Florida DCF Slammed by Attorney

"State Attorney Bruce H. Colton blasts the agency for causing a father who may be innocent to lose his children, while an alcoholic, drug-addicted and neglectful mother was allowed to raise them."

The accusations levied by this attorney include "coaching" the children to falsely accuse their father of sexual abuse."

During most of the past seven years, DCF caseworkers went to great lengths to leave the two boys with their mother, Colton wrote, despite:

• An internal agency report that concluded ''the mother may not be a stable parent.'' One report concluded the mother's alcohol and drug abuse ``may present a substantial barrier to her achieving effective parenting skills.''

• Reports from officials at a halfway house in which DCF placed the mother and two boys said that they ''suspected that she leaves the premises to drink,'' does not require the boys to attend school, has allowed her car to be repossessed and is not allowed to visit her own mother due to a domestic violence injunction.

• A sworn statement from a doctor who said the mother ``brings [the] children to his office with alcohol on her breath.''

At a January 2001 court hearing, DCF officials blocked the introduction into evidence of a videotaped statement by the mother who said ''that DCF employees asked her to lie in order to obtain an injunction of protection against Gaffney,'' Colton wrote.

''DCF first took the children away from the father based on an inadequate investigation,'' Colton wrote. ``Then, DCF gave custody to the mother who had past criminal convictions, abused alcohol and controlled substances, and committed new crimes while having custody of the children.''

This is freaking disgusting! Sadly, not all that surprising though.

Entire article available at Herald.com