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Review finds gaps in Denver child-abuse investigations

By Ann Imse, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 7, 2008 at 12:10 p.m.

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An outside review found Denver's child protection authorities do not interview boyfriends in allegations of abuse, even though such non-family members of a household are often the source of abuse.

The review was requested by Denver child protection after a 7-year-old boy was starved to death and a young girl was subjected to sexual abuse and then died. In both cases, the city's Department of Human Services had been warned of the children's danger.

The report also blames a checklist, created by the state to help caseworkers decide when a child is in danger. Instead of helping, the report says the checklist has caused caseworkers to focus only on impending danger, and not other important issues such as chronic neglect caused by a caregiver's substance abuse.

Improper use of the checklist "has caused workers to minimize risk factors that jeopardize safety of children still living in the home," the report said.

The report also found families in need of help don't get enough of it.

Families in contact with caseworkers often need help obtaining such services as mental health care, substance abuse treatment and financial aid.

Problems obtaining services was found especially in cases where the family seeks help voluntarily, and when children go to live with other relatives.

The Denver Department of Human Services said it would accept all of the report's recommendations, including retraining on the risk assessment checklist. It said it would immediately try to find the money to hire another 25 caseworkers, on top of the 40 additional caseworkers approved in recent weeks.

It will also try to hire six more legal staff, to help alleviate tension with family court judges that the report said is preventing them "from working together in the best interests of children."

Total cost of addressing the issues was set at $1.75 million.

Comments

  • March 7, 2008

    12:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    reddog writes:

    It's about time someone looked into this. I'm just sorry it's too late for the kids. Why did it take so long? Too bad they couldn't have spent the $1.75 million enforcing the policies instead of "looking into it"

  • March 7, 2008

    12:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    psu96 writes:

    the system is set up to fail.

  • March 7, 2008

    2:28 p.m.

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    Diff writes:

    IT is WAY PAST time!
    My daughter was abused in her mothers home by a live in boy friend - some time after we had divorced - there where picture and testimony but the SCUM BAG was never charged.
    I ended up gaining custody of her after about a 9 month fight and lots of lawyers getting rich - but the scumbag got away scott free and never had to face up-
    This was many years ago - my daughter is now an adult and is STILL dealing with the lasting effects of physical and sexual abuse. On the day I got custody awarded to me - her mother gave up all parental rights and they both walked away free!
    Denver Social service was a waste and joke then and I guess they still are!
    Way to go you supposed proffesionals who are just picking up a pay check and don't care at all about the people and children you are supposed to be there to help -
    You are only one notch above the Scum who abused my daughter!

  • March 7, 2008

    3:07 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    buffsblg writes:

    This stuns me. Having done child protection law in a dozen different counties I have never heard of an investigation not talking to all the persons in a household, especially boyfriends. Anyone in child protection with a functioning frontal lobe knows that boyfriends and girlfriends are the MOST likely abusers. I will wait to read the entire report, but if it is true that they had a policy not to interview boyfriends, we are lucky there were not more dead kids.

  • March 7, 2008

    3:53 p.m.

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    momof5 writes:

    I can't imagine that any investigation into child abuse wouldn't include every person living in the same household with the child or caring for the child. And anyone who reads the news knows that these boyfriends and girlfriends do not CARE about someone else's child. It's too bad these parents of these kids didn't think about that before they let these scumbags into their lives.

    Once you have a child, your main concern should be that child. Not whether you have someone to spend the rest of your life with. I don't understand how anyone could put some boyfriend or girlfriend ahead of your own flesh and blood.

  • March 7, 2008

    6:13 p.m.

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    reddog writes:

    amen momof5

  • March 8, 2008

    6:57 a.m.

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    T1anda writes:

    I bet there isn't a GAP when these negligent social service workers run to cash their un-earned paychecks!!!!!

  • March 8, 2008

    7:15 a.m.

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    vudumom writes:

    Momof5,I never understood parents putting their boyfriends and others ahead of their children either.Being one of those children who had to deal with that situation growing up,I can tell you it either makes or breaks you as a person.That's if you survive the abuse.Being one out of 4 children,I can tell you that the other 3 have had lifelong problems with drugs alcohol and are abusive themselves.As well as many other problems.I was determined early on when I left home at age 16 and went out on my own that I was not going to live my life like that and try to help children as much as I could,I have been a lifelong advocate for children and somehow care deeply about all children.
    It's seems like a easy issue.Your mother finds a new boyfriend he is abusive to your children and you and you tell him to hit the door.Right?It doesn't happen that way and unfortunately the children get the brunt of the abusive both verbal and physical.
    My mother lived what she learned,abuse.Until we can stop that cycle or are strong enough ourselves to live through it and save yourself and break the cycle,it will continue.Women for some reason think they are not complete without a man.You would think with the women's movement that would not be true.
    The kids pay the price for a long time ,if their lucky to make it out alive.

  • March 8, 2008

    5:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    seeingeyeseesall writes:

    Welcome to the Real World of Denver's Kids!

    My children have been neglected for a DECADE - it is all they know of life, honestly - and DHS has done NOTHING since "they are not in impending danger." That is the quote in the paperwork I've received and what they've always said.

    One of their mother's druggie associates HUNG HIMSELF in their garage and was found by a seven year old, hanging dead ... but DHS told me even THAT wasn't cause for them to even open a formal investigation, since the kids still weren't in "direct and impending danger."

    When asked if DHS would do something if someday one of the KIDS was found hanging in the garage --- the DHS "social worker" HUNG UP on me.

    Perhaps the children of Denver's many flawed parents may have a prayer soon, but one report probably won't stay in the press long enough for anything to ever really change.

  • March 8, 2008

    6:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColetteDD2 writes:

    The policy changes along with additional hiring should help; but its high stress directly correlates to a high turnover/burnout rate. That dynamic often leads to unfilled positions that are quietly cut when there's budget short falls. The public and media need to be vigilent in monitoring staffing levels, abuse reports and results of investigations. If we truly care about children, and not just the warm fuzzy PR cliche, it's the least we can do.

    Colette Duranleau - Denver, CO

  • March 9, 2008

    6:16 a.m.

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    HollyGoLightly writes:

    I'm going to assume that they meant the boyfriend of Neveah's mother in the article. As far as I know (9News reporting last week), that he was another warrant out for his arrest because he failed to report as a sex offender yet again. Now why is this guy even on the streets?

  • March 9, 2008

    9:36 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    luis2222 writes:

    The main problem is that they are too busy invetigating 5 year olds kissing in schools and trowing teachers in jail.
    See: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news...
    Instead of givign them only 40 new case workers and $1.75 million give them 4000 new workers and $1.75 Billion.
    Nice way to reduce unemployment and good reason to tax us some more.