On Tuesday afternoon, the LA County Supervisors voted—three to two—to create a Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection. Proponants of the commission hope that an outsider group can shake things up. Something has to rattle the status quo, they argued. After all, 40 different board motions have failed to produce much concrete reform in the chronicly dysfunctional agency, which has chewed up directors at a remarkable clip, the most recent being Philip Browning who has headed DCFS for just a little over a year.
“There are times when an independent perspective is needed,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who, along with Supervisor Mike Antonovich proposed the motion to create the commission. “Commissions are less likely to be political.”
Carol Biondi, from the Commission for Children and Families, was another of those who spoke forcefully for the creation of the commission, citing years of reports on DCFS that resulted in not much more than a mound of “unimplemented recommendations.”
Interestingly, members of SEIU 721, the union for 3000 of the county’s social workers, were also very much in favor of an outside commission, suggesting that most of DCFS’s rank and file are fed up with business as usual at the reform-resistant agency. (One union rep from Compton made sure to mention that the department desperately needs more social workers, as the existing caseloads are unmanagably high.)
Supervisor Don Knabe was strongly opposed to the commission, and spoke with as much passion as the yea-sayers. Basically Knabe said that we know what to do, and we need to just do it. (Except that he said it more articulately, and at much greater length.)
Supervisor Gloria Molina spoke next and was in favor, providing the third vote that insured the passage of the motion to create the commission.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky expressed his opposition the commission’s formation, and said that the situation with the LA County Sheriff’s department that led to the creation of Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence was different than what was faced with DCFS. (The benefits of the CCJV had been cited by today’s proponents as an example of what an outside commissions can do.)
The board had really no control over the LASD, Yaroslavsky said, thus there was the need for “a political fire storm,” if there was to be reform. Zev also pointed out that it has been nine months since the jails commission issued its report, yet “few of the recommendations…have gone into affect.”
Good point. (So perhaps an additional firestorm is needed? Oh, FBI-i-i-iiii? You listening?)
Finally, the Supervisors voted, and the commission was officially approved for creation. It will made up of ten commissioners, with each supervisor appointing two of the ten.
The CEO will come back next week with possible suggestions for who might be an executive director for the commission.
A bit before the vote, the current DCFS director, Philip Browning, also spoke on the matter and urged any commission formed to “…make something of consequence happen and move beyond the status quo.”
Indeed.
Unfortunately, Browning added that DCFS’s primary mission is safety, and that deaths rarely occur in foster homes, that they occur when kids aren’t removed from homes because of a prejudice in favor of keeping families together.
The fact that Browning trotted out this faulty meme again was not heartening.
Surely, we all agree that we cannot afford any more deaths of children. But when DCFS inspectors repeatedly fail to remove kids from home situations where anybody including your old and half-blind great aunt would know to yank the child out, post haste, and then call the cops, this is not a matter of wrong-headedly trying to keep families together. It is the grievous failure of hiring practicies, training and supervision.
Along with murdered children, according to Judge Michael Nash, who supervises the Los Angeles Juvenile Court, we also have far too many cases of kids removed unnecessarily from stressed but caring parents—who are NOT abusive—and put in the hands of strangers. Piles of depressing statistics tell us about the emotionally corrosive long-term effects of foster care, even if everyone is well intentioned. (Which sometimes they are not.)
Bottom line: We don’t have to choose between one tragedy or the other. And to continue to act as if we do is breathtakingly irresponsible.
Such statements as Browning’s—along with a host of other issues-–lead even the doubters among us to conclude that a commission is needed.
“The board had really no control over the LASD, Yaroslavsky said, thus there was the need for “a political fire storm,” if there was to be reform. Zev also pointed out that it has been nine months since the jails commission issued its report, yet “few of the recommendations…have gone into affect.”
Good point. (So perhaps an additional firestorm is needed? Oh, FBI-i-i-iiii? You listening?)”
I would disagree with Zev. There is something very wrong in Mudville when the BOS won’t come out and publicly state that they will NOT endorse Baca for sheriff! Years ago when Pitchess (showing my age)was sheriff Baxter Ward went after Pitchess for misdeeds and Ward didn’t back off. The point was for the BOS must go public and get involved with a new sheriff ot expect more of the same! The BOS is culpable in the making of Baca Frankenstein as they never once checked on his activities!
Please recall that when the Feds went after Carona all they got him for was jury tampering, I believe. The Feds try to get a ‘dead bang’ case where politicians are involved. We all must keep in mind that people who know about the illegal campaign funds and other criminal activities are also suspects. With a gang of thieves there is NO honor!
Each day I ask people about Baca and would they vote for him? No one likes the guy nor will they vote for him! There is very little political exposure for the BOS to denounce Baca! Unless the BOS has things to hide!!