Archive for March 2013
National Top Domestic Violence/Child Custody Experts continue trying to Dumb Down Moms
This has been a long time coming.
I barely tapped the tip of the iceberg in January 2011 in asking “What Rhetoric Are You: Mother, Father, or Mediator?” after a recent Battered Mothers’ Custody Conference in which to my awareness, no one explained how the Health and Human Services (HHS) has been diverting welfare funds to marriage promotion, that things called “fatherhood practitioners” exist, or that Access/Visitation funding exists.
This post also barely taps the tip of the iceberg in how much lies BELOW THE SURFACE in the Coalition of Conferencing Nonprofit Professional (Leadership) among what I am summarizing as the “Crisis in the Courts” Crowd. Or, I may sarcastically refer to as the “Our Broken Family Courts Initiative.” Instead, this initiative is (my opinion, here) USING the emotional distress of mothers (which is genuine) and people who have been indeed assaulted and battered — by a partner, and/or thereafter the courts in association with the same battering partner, and/or ditched by their religious groups (where applicable) — to follow a certain blueprint which highlights the leadership organizations – not, impartially — the actual cause, effect, and potential solutions to the issues they raise.
Women — mothers — are highly motivated, intelligent, and have tremendous energy, commitment, and leadership potential. The movement encouraging them to wear loss and victimhood like a badge and tell their stories — has diverted a tremendous energy from the real story behind this — which is Who Altered the Courts, How, and Why? Instead, they are to rally, report, trust, and follow according to the blueprint laid down for them by simply another set of experts. Proper skepticism and critical thinking — outside the platform being fed — is always in order in situations of this magnitude.
[[Comments welcome; the matter I’m raising here IS a matter for debate! Make up a name if you want… but let’s talk about this! See form…]]]
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GALs Gone Wild — and Overbilling, Under-reporting Income (Connecticut, Minnesota, Pennsylvania)
The title reference will be obvious to some cultures, think “Spring Break” and TV programs you’d rather not have your nine-year-olds watching. It seemed appropriate as to quality of behavior.
In context, the discussion (recently) has been on Children’s Advocacy Groups — of which “guardians ad litem” are part. Is there a way to see the impact (emotion) without losing reason to emotion, particularly when harm to children is involved?
This is a shorter post (I’m not putting much time into it); just wanted to place the three cases in question alongside (after) the National Association of Counsel For Children’s self-descriptions of just how often they want an attorney in the life of a child (or juvenile). That this organization has developed a certfication process, has an expanding membership, has member affiliates, Children’s Law Office Program guides, and more — and that it had HHS support in developing child welfare law as a certification specialty (since the US IS trafficking kids, might as well has some standards…??)
In general, we are finding that when women or children attempt to separate from abuse, for their safety, here comes some facet (usually of the court, or government agency), talking about “Children’s Rights” (to both parents, regardless of quality. Which is then used improperly to completely cut off contact, often with the noncriminal parent, and often & suddenly, with the natural mother of the children. Sometimes this then leads to foster care, or sometimes it leads to extended custody battles, which are very profitable for this arm of the government (courts) and those doing business with them. Just not for the “Children” in whose name all this was done.
In the case of these “GALs gone wild” — In at least two of the cases, there’s evidence of over-billings (Connecticut, Pennsylvania) and allegations (the GAL will have to stand trial) of under-reporting income. Both, by a LOT. That’s what’s really gone wild. In my opinion, it’s possible to have gone wild because systems of control and tracking of payments is simply not in place — nor is there any sense by the public (really) that it’s their job (with or without having children or being in the custody courts) to actually understand whether or not their local governments are using their funds honestly.
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Children’s Law Center Minnesota’s leads off with Toxic Propaganda about Mothers
I just put up the page on “>Children’s Law Center” (NCLN) and was closing (my computer’s) windows -when I ran across this — from the Minnesota Children’s Law Center (“CLCMN”).
You’d think we were back in a Republican-Controlled Congress selling welfare reform, to read this shlock — on the home page of this organization:
And we know it was shlock. See May, 2010, Kate Pollitt, “What Ever Happened to Welfare Mothers?” characterizing the massive crowing about the success of PRWORA. Or see (10 yrs earlier) 2001 “Singled Out: A Critique of Single Motherhood in Welfare Discourse,” (Wm & Mary Journal of Women’s Law Vol. 7 Issue 2, Article #3, Parvin R. Huda), i.e., “In overtly condemnatory and punitive terms, PRWORA stigmatizes dependence and ascribes moral fault to one particular group: poor single mothers.”
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WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A CHILD OF FOSTER CARE?
Imagine that you are 12 years old. You and your 14 year old brother have been neglected by your mother and sexually abused by her boyfriends. You are taken from your mother and her rights are terminated because she is chemically dependent and has been arrested for selling drugs.
Hey!
Interesting Choice of Symbolic Imaginary Poster Child for a Children’s Advocacy Law Firm funded and staffed by HOW many empathetic attorneys and WHICH donors? Anyone around want to talk about what are so many kids doing in foster care to start with — is it really a “Bad Mother” issue?
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Responsible Citizenhood 101 — Look It Up! Marriage/Fatherhood HHS Funding Minnesota!
This is a wakeup call.
So — Are you still Fiddling Around while Rome Burns? This is something interesting to “Fiddle” with.
What’s below — How hard is this? Not hard. Just do it!
This morning {{when post was in draft, that is}}, I looked up and looked at CFDA 93086 (Marriage/Fatherhood) selecting the state of Minnesota. This “How-To” page can be applied in any state. It shows less than the tip of the iceberg, but that an iceberg does exist. I decided to post it here for an example of how EASY it is to get started looking things up and compiling at least a basic understanding of how the federal government is funding local policy in this field, and you will have taken a few steps away from “passive” and might actually be able to better understand some of the local craziness in the courts, or among, for example, some of your neighbors.
So this is just a quick look. It took me only five to seven minutes to find out some fairly valuable information, for those who live in the state — about how some of the program funding is distributed.
Then teach someone else (and after you teach one, then teach four more, for a total of five (5) others). Encourage them (and I encourage you) to spend one hour, once, to acquire and follow up on their curiosity about this field, to look it up, wake up, make it their own. See if curiosity remains among the populace, and then apply some basic evangelistic, franchising or MLM (Multi-Level-Marketing) techniques back on the government — after all, it’s been applying them on us through HHS for years…..
Examples: How HHS Dumps Federal (=your) Dollars into Attracting Money to “Promoting Responsible Fatherhood.” See the Pattern, Look ’em Up Locally!
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“Finding Ground Zero in Connecticut,” the Underground Economy in an AFCC Courthouse?
[THIS POST has been expanded and revised to about 6,000 words, much of it quotes, and has a feedback form. It links to two groundbreaking “Washington Times/Communities” articles on very disturbing custody cases; what’s groundbreaking is the angle of approach, and type of evidence posted. This post begins referencing TANF, because “TANF” funding is often operative in such cases. And it posts a comment on one of them I couldn’t get posted over at the WT.
My post explains “AFCC Courthouse” (my generic term) in some detail. In this Connecticut case, “AFCC Courthouse” refers to the “Regional Family Trial Docket” in Middletown Connecticut presided over by a certain judge. However the term in general refers to the nonprofit organization (AFCC) started in Los Angeles County [at least, they claim exactly, i.e., 1963] five decades ago, which has a tendency to set up specialized courts, once its judges (membership) are in charge of a family division, or in positions of influence to do so. I forgot to mention, that in its early years, it also incorporated in a variety of states, changed its corporate name (and EIN#) several times, and probably is not properly registered as a nonprofit to this day in all states and territories where it operates (most likely, all 50 + territories). See early newsletters at bottom of my blog. AFCC runs conferences, trains its membership and others, and lobbies for legislative and administrative changes in the way divorce, custody, and dependency law works. Hence calling a certain docket an “AFCC Courthouse” is often very accurate shorthand for that particular courthouse, or docket.
This post was, however, to also publish my comment which didn’t make it onto the Washington Times comments field, for unknown reasons, and for further reference to interested readers. Last I looked, only one of my very generic (nothing specific) comments was cleared. AFter technical difficulties and over three days, I decided to bring my response over here to the blog.
Although I believe the blog makes this plain, FYI I am a survivor of not this type of case (mine involved DV not identified or reported child molestation) and know how devastating it is. I also network with people who believe that the key to this is the money trail, not the harm done the children, which we believe is more likely just collateral involved in extracting the maximum $$ (public and private) through this abusive system of handling such matters. If this subject matter interests you, a contact and feedback form is on the post. (I would’ve added them earlier, had I noticed the widget available on wordpress!)]]
Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History 