even when they are not. But CPS has the duty to the child to at least initiate and follow-up on the first report especially in cases where the parent is being isolated from seeing the child.

In Colton's case, there apparently were four reports over a two-year period. And when police were finally notified, they found the mother within hours. I think the reason CPS failed Colton is because they ignored the complaints if from "non-professionals and unclassified" mentioned in this news story.

JMO

Who Reports Parents to CPS
Nearly 59 percent of abuse and neglect reports are made by "professionals" who have contact with the child in question as part of their job, often in a field with some sort of mandatory reporting requirement. "This term includes teachers, police officers, lawyers, and social services staff," the report states. "Nonprofessionals—including friends, neighbors, and relatives—submitted one-fifth of reports (18.0 percent). Unclassified sources submitted the remainder of reports (23.3 percent). Unclassified includes anonymous, 'other,' and unknown report sources."

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...s-conducted-32-million-investigations/374809/

 

[AC's Grandma]

In regards to CPS - I live in Florida, and the CPS workers in the county I reside in are supposed to have a caseload of 17, the currently have a caseload of 60!!! 60! No one can handle a caseload of 60 families and do it correctly. It's ridiculous and needs to change NOW!

 

[StormyNights]

Happy birthday angel baby......

 

[MyBelle]

In regards to CPS - I live in Florida, and the CPS workers in the county I reside in are supposed to have a caseload of 17, the currently have a caseload of 60!!! 60! No one can handle a caseload of 60 families and do it correctly. It's ridiculous and needs to change NOW!

I've worked for a state agency and it won't change until the administrator is forced to change it. The chief, not the staff, should be held accountable. If more money is needed, the agency can go to the legislature and request it.

A simple way to improve the process is not to have the in-field caseworkers do the initial screening. I think what they do now is prioritize by type of reporter. All the calls from family or others are lower priority than calls made by mandatory reporters. There needs to be trained staff doing a better initial screening and prioritizing of all reports as they come in and BEFORE it is handed off to an field investigator.

JMO

 

[renarde]

http://kxan.com/2014/09/21/cps-employees-could-be-fired-over-colton-turner-case/

CPS employees could be fired.

 

[LJKaust]

Happy belated birthday sweet Colton. I've not posted in here, but have been reading and thinkingof hime every day. I am so angry that he went through so much and wish his mother had been woman enough to admit she needed help and ask a responsible person to look after him. It makes me weep to think of his little body being disrespected in death as it was in life

 

[StormyNights]

http://kxan.com/2014/09/21/cps-employees-could-be-fired-over-colton-turner-case/

CPS employees could be fired.

In a perfect world ALL CPS offices would be reviewed. Well, in a perfect world we wouldn't need CPS. It's just so infuriating that it takes children dying, dying horrible deaths, to get some action. Sadly, even after this review, I don't have much faith that a whole lot will change. It's just so sad. I really do understand that CPS case workers are totally over worked, understaffed and completely overwhelmed. But that just can't continue to be an excuse for kids like Colton and the thousands of others like him who will suffer and lose their lives as a result. I don't blame CPS first, I blame the monsters who are doing this to these poor kids. If they would stop, we wouldn't have this urgent need for help. Of course it all comes down to money, IMO. Just so disgusting and so heartbreaking......those poor babies.