How many children have to die in the state of Arizona before CPS figures it out? All of us who live here in Arizona are familiar with the recent case of Angelene Plummer, a three year old who was left in the custody of her father's "best friend", only to be sexually assaulted, beaten and stabbed to death. CPS had been called to the residence on 8 separate occasions to check on allegations of abuse by neighbors, but claims to have found nothing.
How quickly they forget.
It has barely been a month since Angelene was killed. Yet CPS still refuses to give my co-worker's friends custody of their four year old grandson, despite the fact that his mother is a drug addict living in a halfway house. And that this child was present while his father beat the crap out of some guy who his drunk mother was having sex with.
Family reunification, it seems, is priority one, even if that's not what is clearly in the best interest of the child. This is contrary to Governor Janet Napolitano's order in the last legislative session that child safety is always first.
"Err on the side of protecting the child," she said, "and we'll sort it out later."
There's not much question in my mind that this child is clearly safer with his grandparents.
Posted by geekchik at March 18, 2005 03:04 PM