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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > June > 07 > Entry
Children Services explores less adversarial approach
A kinder, gentler Butler County Children Services is the goal of a new pilot program the county is trying to secure.
The program, called “alternative response,” will allow Children Services caseworkers to take a less adversarial approach to dealing with many neglect cases, offering parents services instead of threatening them with punishment.
The county will find out June 18 if they qualify for the grant and training from the American Humane Association.
“Instead of pointing fingers at families, it’s about working with families and getting them to correct the things that are going on in their lives,” said Jeff Centers, Children Services director.
This can include offering them help with things such as house cleaning, rent assistance, pest control or temporary daycare.
“That way they don’t feel threatened by us, they don’t feel we’re being big, bad Children Services trying to take their kids,” Centers said.
Centers said this would only apply in neglect cases:Â dirty homes, substance abuse, lack of supervision, etc. Abuse allegations would still be answered with a criminal-like investigation.
In April, the agency had 257 open cases, of which 96 were neglect, three were medical neglect, three were emotional maltreatment, 130 were physical abuse and 25 were sexual abuse. This is a typical month, Centers said.
Richard Wexler, executive director of the Virginia-based National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, praised the “alternative response” model.
“This has been tried all over the country, and every evaluation that’s been done over the past decade or so has found it reduces entries into foster care without compromising safety,” Wexler said.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Children Services
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By Polly
June 7, 2010 4:35 PM | Link to this
If this works for Children Services maybe the Board of Commissioners can give it a try.
By Rose
June 7, 2010 4:37 PM | Link to this
What a note; we’ll play nice if we can get a grant to show us how to be nice.
By null
June 8, 2010 10:33 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe what I am hearing. So, are we to let these children go on being abused? We are dealing with trying to pick up the pieces of what was done by CS not listening to teachers, family, and children’s friends parents. There are very few parents that this would work for. Most of them have been given chances after chances to make a better life for themselves. What about the children that are being abused while you are giving the parents a chance. I have a grandchild that suffers a severe case of PTSD because of the abuse she suffered with her mother and her boyfriend. She goes to Children’s 2 or 3 times a week, frequent hospitalizations, and may never have a normal life again. I don’t see anyone helping me with my housework or transportation or anything else. The other child hates his mother for the abuse that he suffered and is in counseling. The kids would tell CS worker what was going on and then CS would tell the mom what they said and guess who would suffer the repercussions. They learned quick to keep their mouths shut. So, who is CS protecting? In our case, not the children.
By ken
June 9, 2010 9:07 AM | Link to this
Richard Wexler, executive director of the Virginia-based National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, praised the “alternative response” model. “This has been tried all over the country, and every evaluation that’s been done over the past decade or so has found it reduces entries into foster care without compromising safety,” Wexler said. OF COURSE THERE WILL BE LESS KIDS IN FOSTER CARE, BECAUSE YOU’RE LEAVING THEM WITH THEIR ABUSIVE PARENTS!!!!
By Jeff K
June 9, 2010 11:33 AM | Link to this
If you right wingers want to beat on an intrusive government, this is a good place to start. Ohio’s legal definition of abuse is so broad that it includes unwanted voice raising. Not to trivialize actual child abuse, but who among us thinks government is the best judge of that? The legal system has disenfranchised those who served as role models and extra disciplinary help in previous generations. Parents need support from the community, not child services, who mainly serve themselves.
By Melanie Marie Shifflett Ridner
June 10, 2010 7:59 AM | Link to this
Yes,lets help those poor things give benedril to make thier children sleep at night so they have more time to do what they want in drugs and drinking and help them with help to go buy thier drugs and give them babysitters so they can go do whatever they want.Once again the system is failing us all and our children again.I would think it would be helping them to educate and make them hunt for jobs and not become a faulty welfare system again.It seems the more you give to try and help these parents that never should have had children,the worse it gets for everyone else in crimanal activity and just plain more neglect.Some bootcamp would be better and education and hard supervisors would help more.Fines as well cause I know many now who abuse everything out there and the true people who need any help from any source can not get help because it has been abused as well.Stop the abuse and you make better parents.Make better people of the parents and not kiss thier butts and hand them everything under the sun and make them work and earn and then maybe you will have a start somewhere.
By jason
July 15, 2010 1:39 PM | Link to this
i am a dad who lost his career in this economic struggle.i have children services up my a*s as if i abuse my kids.i spend all day everyday playing with my 5 boys i couch them to be good boys we say our prayers every night when they go to sleep i look for a job online (no luck).i went out one day and had a drink with a friend. my friend had a joint me being stupid i hit it once. then 3 weeks later i got drug tested by cps.now i know what i did was wrong but do you think i deserve my kids took? i never did it around my kids never put my hands on them the couch is the only punishment i enforce.i feed them 3 times a day plus a snack. on weekends we have what we call guys night were we play the wii watch movies and eat snacks.do i sound like an abusive parent??
By Scentzece
March 7, 2011 2:52 AM | Link to this
Multumesc pentru informatii interesante
By cheryl mckinney
April 6, 2011 11:35 AM | Link to this
my granddaughter was recently killed and i had told butler co. and hamilton police it was goimg to happen no one listened and 2 months 2days later we lost her. my family will never be the same but our angel is safe in jesus arms but i so wish she could still be in ours all i wanted was for a 72 hour hold to investigate the family i pray nobody ever goes through this again we also never received justice of negligent homicide charges ptay for justice
By safe-carseat-momma
May 30, 2011 6:26 PM | Link to this
Jason, grow up, obey the law & you’ll have your kids. CPS does not just drug test citizens willy-nilly. u r not telling the whole story.