Blogs by Deborah K. Frontiera
Fighting CPS
6/23/2013 6:22:25 AM
The purpose of this blog is to provide updates on some of the cases I reported in my book (Fighting CPS: Guilty Until Proven Innocent of Child Protective Services Charges ISBN 9-780-9800061-6-2) that had not been resolved when the book went to press, and to report other cases where CPS is not working up to par. I’d also like to hear about cases in which Child Protective Services did the right thing so those cases can serve as examples of what should be done. Occasionally, I will report helpful tips and web sites with advice on fighting CPS. To comment on this blog, or to tell your story, email Deborah Frontiera at frontiera.fightingcps.deborah.gmail.com
The next post will be on July 8, 2013.
Some Good News for a Change
If you are a regular reader, you know that the Houston Chronicle is a great source for stories for this blog. They are always “old news” by the time I let myself post them. There are several reasons for this delay: Fair Use Law kicks in so that I am not “plagiarizing” but passing on news from which Houston Chronicle can no longer expect any economic benefit; I always credit my source; more readers are aware of where else to look for similar information. (That’s more that can be said for a lot of what appears on the internet.)
This “old” but good news is from an article in the Houston Chronicle on April 6, 2013, pg. A1. Foster children, and especially teenage foster kids, often move from family to family and school to school so often that they never get a chance to have a “normal” school experience—especially joining clubs and organizations, music and sports. Their grades and ambitions often suffer as a consequence, keeping that “cycle of poverty” and the accompanying poor parenting, going. An organization in Houston, called Hay Center, works with CPS and teens in foster care to provide kids in foster care with one of what many consider the crown jewel of high school events, Senior Prom. (They also help prepare these kids for adult life beyond when they are tossed out into the adult world when they “age out”.)
Mary Green, director of transitional services at the Hay Center, stated this in the Chronicle’s feature article: “For us it’s important because we try hard to give them experiences while they are in foster care like any other teenager would have. . . . The foster youth do not usually have the luxury of these types of occasions like others do. . . Some people might look at prom as something frivolous. . . What makes this population unique and different is they don’t have time for high school activities.”
This year some 60 kids benefited from donated prom dresses, accessories, tuxedos, suits, shoes and other dressy, prom-related items. Hey Center also provides gift cards so kids can take their dates to dinner. Young men are taught how to tie a necktie; girls receive hair and makeup advice from experts; both learn how to pin on corsages and boutonnieres and general etiquette.
One young lady who benefitted from the program this year was lucky enough to have been with the same foster family for the last two years of high school. With help and encouragement from her foster parents (something many kids in foster care don’t get because there are too many kids in the home for the extra attention or the foster family doesn’t have the resources themselves) this young woman brought up her grades from the lower third of her class, to the top with straight A’s in Advanced Placement classes! This young woman is also a young mother who, thanks to those great foster parents and the Hay Center, has a good life ahead of her with financial help for college and the courage and determination to succeed.
Yea for the Hay Center—look them up sometime, donate and pass the word! We need more people and organizations doing work like this.
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