A large thank you to LA Times writers Kim Christensen and Garrett Therolf for their well-reported, important and heartbreaking package of articles titled “Flawed county system lets children die invisibly.”
The first of the articles tells about a disabled and desperately neglected 17-year-old boy who hung himself from a tree outside the group home where he was placed. Then, as if to make clear the reasons behind his despair, no one at all in the group home noticed or cared enough about his absence to try to search for him.
The second article tells of a 13-year-old girl who fell down a similar chasm of neglect and dispair and ended up stabbed to death after she took to the street in search of someone who might give enough of a damn to even marginally take care of her.
Here’s how the first of the articles begins:
Miguel Padilla ran away from a licensed group home in April 2008, but he didn’t go far.
Unknown to anyone at the time, the 17-year-old amputee made his way to a stand of trees near the main driveway. Using his one arm, he climbed into the branches, tied a makeshift noose to a limb and hanged himself.
Nine days passed before a staffer found his body at the sprawling LeRoy Haynes Center in LaVerne, coroner’s records show — and then only by chance.
“To our knowledge there was no search by LeRoy’s or any other authority,” said Dave Rentz, the boy’s minister.
Miguel Padilla died much as he had lived: alone and out of sight, his suicide the final step in a failed journey through Los Angeles County’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
At least 268 children who had passed through the child welfare system died from January 2008 through early August 2009, according to internal county records obtained by The Times. They show that 213 were by unnatural or undetermined causes, including 76 homicides, 35 accidents and 16 suicides.
In addition to the narrative stories, Christensen and Therolf have provided us with a list the 98 kids who have died in foster care from January to August 2009, and the reasons for their deaths.
This is necessary journalism. It is a pity that these days we don’t see more of it.
A pity? Seeing more things like this can be pretty depressing. The problems with the kids began long before they entered foster care. That’s where there should be a focus to attack the problem.
“The problems with the kids began long before they entered foster care. That’s where there should be a focus to attack the problem.”
The solution would be to allow only pre-screened females to become pregnant. It would be great if only well educated and prepared parents existed. I know far to many people born into to dysfunctional families, drunk fathers, absent parents, single parents, young and stupid parents, broke parents, drug addicts.
We have far to many problems at home to be involved in Afghanistan, Iraq or to continue to allow the flood of poor and uneducated immigrants.
Wow, ignorance wakes up early:
“allow only pre-screened females” “We have far to many problems at home to be involved in Afghanistan, Iraq or to continue to allow the flood of poor and uneducated immigrants.”
Why don’t they sterilize ignorant men like these guys?? Pretty soon they’ll want white people who pass IQ tests to get pregnant. Hollywood, you are making Woody look smart and rational at this point.
Apparently compassion for the suffering wasn’t part of your morning cup of tea.
Heartbreaking story. I agree with Woody that the problems began before the county agencies became involved though their failures were likewise inexcusable.
Giving kids the opportunity to succeed is the kind of thing liberals and conservatives agree on in principle, only I’m not sure what solutions conservatives are proposing. From what I can tell the unstated rule of conservative ideas for increasing childhood opportunity is that they can’t cost the taxpayer any more money. It’s one thing to guard the purse against wasteful spending, but it’s quite another to decide that beneficial policy outcomes like child opportunity just aren’t worth spending money on. I wish we could agree that building an America with real opportunity for all is worthy of public dollars, and we could spend our energy fighting about the kinds of programs that worked best.
Mavis, conservatives opposed making it possible to profit from the taxpayers by having a hoard of illigitimate children. Rewarding bad behavior results in more bad behavior.
A non sequitor response pummeling a straw man argument. Sort of fitting.
What Mavis knows about conservatives could fit on the head of a pin. If early spending would reduce costs to the system later conservative would gladly spend that money. Unlike liberals who will throw out money with no accountability attached at any cause, conservatives demand it.
Great, surefire. Are there any early intervention programs you support or are interested in?
Yes it’s necessary journalism and it’s a shame we don’t read more of it. It’s tough to get your head around the rigors this Padilla kid must have been suffering.
Suki should use his compassion to help all the poor kids in the projects of East L.A., it’s easy to talk about others, and never actually do anything but complain about the white people.
Suki should not waste his time and compassion stalking Woody and the other “white people”. I just wonder how the pendejo knows who is a gavacho and who isn’t. Only my abuelita knows for sure.
surefire, I’m sure if you really try you can think of one early intervention program you can support. If you’re at a loss, hit the google.
Conchita, thanks for the suggestion. I am using all my compassion in Orange County serving the Asian community. Its nice to put my money where my mouth is, it taste better than my foot.
You’re pretty simple minded Mavis, as are your constant bs comments. I don’t need to run around the internet and look up programs I support, who do you think you are to even ask? Here’s what I wrote based on your, as usual, head up ass comments. think reading comprehension as you read Mavis.
“If early spending would reduce costs to the system later conservative would gladly spend that money. Unlike liberals who will throw out money with no accountability attached at any cause, conservatives demand it”.
Did you see me address any particular programs at all? Nope, I addressed how conservatives choose to support programs. Did you address that comment, nope just thought you’d ahow the conservative cop would easily be baited and shown as not knowing what he was talking about. Wron as usual Mavis.
Your comment, as I said, was dumbed down liberal bait that I had no interest in addressing. I talked about the willingness of conservatives to give to programs they felt worked and could be held accountable for showing a track record of success. Did you address that claim I made? No you didn’t, just tried to show I didn’t know what I was talking about without even bringing up one program that you felt worked to ask me about.
FYI Mavis, the only intervention programs I’ve been directly involved in are D.A.R.E. and Head Start, both on a personal level and I’ve also been involved with the DYF, Diabetic Youth Foundation, for years and continue to support efforts to reduce the risk of diabetes in the young. I’ve been to their summer camp more times than I can remember and know where my time and dolars go to whatever the cause is that I support.
People have divergent opinions on D.A.R.E. but since it’s restructuring the program has been gaing support. I also support the work of families associated with the foster care system, but recognize the constant need for monitoring and improvement needed in the program. Again, my opinion is based on a personal involvement in the program.
The only reason I’m answering is to show that you’re an ignorant ass Mavis. Play your games with someone else, your tactics are grade school and I prefer to debate adults.
By the way Mavis, maybe you should GOOGLE the people in this country that are the most charitable in not only opening their wallets but giving their time to the less fortunate. It’s people who think and act like me, not people like you who are all about lip service and arrogance.
thanks, surefire. I can count on you for 9/10ths insults, 1/10th substance.
In the future if you can restrain yourself from calling me names I’ll be happy to respond. Otherwise, you can fuck off.
You mean something like this Mavis?
surefire, I’m sure if you really try you can think of one early intervention program you can support. If you’re at a loss, hit the google.
That was 100% insult Mavis. Math not your strong suit? You want to ask questions or make comments like an elitist bitch I’ll answer them like I’m talking to one. You don’t and I’ll be pleasant.
[…] response to my post about Sunday’s LA Times stories telling of the two adolescents who died in the care (if you […]
Thank the team of people who took this public along with the fabulous writers.
There’s some tremendous books out there by David Shurter-Rabbut Hole, Brice Taylor-Thanks for the Memories; Runaway Girl-C. Phelps, Franklin Cover-Up-John DeCamp; Sometimes If God Has a Kids Face-Bruce Ritter. Susan Forward Ph.D, Herb Goldberg-Ph.D, Dr. Laura, Victoria Secunda, David Elkind, Earl Jabay, William Lobdell Book writes so many truth and justice people for children. Plus, L.A Times did follow up story to this. God richly Bless them. And then there is the foster care system nightmare for all those kids who got abused and dropped through the cracks. God have great mercy on this nation