Periodically in our field of advocacy for parents involved with the system we run into the most amazing connections between people, places and things.  This area will be devoted to a discussion and questioning of these possible conflicts of interest and how they may influence the parents' cases for whom we advocate.  This is not to point fingers, but instead to merely ask questions, postulate situations, and hopefully help others realize why it is difficult for parents involved with a Child Welfare System to trust what is supposed to be in the "best interests" of their children.  Think about this........

• Here's an amazing one I just saw today......Should the President of a County Child Welfare Board be an ad litem attorney for children in the same county's CPS system AND be the President of the local organization that "advertises" the wards of the state who are "available" for adoption AND also be the number one facilitator of adoptions for one of the local Child Placing Agencies AND sit on an Advisory Council that is supposed to examine issues for PARENTS involved with CPS?  Let's think about how much conflicting money and influence might be changing hands or minds......She gets paid by YOU the taxpayer as an ad litem, she has influence on the County Child Welfare Board and Advisory Council about parents, she pushes adoptions for the State, and then she gets paid for the services she gives the Child Placing Agency for her adoption consumations.  Now is this REALLY in the "best interests" of the children?  What about the parents?  Where is the separation?  Would she send a child home when she can make sure an adoption will take place?  Should our Child Welfare Systems allow such conflicts of interests to exist?  Should we not protect families and children from such blatant conflicts?  Can she serve 2 masters?  Wait 3?  I mean 4?
• Should an Attorney on an ad litem list for CPS (Children's Protective Services) cases be allowed to sit on a County Child Welfare Board?  
• Should the District Attorney whose county office provides the Prosecutor for CPS cases sit on a board of any organization that serves the families who are under prosecution by his/her office?  What about his/her spouse?
• Should a Judge who hears CPS cases sit on a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) board?
• Should Foster Parents be allowed/encouraged/used to testify against the Biological Parents of the child they wish to adopt?

STAY TUNED FOR MORE QUESTIONS........and please email us with any suspicious Child Welfare conflicts you see going on in your own towns, counties, and states.  We would love to share them.  Awareness is the first step to changing the problem.