Six D.C. employees to be fired in slain kids case

[babylonsister]

Six D.C. employees to be fired in slain kids case


WASHINGTON (AP) -- At least six child welfare employees will be fired for improperly handling concerns about a woman's care for her four daughters, who were later found dead in their home, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said Monday.

The decomposing bodies of the girls -- ages 5 to 17 -- were found Wednesday when deputy U.S. marshals served an eviction notice at the apartment. Their mother has been charged with murder.

A social worker at the school where the oldest girl was a student, Kathy Lopes, tried twice in April to raise concerns about the family.

At a news conference Monday, Fenty played tapes of two calls Lopes made after the girl, Brittany Jacks, stopped going to school.

The social worker describes visiting the house, but not being let in by the mother, Banita Jacks. Video Watch how the social worker tried to help »

Lopes said Jacks told her she did not want Brittany going to school because she was afraid the girl would run away. Lopes reported seeing two or three younger children who also were not in school.

In a follow-up call, she expresses frustration at being transferred among several departments.

"It appears the mother is suffering from some mental illness and is holding all the children hostage," Lopes says on the tape.

more...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/14/bodies.found.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[UTUSN]

1. The worker-level will be fired. The Administrators will not. Their budget will increase.

The Admins will claim they have overloaded caseloads, need more staff, more training. Yip, the Admins who signed off on all the workers' decisions.

[shanti]

2. their budget will increase

AND they will get promotions! happens all too frequently.

[qanda]

3. This case just breaks my heart

[Captain Hilts]

4. How a system loses a 17 year old is beyond me. nt