Head of Fla. Child Agency Resigns

Las Vegas Sun ^

[Scythian]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- The head of Florida's embattled agency for children and families resigned Tuesday, four months after it learned that a 5-year-old girl in its care had been missing for more that a year.

Gov. Jeb Bush immediately accepted Kathleen Kearney's resignation, which is effective Sept. 3.

The Department of Children & Families has been under fire since it was revealed that Rilya Wilson had disappeared while in state custody. The little girl has been missing since January 2001 and no caseworker had checked on her for 15 months.

"I would like to believe that that during my stay here it can be said that: she believed, she hoped, she tried, she failed often enough, but with God's grace, she often accomplished more than she rationally could have dreamed," Kearney said in her letter to Bush.

Kearney's only mention of Rilya's case in the letter was to say that her department had been aggressively working to improve the tracking of children.

Bush, who defended Kearney as child advocates and lawmakers called for her to be fired, praised her again after accepting the resignation.

"All Floridians owe her a debt of gratitude for her public service," he said.

Kearney is a former prosecutor and was a juvenile court judge in Fort Lauderdale presiding over child abuse and neglect cases when Bush appointed her in 1999. He had promised during his 1998 campaign that he would solve problems at the agency.

While many applauded Bush's decision, Kearny came under fire as more and more problems at the agency were revealed.

Besides Wilson's disappearance, a caseworker last month filed a report saying 2-year-old Alfredo Montez was fine only to have police find the boy had been beaten to death - before the worker's supposed visit.

Last month, a child welfare worker was arrested after police said she was passed out drunk in her car with a child in the back seat. Over the weekend, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper tracked down nine children the department said were missing.

[Scythian]

ACCOUNTED FOR'
Jeb's bold faced lie:


''We've accounted for every one of them,'' Bush said. ``The runaways are accounted for. The out-of-state children are accounted for. If you combine those two groups then there's only one child left. The tragic case of Rilya is the only one that's not accounted for.''

Wilson isn't satisfied with the labeling assigned to the children. She said that a grand jury should account for them by interviewing the DCF and the caretakers to make sure the children aren't missing. Wilson questioned one file that listed a 3-year-old girl in Miami as a runaway.

''Bush's advisors are telling him that this inquiry might uncover some skeletons that could embarrass him before the election,'' Wilson said. ``He should put that aside and take care of these children -- people would respect him for it.'' his quote.

He saved Florida's electorial votes for his brother, but sacraficed the children on that same altar.

[Vidalia]

OK, who actually got the call from Tom (SuuuuweeCide) Lantos...?

[Scythian]

Bush, who defended Kearney as child advocates and lawmakers called for her to be fired, praised her again after accepting the resignation.

At the time Jeb said this there were over 1,200 children totally unaccounted for in the system.

THE BUCK STOPS AT HIS DESK

Scythian totally vindicated, push this thread to the chatroom room now before anybody see's it, hurry.

[Ann Archy]

Give me a break.....he's not responsible for these kids...their PARENTS are!!! What are you a Communist, where ALL the children belong to the State> Get real.

[SEGUET]

If they are under the care of the Florida Agency - then the Bush stoprs at buck or visa versa - its a lot easier to keep track of the elders on the Fla. Supreme Court than those young varmits - little guys just keep disappearing,

[Scythian]

That's it attack me, Jeb Bush said there was not a single child missing from their Child Protective Services while there were over a thousand, he ran cover for this goon, praises this goon, why? Remember, they know that the very people who were abusing the hell out of these children had in fact, illegally taken them back, but hey, what's a few children when the state of Florida is at state. He's a republican so it's okay. I'm a conservative, not a republican, and as long as the state has possesion of children they should be responsible, and this has been going on for years and Jeb has been the JANET RENO of DCS in my opinion, probably due to his earlier incorrect statements.

[Catspaw]

Give me a break.....he's not responsible for these kids...their PARENTS are!!! What are you a Communist, where ALL the children belong to the State> Get real.

These are children who are in foster care. They indeed, "belong" to the state; the state has custody of these children. Not ALL the children belong to the state, but the state of Florida is responsible for these foster care children.

[Scythian]

You are the first person I've heard actually confirm that the state should be responsible, these responses that the parents are responsible and such astound me, these poor kids have had horrible parents, and worse.

[Catspaw]

Their parents are no longer the legal and physical custodians of these children. The state has assumed legal and physical custody of these children, and once they assumed custody of these children, they're most certainly responsible for these children. That includes making sure the state knows where these children are, that these homes are safe and secure, and that the social workers are adequately trained in their jobs. That's what the state--any state--takes on in with the foster care system.

[Ann Archy]

That's like saying if Ron Brown's aides did some illegal things, that Bill Clinton is responsible. Rubbish....the Parents and then the SOCIAL WORKERS are responsible. Like Jeb shows up and checks on ALL departments everyday...checks up on ALL THOUSANDS of employees.....Ridiculous.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

If Jeb got his info from DCF, and DCF was mistaken (and unknowingly was missing the children), how do you blame Jeb?

1+1=3?

[D-fendr]

Your same rant was answered here:

You didn't respond to it there, so I'll repost it here (credit to miner89)

After some quick searching on the internet I found the follwing facts (some from the first article you listed)

1. After 5 year old Riya Wilson was discovered to be missing, Gov. Bush ordered the department to see ALL children in the agency. This apparently lead to the list of "1,000" missing children

2. 401 were runaways. Do you think that Gov. Bush is responsible for preventing teen runaways? And that children's services should prevent all runaways?

3. 135 were taken by non-custodial relatives. Doesn't that make it a law enforcement issue and do you really expect DCS to prevent every divorced parent from EVER taking a kid?

4. 421 were placed in OTHER STATES, and the OTHER STATES caseworkers had not checked them. Is it your position that Gov. Bush is now responsible for child care in all 50 states?

5. Gov. Bush signed new legislation strengthening requirements for caseworkers to report timely and accurately on child visits, including penalties for falsifying forms.

6. Gov. Bush set up a Blue - Ribbon panel to review the states child care system and make recommendations for further improvement.

Guess all that is nothing huh? I notice all you do is quote one liberal who is not satisfied with anything.

Since you did not respond, I suspect you may really have a different (fallacious) Gorebone to pick:

He saved Florida's electorial votes for his brother…

Perhaps you would prefer Reno so you could find missing children by following the smoke.

After all, you're only concerned "for the children."

[zip]

An excellent. well thought out response. Unless we have disruptors trying to stir it up, this should calm the seas.
Thank you for taking the time to present facts to refute the "feelings". zip

[D-fendr]

Should have pinged you on #12…

[walrus954]

Ping...

[Scythian]

5. Gov. Bush signed new legislation strengthening requirements for caseworkers to report timely and accurately on child visits, including penalties for falsifying forms. 6. Gov. Bush set up a Blue - Ribbon panel to review the states child care system and make recommendations for further improvement.

That'll fix the problem, that will round up the missing children. Sheeze, Sounds like the actions of a democrat, pass some laws to make people obey already existing rules.

And finally, I REPEAT, JEB Praised this person who resigned, even though long ago the states clamored for this, but Jeb wouldn't have it, he protected this person.

[sarasmom]

Nice try , Janet Reno backer.Go away.

HRS/DCF was bad long before it was re-named.It is a government agency "for the children".

questions?

[sarasmom]

Actually, I deleted my post, and I have no idea why it showed up. But I will assume it was my error.

OTOH, I have no idea what field you are posting from.So since I showed up, I wil ask what area of Florida you hail from.

The rest of this state has been calling out for HRS/DCF reforms for decades.

Jeb actually gave us a few fixes.Not perfect, but a definate start.

[D-fendr]

Glad you liked the other four.

Looking forward to your next press release for Janet.

best wishes…

[summer]

You angrily and repeatedly mention that Gov. Bush supported and praised the person who just resigned. What's wrong with that? Sticking up for your employees is terrible? Being loyal to one you hired and showing faith in that person -- who is under tremendous public pressure -- is now some kind of a crime, according to you? Aren't conservatives allowed to be fair? I think Gov Bush has been very fair to her.

When the Rilya Wilson case started, this woman who resigned really cracked down and started firing DCF workers for the first infraction because she had no choice. I saw one of the people she fired on several news shows, complaining it was unfair for him to be fired because he was overloaded with work. (There are now reportedly 700 openings at DCF. Why don't you apply for a job there, since you sound like you know how to run it?)

And, let's see if we've got this right - according to you, if you are loyal to your employees (like Gov. Bush was to her), then, that is wrong. And, if you fire your employees, like she did, then, that is wrong too.

BTW, I read your profile page and was extremely unimpressed with it. I doubt you will be interested in any information; however, for others, I am posting the following, by a Sarasota editorial writer who is now supporting Gov Bush -- but didn't the first time around. Here's why she supports him this year:

AN EARLY 'VOTE' - Governor's earned second term (Jeb Bush...FL)

…He's a quick study who has grown in office. After a boyishly shaky start, he has been gracious under criticism, reasonably honest and undeniably dedicated. His administration is remarkably efficient, by Tallahassee standards; and the career state bureaucrats who have earned respect for doing their jobs well seem to be happy in their work -- always a key indicator of what's really going on up there.

Bush is not a statesman yet -- his biases still favor politically expedient tax cuts over meaningful tax reform -- but he just might become one. He's smart; he works hard; he has shown that he can put the interests of Florida's people first…

In short, I'm willing to put politics aside, because Jeb Bush has earned my vote. …