Newspapers / Winston-Salem chronicle. / June 30, 1988, edition 1 / Page 2
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PaQS A2 li^nstonSaletn Chmnide Thursday, Juna 30, 1988 Social Services challenged by caseload From Page A1 oO Social Services is leaving these kids in the home, and iheyTe grow ing up,” he said. "Can you imagine ■ what kind of parents they'll be?" The Deparuncnt of Social Ser vices operates under the premise that children are better off staying with the family, Bolz said. "We work to prevent the breakup of the family," he said. "Children are removed from their home only when their life is threatened or they are in danger of serious injury. When these conditions exist, the Department of Social Services tries first to place the child with a rela tive, and if that's not feasible, in a foster home." Grisard said Bolz told him abused and neglected children are left in the home "’because that’s what these people are used to,'" Grisard said. "But they’re Just liv ing there because that's what Social Services is condemning them to. This social work theory is one of convenience, because if you take a child from his home, you have to find a place to put him. There’s not enough foster homes. "But the basic problem is that Social Services won’t acknowledge that there's a problem. They don’t have the support from the higher levels." The number of suspected child abuse incidents reported to Social Services has increased by about 5 percent each year for the last 10 years, Bolz said. And the sb.e of the protective services division has not grown in proportion to the problem. In 1975, when Bolz joined the division, the department received about 30 child abuse complaints each month. The number of abuse reports has dou bled since that time, he said, and the staff of Protective Services has grown from five to seven social workers. The number of Social Services Department staff members has gone down in the past 13 years, Bolz said. "Three years ago, there was a special (federal) grant available for more social workers," Bolz said. "Other counties took advantage of it, but the director in this county (Gerald M. Thornton) opted not to do it because there were strings attached. The county would have had to pick up the cost eventually. We (the protective services divi sion) have gotten all our staff increases through shifts within the agency. There are six or seven less social workers now in the (entire) department than in 1975.” About 650 teachers, health pro fessionals or concerned friends, fam ily members or neighbors reported an instance of suspected child abuse to the county Department of Social Services during 1987, Bolz said. Of the 650 cases of child abuse or neglect reported in 1987, 247 were "substantiated" by the division, and 43 were actually taken to court, Bolz said. So far this year, 25 cases of abuse and neglect have been taken to juvenile court by the department Only five alleged abuse cases found their way into juvenile court during the 1986-87 fiscal year, how ever, while 55 neglect cases were petitioned, according to the North Carolina Office of Administrative Courts. Bolz said that more than half of the abuse cases investigated by the Department of Social Ser vices involve sexual abuse, and these matters are taken to criminal court instead of juvenile. About half of the juvenile court petitions ask for removal of the child from the home, Bolz said, and the remainder ask for treatment for the parents and children involved. But Chief Counsel for the Forsyth County Juvenile Court James Wcakland said the depart ment is not following the legal pro cedures required for child abuse reports. "We see a lot of delin quents and runaways who never get into the system," Weakland said. "They're often abused and neglect ed, we report it (to Social Services), and we never get an answer back about what’s done. By law they have to respond. We never get the letters back and neither does anyone else." Bolz, however, denies this charge. "Staffing remains a prob lem, but we meet all the require ments by law," he said. "I could use seven more social workers. If I could treat every case as a priority- one case, I would, imminent danger or not. But we have to treat some as a high priority and others as a low priority." All teachers and health profes sionals are required by state law to report suspected abuse to the Pro tective Services Division of Social Services immediately. Once an incident is reported, the process grinds into motion, bouncing the reported victim and family through a series of some times lengthy steps to determine what has occurred in the home, why it happened, and what can be done about iL The Division of Protective Services’ seven social workers inves tigate every report of suspected child abuse in Forsyth County. When a case is reported, an investigation must begin within 24 hours, and the law requires that Social Services notify the person who made the report what is being done, Bolz said. If the reported abuse is proven, a number of routes can be taken which include family and individual therapy or, as a last resort, legal action to remove the child from the home. A family assessment is con ducted first to determine what is causing the violence, and goals are set for the family. Bob said. Because Protective Services removes children from the home only when at risk of serious injury or death, social workers must first determine whether the child's safety is at stake. "If it’s a safety issue, we’ll find a place for that child no matter what,” Bolz said. "Otherwise we'll wait for a space to become available.” And that can often lake some time. The options are foster care, group homes and adoption, all of which often have limited space. "There is a shortage of foster homes," Foster Care Division Super visor Carol S. Downey said. "We have fewer than 60 licensed foster homes, and it really reduces our abil ity to make good placements. We need to have a number of homes available to make a good match. That’s a tremendous problem.” When a child is found to be in serious danger, and a home is not immediately available, the child is placed in an emergency shelter, Methodist Children’s Home on Reynolda Road, or Baptist Chil dren’s Home in Thomasville, Downey said. The child may also be kept in a short-term foster home until a slot opens in a foster home. Pari II of this series on child abuse in Forsyth County will focus on the victims of domestic vio lence. Chronicle named best In the nation From Page A1 best church page. The Chronicle also won two second place awards, for best wom en's section and best sports section, and a third place award for best use of photos. Garth Reeves Sr., pubfisher of the Miami Times, was named pub- Love, publisher of the California Black Data News Weekly. lisher of the year. The new NNPA members are; the Memphis Silver Star News, the Voice and a former superintendent During its convention, the of Chicago city schools, was named NNPA welcomed four new mem- to the NNPA board of directors. Chicago Standard Newspaper, the bers to its organization and elected Also named to the board was Terry South Suburban Standard, and the two new board members. Dr. Ruth Jones, publisher of the New Orleans City Sun of Brooklyn, N.Y. Friday, July 1 Monday, July 4 Tuesday, July 5 Wednesday, July 4 Thursday, July 7 Friday, July 8 Monday, July 11 lljesday, July 12 Wednesday, July 13 Thursday, July 14 Friday, July 15 Monday, July 18 Tuesday, July 19 Wednesday, July 20 Thursday, July 21 Friday, July 22 Monday, July 25 llicsday, july26 Wedne^y, July 27 Thursday, July 28 Friday, July 29 Split Decision Holiday Something for Everyone WSJS/Soiid Gold Lunch Theme Park Tim Slambaugh & Charles Pence!! Beggcis’ Holiday WSJS/Solid Gold Lunch BRBoys Second Wind The Blue Jammers Kay Vives WSJS/Solid Gold Lunch SlreetTect The Mi^iy Wonders 1.0 Jai j Ritchie & Fleming WSJS/SoEd Gold Lunch !!!!!!!!!!! The Graphic Zeke Saunders & Blades of Gnss... —.J^oslalgia Latin Jazz ••-Oldies Sff8&6(ri --lazz Fusion R«k&Roll Blucgraas Acoustical String Classical Rock Country Music Ol'JjesSCrB&Ws vountry/\4rieiy Gospel Music Folk Music Rock & Roll ^^o5Cri Ado’s Original Music Bluegrass SUPER SATLIkUAV FOR KIDS q Co-Sponsored By WXn 12 - For Kids’ Sake, Saturdays 10:00 A.M > Winston Square Park, 226 North Marshall Street, W-S \c J Saturday, July 2 Salurday, July2 Belly Laffs . Magic of Mark Daniel FacePiintiiig ■ Magic Show 5 Saturday, July 9 Salurday, July 9 Shirley Holloway Nathan Ross Freetiian Stoiyiellet i ....MimeAnia I Saturday, July 16 Saturday, July 16 Triad Song Wiiaeis Association... ••••Musical PlayXjffinytVdf ^ Salurday, July 23 Kemeisvillc Children's Little. Theatre - "Ait-in The Park ii Three and A Hal! • Musketeers Salurday, July 30 Edward Filco AnimtlFnaids • • SPECIAL EVENTS Winston Square Park, 226 North Marshall Street, W-S, NC Friday, July 8 Winston-Salem Housing Authority "Crime Prevention Awards Festival" 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ,,,600 Co-sponsored by I IJ^I j City of Winston-Salem J subject to change and will be cancelled in the e
June 30, 1988, edition 1
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