Should agencies be held responsible for passing homestudies?

Question

on families who abuse their children? Not only agencies, but social workers who are supposed to be checking up on them? When will the state be held accountable for allowing abusers to "adopt" children?

http://bastardette.blogspot.com/2008/05/mississippi-of-puppy-mills-and-adopion.html

Answer 1

All I know is that when I was teaching, I was specifically taught and later emphatically informed that if I ever failed to properly and promptly follow procedure for reporting suspected abuse of one of my students...that I could and WOULD be prosecuted as an accessory after the fact.  That would have landed me in jail and destroyed my teaching career.  I always took that responsibility VERY seriously.  And, yes, I did report my suspicions correctly...and I know I "saved" more than one child from a bad situation.  

If our society hold teachers to that standard, why not adoption agencies and social workers?

Answer 2

this qeustion i wuld love to snsewerbut in my state of pain can not,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,wrapred my truck around a pole inny st 69mph..willasweredit when recovered dear,,,bob,schafhauser 7/9/63 ny.

Answer 3

Big Yes from me on all questions asked.

On the last question, I feel if agencies and social workers are held responsible then the state would also be held accountable.  Guilt by association.

Answer 4

Nurses (and other healthcare professionals) are held to those same standards regarding mandatory reporting.  

If the agency didn't follow policy and procedure (which that certainly appears to be the case according to the article) then absolutely, they should be liable.

Most countries with international adoption progams require at least two visits post-placement by a social worker in the home.  Most agencies require them, even if the country doesn't!  I can't see how the home conditions could have been missed and the situation of the abused animals should have immediately tipped off the social workers, due to the well documented link between animal abuse and child abuse.

Our homestudy wanted proof from our vet that we were taking care of our dogs, keeping their vaccinations current, etc.  We also had to provide a copy of their county dog license.

Answer 5

Yes, the agency should be held accountable. I find it very hard to believe that this family acquired approximately 200 pets in less that 2 years.

This sickens me...

Answer 6

ABSOLUTELY!!!  The agency should lose their license.

And the social worker should lose their qualifications. Not to mention both should be criminally liable. I find it hard to believe that anyone who exhibited traits of an abuser could pass a homestudy by an ETHICAL social worker. They are trained and taught to look for red flags.

Holding social workers and agencies responsible for failure to adequately screen potential adoptive parents would send a clear message: "Engage in unlawful practices and risk losing everything." Child abuse can not and should not be tolerated or hidden....not ever!!!

ETA

You know Gersh something that just popped in my head is that there WILL be people who are more concerned about the living condition of these animals then the death of an International Adoptee. Just like the article states.

Where is the human PETA??? How about HETA  "Humans  for the Ethical Treatment of Adoptees"?  

***Please note I love animals.

Answer 7

If the abuse was in any way forseeable, then they are held liable and can be sued.  What, like in any negligence, they have to look at is if the social worker did everythign they were suppose to do, and if any signs were missed.

What may be occuring is some states/provinces homestudy laws are too generic and maybe they are not intensive enough.  (trust me the one I went through was so intensive you have no idea)  So really they are only liable if they are not following the law, so if the law is clear and they do not follow all of their steps or they miss something they checked (such as criminal record etc.) they are liable.  If the laws are lack and crappy, then they are not liable for doing their job, because in fact they have done their job, if only at the bare minimum.

In our province, you have medical, psych reports, intensive interviews, five references quite intensive, many many meetings, etc. etc. etc.  Then, and most importantly, we have training called PRIDE.  At this training, which is done in a group, any flags can come up because it is participatory, meaning everyone has to participate.  If someone even mentioned, say they thought it was okay to reneg on an open adoption for no good reason, they would be flagged.  If someone said they thought spanking was a good idea they woudl be flagged etc. etc. etc.  Not to say that abusers do not get through, but at least the policies and method is strict enough that if the social worker is doing her/his job, they will find flags and follwo through with research and recommendations.

Answer 8

Certainly!  There simply is no excuse.  Yes, they are underpaid, understaffed, etc..  but that's the point.  Every state should make it their top priority to protects its children, and to monitor the agencies responsible for that.  What could be more important than protecting our children from abuse?????

Answer 9

Yes they should be held responsable but it's not that easy. A social worker at the hospital where my grandson was born brought ethic charges against the social worker for the adoption agencies for not informing my son of the child's coming birth and the birth mother wanting the child to be adopted. It's took 3 years and we are still waiting for him to get his punishment ( 2 years supended probation ) and my son filed a complaint with the dept of protected services that reglate this adoption agency and all they got was a slap on the hand but here in texas right now fathers have no rights to their children