MAN ARRESTED IN FATAL CHILD ABUSE CASE, FACES MURDER CHARGES

 

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/51343867.html

Lompoc, CA– The man accused of killing a 4-year-old Lompoc boy as a result of child abuse, is facing murder charges.

James Lujan was arrested Saturday night for death of Diego Calles. Calles was rushed to the hospital after his mother called 911. Calles died at the hospital.

After an initial investigation, Lompoc Police had reason to believe Lujan had abused the boy, causing injuries that resulted in his death.

On Tuesday, Lujan was scheduled to appear in a Lompoc court for his arraignment, but that was postponed to early August.

The Lompoc District Attorney’s Office says, Lujan is facing one count of murder, assault on a child causing death, felony causing injury to a spouse or child’s parent.

Lujan does have a prior abuse conviction.

Story Created: Jul 21, 2009 at 2:27 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 21, 2009 at 5:57 PM PDT

DID FLORIDA GOV. CHARLIE CRIST BLOW OFF CONCERNS OF OVER-MEDICATED FOSTER CHILDREN?

Gov. Charlie Crist urged to stop ‘chemical restraint’ of foster kids

 

A pair of adoptive parents are urging Gov. Charlie Crist and lawmakers to stop the `chemical restraint’ of children in state care.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/legislature/story/1153602.html

BY MARC CAPUTO

Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE — As Gov. Charlie Crist barnstormed the state to boast about record adoptions in Florida, two adoptive parents urged him Tuesday to go a step further and stop what they called the “chemical restraint” of over-medicated children in state care.

Mirko and Regina Ceska told Crist that when they adopted their two 12-year-old children last year, each was taking 11 pills daily, including the powerful anti-psychotic drug, Seroquel.

“These girls were overdosed and would fall asleep right in front of us several times a day,” Mirko Ceska said.

“It seems to be a prerequisite for foster children to be on medication,” he added. “So many are on psychotropic drugs.”

The Crawfordville couple weaned the girls off their medication, and their behavior markedly improved, they said.

Crist thanked the Ceskas for their story but focused his comments on declaring July 22 “Explore Adoption Day” and touting the record-breaking number of adoptions last year in Florida: 3,700. (who cares if their drugged…adopt them anyway!!! sarcasm intended)

Crist also appeared to soften his support for Florida’s ban on gay adoptions, by saying he’d “have to see” whether he’d support legislation that would lift the ban.

LINKED TO SUICIDE

Shortly after the Ceskas spoke, Crist’s head of the Department of Children and Families, George Sheldon, asked them to testify Friday in Tampa before a special panel that’s investigating the April suicide of a Margate 7-year-old, Gabriel Myers.

Like the Ceskas’ adopted children, Gabriel was prescribed a number of medications including a psychotropic drug. One of the drugs, the anti-depressant Symbyax, isn’t supposed to be prescribed to children and has been linked to suicidal behavior.

The committee’s findings — and testimony such as the Ceskas’ — will likely form the backbone of legislation aimed at curbing and improving the monitoring of prescription drugs for minors in state care.

MEDICATED

Of the 20,000 children in state care, about 3,100 or 15.5 percent are medicated, primarily with psychotropic drugs, Sheldon said. In the general population, he said, about 4 to 5 percent of children are on some medication.

A DCF study of the 268 6- and 7-year-olds medicated while in state care found that child-welfare doctors and case managers routinely failed to complete legally required treatment plans, share information or properly document the prescribing of powerful psychiatric drugs.

“Nobody has studied the interactions of those drugs children are being prescribed, which makes it a very frightening situation,” said Andrea Moore, a Broward attorney and child advocate.

Regina Ceska, a nurse, said she and her husband found a “shocking” number of children in the foster system appear to be medicated with Seroquel, which she said shouldn’t be used on children.

“This is, in my profession, considered a chemical restraint,” she said.

Sheldon said children in the foster-care system might require more medication, but it’s not clear how many kids are being over-prescribed psychotropic drugs. He said the Ceskas’ testimony helps shed light on the problem.

“Regrettably, the story they’re telling is far too common,” Sheldon said. Marc Caputo can be reached at mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com

CLARKSBURG COUPLE CHARGED WTIH DEATH OF INFANT DAUGHTER

Clarksburg Couple Charged With Death of Infant Daughter

 

http://www.wdtv.com/news/local/51308427.html

WDTV News

Leslie Rubin

Story Created: Jul 21, 2009 at 10:20 AM EDT

(Story Updated: Jul 21, 2009 at 6:20 PM EDT )

A Clarksburg couple is behind bars and charged with the death of their baby daughter.

Last Friday, William Echard, 27, was charged with three counts of child abuse with serious injury for shaking his five month old infant daughter. The incident allegedly happened Thursday night.

Now, the charges have changed, and his girlfriend is also behind bars.

Echard now faces charges of death of child by parent by child abuse. He was arraigned on the new charges Tuesday afternoon and Magistrate Keith Marple set bond at $250,000.

The mother of the child and Echard’s girlfriend, Amber Messenger, 22, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with allowing death of a child by parent or guardian. Her bond is set at $100,000.

Harrison County Sheriff’s deputies say Echard held the child under her arms and shook her back and forth with such force that the child’s retinas became detached and the brain began to swell.

Investigators say the baby was also dropped on it’s head during previous incidents, crushing the child’s skull.

According to the criminal complaint, Messenger knew about the abuse during and after it, and never called for help for the child. She allegedly went back to sleep with Echard until they were awaken by the grandmother telling them the child was not breathing properly.

The complaint also says Messenger lied to doctors and nurses about the facts of the abuse.

Harrison County Sheriff Albert Marano says UHC informed them of what was going on. Right now, they do not believe any other children were involved, but say the investigation is still ongoing.

UPDATE ON THE TAMAIHYA MOORE CASE

Sacto woman guilty of murdering foster child

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12884248?nclick_check=1

The Associated Press

Posted: 07/21/2009 01:42:00 PM PDT

Updated: 07/21/2009 01:42:00 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A jury has convicted a former Sacramento foster mother for suffocating a 17-month-old girl who had been placed in her care.

Twenty-six-year-old Tamekca Evett Walker was found guilty Monday of second-degree murder and child abuse in the Oct. 22, 2007 death.

Child Protective Services had placed Tamaihya Moore in Walker’s care after the girl’s father had been arrested.

Prosecutor say Walker admitted that the child cried incessantly and that she had held her hand over her mouth “until she stopped.” According to court documents, a coroner’s examination of the girl’s body had evidence of internal injuries and a diaper rash that resulted in burns and bleeding.

Walker is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 29.

BOY’S DEATH PROMPTS DFCS REVIEW

 

http://www.forsythnews.com/news/article/2980/

By Jennifer Sami

Staff Writer

jennifersami@forsythnews.com

POSTED July 21, 2009 1:39 p.m.

State agencies are looking into what went wrong following the beating death of a 6-year-old boy in Forsyth County.

The state Office of the Child Advocate and Department of Family and Children Services, or DFCS, is investigating at least four reports of abuse in the Valley Lane home.

The reports include information about Bryan Guzman-Moreno, a special needs child who authorities say was beaten to death Thursday by the live-in boyfriend of his mother, Laura Moreno.

Eder Acosta, 20, is being held at the Forsyth County Jail on charges of felony murder, aggravated battery and cruelty to children.

Acosta, who was arrested Saturday, was the father of Moreno’s 1-year-old son. Guzman-Moreno and his 11-year-old brother were siblings from a different father.

It was the 11-year-old brother who filed the third and most recent report with DFCS in January.

Thomas C. Rawlings, director of the child advocate office, which oversees DFCS and works to improve state and private services for children and families, said the boy was “afraid to go to his mother’s because she and her boyfriend were always fighting.”

“And also, one time, Eder hit Bryan really hard in the leg with his fist because he wouldn’t go to the bathroom,” Rawlings said.

The report was consistent with a September 2008 account indicating Guzman-Moreno had a big bruise on his thigh that appeared to be caused by a hand.

It also supported a domestic violence report from 2006. Though DFCS investigated the September report, Rawlings said abuse could not be verified.

“I am of course concerned whereas the first incident was unsubstantiated, the third report … seems to give some additional validity to that first report,” he said.

Between the September and January incidents, another report was made saying the 6-year-old had scratches on his face. The report, made in November, was “screened out,” Rawlings said.

“I mean, they didn’t even investigate that,” he said. “What we hope to get to the bottom of is, given the earlier two allegations that were of physical abuse, what exactly DFCS did in order to really get back to the bottom of those reports.

“I think if you have repeated reports that should give a reasonable social worker cause to look more carefully,”

The department’s electronic files go back only a few years. Rawlings said it will take him a while to search farther back for possible previous incidents at the home.

In addition to gathering more information, Rawlings said the goal is to improve on the current system used by DFCS in responding to abused children.

The death of Guzman-Moreno, described in reports as being “significantly developmentally delayed,” could also lead to better handling of cases involving children with special needs, Rawlings said.

“It may be that we need to make sure that if you’re working with a child who is developmentally disabled or non-verbal or autistic … that you need to do more,” he said. “It may be that there should be tighter policies and practices around repeated incidents of abuse.”

Taka Wiley, DFCS spokeswoman, said the case is being reviewed, adding Department Director Michael Washington is concerned.

“Maybe we missed some of the signs, maybe we missed asking the right questions or bringing in the right experts, the right specialists in making the right decisions at the time,” she said.

“We’re not exactly sure what was missed … but it is very, very important that we learn what we missed, why we missed it and how we can improve our practice so that it doesn’t happen again.”

Rawlings said he was encouraged by Washington’s concern over the case.

“We don’t necessarily want to fault people for not seeing in hindsight what might have happened,” he said. “You study bad things that happen in order to prevent more bad things from happening. That’s what we do.

“We look at this as an opportunity to learn.”

COUPLE LEAVES YOUNG FOSTER CHILDREN ALONE, TO GO SWIMMING

Holly couple arrested for child neglect in Florida

 

Kimberly Simmons

Stephen Simmons

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20090721/NEWS06/90721063/1008/NEWS/Holly-couple-arrested-for-child-neglect-in-Florida

By GINA DAMRON • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • July 21, 2009

A Holly couple was arrested Friday for child neglect in Florida after they left two young foster children they were caring for in a hotel room while they went to the resort’s pool.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Kimberly and Stephen Simmons left the children, ages 2 and 4, unattended at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort for more than two hours and only returned after being asked to do so by resort staff.

A housekeeper found the children alone, without food or water. Security from Walt Disney World contacted police, according to a sheriff’s office incident report.

The report says “the children could have opened the door to the room and wandered the grounds of the resort. The room is on the second floor with a railed balcony the children could have slipped through.”

Security tried calling the couple and searched the resort for them. The Simmons were eventually located at one of the swimming pools and asked to return to the room.

Kimberly Simmons, 41, told police she had placed the children down for a nap and then went to the pool with their 6-year-old nephew. Stephen Simmons, 49, according to the report, “also seemed okay with this arrangement.”

The couple was arrested for neglecting the children.

Each posted $2,000 bond and were released from jail, said Allen Moore, a spokesman for the Orange County Corrections Department. The couple has not yet been arraigned. Moore said that typically occurs about 30 days after the arrest.

Carrie Hoeppner, spokeswoman for Florida’s Department of Children and Families, said protective services officials from Michigan picked up the two children Monday and brought them back to Michigan. The nephew was picked up by family, Hoeppner said. Colleen Steinman, a spokeswoman for Michigan’s Department of Human Services, said she couldn’t comment on “what our involvement is.”

According to police reports, the couple has had custody of the children for nearly two years.

Kimberly Simmons also told police that she’s a counselor in Michigan for a school, has a master’s degree and “indicated she was aware of what she had done and how to care for children.” (Which she sure has demonstrated here!)

TEXAS IS FIT FOR FOSTER CHILDREN FAMILIES

 

 http://oakhillgazette.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=112&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=2289&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1846&hn=oakhillgazette&he=.net

Jeff Wentworth, State Senator, District 25

22.JUL.09

The Texas Legislature took a stand during the 81st Legislative Session to protect some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens: foster children.

Along with numerous bills to expand benefits for children in the foster care system, the Legislature passed a budget that provides a three percent increase in reimbursement payments for foster parents.

In Texas, more than 25,000 children are in state custody, 6,000 of whom are eligible for adoption. Research has demonstrated numerous benefits for children who are placed in the care of a relative, and several bills were passed this session to encourage such placement.

In addition to the pay increase for foster parents, kinship providers who are eligible to receive permanency care benefits will now receive monthly payments from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), as established by Senate Bill 2080. The bill also allows for reimbursement of up to $2,000 in non-recurring expenses incurred by a kinship provider while obtaining permanent managing conservatorship of a child.

Senate Bill 1723 requires DFPS to develop informational manuals for voluntary caregivers providing temporary care for children who are the subject of an investigation by the agency. The manuals must include information about the caregiver’s role and how to obtain any documentation necessary to provide for the child’s needs.

A new set of challenges appears when youth transition out of the foster care system at age 18, many lacking the resources and experience needed to live on their own, such as managing a bank account or obtaining housing and employment. Research shows a high risk of negative outcomes for these children, including poverty, homelessness, or incarceration.

Although DFPS attempts to prepare foster children for adult living, improvements are needed. House Bill 1912 lowers the age for transitional living services from 16 to 14 and requires DFPS to assess each youth’s individual needs. The agency must develop a plan to ensure youth receive the documents they need to live independently, such as driver’s licenses, identification cards, birth certificates, and Social Security cards.

Youth leaving foster care may also need additional time and support before realizing the benefits of higher education. For this reason, Senate Bill 43 extends the maximum age from 21 to 25 for a student who has been in foster care to enroll in an institution of higher education and receive a tuition and fee exemption. The bill also encourages foster children to participate in dual credit programs in high school.

To assess the many other needs and challenges within Texas’ foster care system, House Bill 2225 establishes an adoption review committee, which will work with DFPS over the next two years to perform an extensive review of the system.

Thousands of Texas children await a loving home. While these bills reflect the Legislature’s commitment to protecting foster children, more must be done to encourage adoption and kinship care placements. If you are interested in learning about foster care, kinship care, or adoption, helpful resources may be found at www.dfps.state.tx.us.