Swain County DSS denies records request on twin babies

Jon Ostendorff * [e-mail] * published December 4, 2008 12:15 am Comments on Topix forums : BRYSON CITY The Swain County Department of Social Services declined to release any records that ...

[grandma]

what is wrong with that man. so many people want children and can't have them. give them away, they can't defend themselves. God help the father.

[The Big Man]

you do not have to get a judge to do that. get your lawyer to subpoena them for their records. i have had to do this before with doctors. they have to give the records all records hand notes anything they have on the case. the big man says gop will be back again notice to all dems!!

[Wiley Coyote]

The Big Man wrote:

you do not have to get a judge to do that. get your lawyer to subpoena them for their records. i have had to do this before with doctors. they have to give the records all records hand notes anything they have on the case. the big man says gop will be back again notice to all dems!!

Who said anything about politics? It's a matter of law, not politics, that the story is discussing. Give it a rest, ok???

[AnPprof]

While DSS should provide a summary of the case, please do not assume that DSS has something to hide. They do try to respect peoples' privacy, which any of us would hope for if we were being investigated (sometimes unfairly-- think divorce case allegations....)
Furthermore, they DO investigate ALL allegations of abuse BUT they cannot always prove anything, i.e. that will hold up in a court of law. Would YOU want them to be able to take away YOUR kids, because of some weak/unproven claim made against you??
Let's put the blame where it really belongs--with the abuser.

[Sgt Rock]

DSS is one outfit that should be abolished.

[matthew]

DSS should be held responsible if the truth comes out and they did not do their job. These is absolutly unbelievable that this should happen today. You know darn well this is not an isolated incedent with these so called parents.

[The Big Man]

the dss in swain co is more worried about helping their inlaws get hud payments to pay they home loans for them than taking care of things like these children they also hand out the footstamp cards to their inlaws and themselfs maybe all this will come out after this the foodstamp cards are pre loaded with so much money till you get yours with what they say you can get month no way to track it

[southAVLgrouch]

The Big Man wrote:

the dss in swain co is more worried about helping their inlaws get hud payments to pay they home loans for them than taking care of things like these children they also hand out the footstamp cards to their inlaws and themselfs maybe all this will come out after this the foodstamp cards are pre loaded with so much money till you get yours with what they say you can get month no way to track it

I am wondering if the tidbits of information hidden in this illiterate text is true or simply the ramblings of some hillbilly experiencing opression, depression and repression?

The DSS records will come out the question is whether sooner or later...

[Bam]

The Swain County DSS has always been a Democrat jobs program. People aren't hired because they are competent or compassionate -- they are hired because they pull the donkey's tail in November and they have the connections to get a county job (which is the height of personal achievement for most of those yokels).

[Wiley Coyote]

Bam wrote:

The Swain County DSS has always been a Democrat jobs program. People aren't hired because they are competent or compassionate -- they are hired because they pull the donkey's tail in November and they have the connections to get a county job (which is the height of personal achievement for most of those yokels).

Unfortunately, Bam may well be right.

[Wiley Coyote]

matthew wrote:

DSS should be held responsible if the truth comes out and they did not do their job. These is absolutly unbelievable that this should happen today. You know darn well this is not an isolated incedent with these so called parents.

No, it's probably not an isolated incident. However, DSS knows full well which of their records can be made public, and may be resisting releasing said records due to the fact that they did not do their job as they should have done. It will be interesting to find out...if we ever do...how many times the DSS worker went to this family's residence, what was found, and what steps were taken if a situation needed correcting. It's too bad that the newspaper has to take legal action to get what appears to be rightfully made public.

[bonnie]

If you can read, you might want to read the children's services policy or even the NC statutes so that when you write in to this comment area you don't make a fool of yourself. Even children have feelings now and later in life which is why confidentiality is important in protective agencies.

[Wiley Coyote]

bonnie wrote:

If you can read, you might want to read the children's services policy or even the NC statutes so that when you write in to this comment area you don't make a fool of yourself. Even children have feelings now and later in life which is why confidentiality is important in protective agencies.

If you can read, you might want to read the various postings here on the forum. If you can read them, you can see that most of the posters are outraged about the situation and are having a difficult time believing that DSS did not drop the ball. We also all realize that children have feelings, and we all realize the reason for confidentiality of some DSS records. However, if you can read, you might want to read the story in today's AC-T which discusses certain documents which ARE public record, and which DSS is apparently refusing to release, thus causing the newspaper to go to court to get said documents released. The public is not looking for any confidential information, but you can be damn sure that we, as taxpayers, want to be very certain that DSS, which feeds at the public trough, is doing its job. Your posting reeks of defensiveness. You must be a DSS worker. You need to get over yourself, lady.

[willie]

bonnie wrote:

If you can read, you might want to read the children's services policy or even the NC statutes so that when you write in to this comment area you don't make a fool of yourself. Even children have feelings now and later in life which is why confidentiality is important in protective agencies.

Bonnie, you are a fool. DSS is in the process of the old CYA stance. They know they dropped the ball now it is cover-up time.

[Change The Law]

This is a two edged sword which DSS must deal with. The way the law is written anyone can accuse any parent of abuse and neglect, and do so anonymously. DSS is then mandated to investigate every allegation within 1 hour to a maximum of 72 hours depending upon the allegation. IF DSS uses all the investigatory power granted it by law, there are people who will complain the government is trampling upon constitutional rights, parental rights and privacy rights. If DSS doesn't utilize every power in every investigation, including involuntary medical exams, psychological exams, etc. when there may not be enough evidence warranted to pursue those avenues, other's scream that DSS didn't do their job. Confidentiality laws are in place to encourage parents to be more forthright with DSS so that the family can be served. If a family's privacy isn't protected it only causes further barriers to determine if a child is at risk because people are less inclined to be truthful. On the other side, when someone makes an accusation that is totally false, there are no legal remedies. A person can not anonymously file a police report; even if they call 911 and don't give a name they are traced through the phone system. If someone does file a false police report there are criminal charges to face. Based upon that fact, people have learned to use DSS to harrass people legally. The current system can cause some hesitancy to believe everything which is reported. Don't blame DSS. Blame the way the laws are currently written.

[The Right Rev Jackson]

DSS shortm for CYA

[The Right Rev Jackson]

DSS short for CYA

[powerstrap]

I'm not placing blame on the DSS but this guy needs a serious beating. Everyday. He is nothing more than a punk, and when he has had several a** beatings and traded around in prison, then he might know what it feels like to be beat on. I have no compasion or sympathy for this punk. Also, where was the mother?

[mawmaw]

Change The Law wrote:

This is a two edged sword which DSS must deal with. The way the law is written anyone can accuse any parent of abuse and neglect, and do so anonymously. DSS is then mandated to investigate every allegation within 1 hour to a maximum of 72 hours depending upon the allegation. IF DSS uses all the investigatory power granted it by law, there are people who will complain the government is trampling upon constitutional rights, parental rights and privacy rights. If DSS doesn't utilize every power in every investigation, including involuntary medical exams, psychological exams, etc. when there may not be enough evidence warranted to pursue those avenues, other's scream that DSS didn't do their job. Confidentiality laws are in place to encourage parents to be more forthright with DSS so that the family can be served. If a family's privacy isn't protected it only causes further barriers to determine if a child is at risk because people are less inclined to be truthful. On the other side, when someone makes an accusation that is totally false, there are no legal remedies. A person can not anonymously file a police report; even if they call 911 and don't give a name they are traced through the phone system. If someone does file a false police report there are criminal charges to face. Based upon that fact, people have learned to use DSS to harrass people legally. The current system can cause some hesitancy to believe everything which is reported. Don't blame DSS. Blame the way the laws are currently written.

Well another report was filed to Jim Bowers Road where David Simpson was living in Swain County for possible drug use.DSS came out but they never drug tested as they said they would do.The report was filed on my granddaughter, who has a three year old, who could have been in danger also.Guess what a drug test was not done so guess where my grand daughter is at this minute you guessed, in the emergency room with Meth in her system.Do you think if DSS in Swain had done the drug test instead of doing nothing she would be there?Who knows?Luckily her child is safe with me but it could of turned out alot worse for him.Thank God my great grandchild is ok.We don't know about our granddaughter yet but our hands our tied because of her being 18.But maybe if Swain County had done their job I wouldn't be setting here writing this and those twin boys wouldn't have had to suffer.What do think?

[Wiley Coyote]

mawmaw wrote:

<quoted text>Well another report was filed to Jim Bowers Road where David Simpson was living in Swain County for possible drug use.DSS came out but they never drug tested as they said they would do.The report was filed on my granddaughter, who has a three year old, who could have been in danger also.Guess what a drug test was not done so guess where my grand daughter is at this minute you guessed, in the emergency room with Meth in her system.Do you think if DSS in Swain had done the drug test instead of doing nothing she would be there?Who knows?Luckily her child is safe with me but it could of turned out alot worse for him.Thank God my great grandchild is ok.We don't know about our granddaughter yet but our hands our tied because of her being 18.But maybe if Swain County had done their job I wouldn't be setting here writing this and those twin boys wouldn't have had to suffer.What do think?

Mam, I sympathize with your situation and it's too bad that you are able to point out, once again, the fact that DSS just doesn't work. I don't know whose rules they follow, or if their employees are just political hacks with poor training, but somebody dropped the ball in your daughter's case, and apparently in the case of these little twins. DSS needs to answer some really hard questions.