2005 article on ODJFS and adoption

TIGHTER RULES WOULD PROTECT KIDS IN ADOPTION SYSTEM, AGENCY SAYS
Saturday, November 12, 2005 NEWS 01A
By Encarnacion Pyle THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio child-protection officials have made 24 recommendations to improve an adoption system they describe as flawed with enough inconsistencies to put children at risk of being abused or neglected.

The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services discovered the problems after reviewing how it didn't know that a Huron County couple forced eight of their 11 adopted children to sleep in cages.

For the report to Gov. Bob Taft, 16 investigators examined more than 1,000 documents related to Michael and Sharen Gravelle.

Authorities say the Wakeman couple put many of their children, who have ailments such as autism, eating disorders, fetal-alcohol syndrome and HIV, in wooden cages -- some with alarms -- as punishment.

But the couple deny harming their adoptive children and say the "cribs" were used to protect the children from eating batteries, pulling one another's hair and setting fires.
A custody hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6.

State officials wouldn't discuss the case, which has garnered nationwide publicity and scrutiny. But they said it highlights some systemic problems, including poor communication among adoption agencies that could result in children being placed in unsafe homes or with families already overwhelmed by too many youngsters.

"The case has brought a lot of concerns to light, but out of difficulties sometimes comes good," said Barbara Riley, Job & Family Services director.

The recommendations -- some will be instituted right away and others have to go to the state legislature -- include requiring:

* Private and public child-welfare agencies to share information when a family adopts a child so there are no surprises, including previous allegations of abuse or neglect.

* Caseworkers to do face-to-face interviews with all family members, including adopted or soon-to-be adopted children, to make sure everyone is adjusting to the living situation.

* Adoption agencies to do a home inspection every time a child is added to the family. Home studies are currently valid for six years and must be updated every two years.

* Parents interested in adopting who already have five children to undergo extra questioning to determine whether they are prepared for the challenges of adding another child.

The report also recommends expanding access to the state's database of child-abuse and neglect investigations and adding home health, respite and other providers to the list of people mandated by law to report suspected abuse.

Many child-advocacy groups praised the spirit of the recommendations, but said caution would have to be taken to make sure they didn't add more bureaucratic red tape or delays to adoptions.

"We always want to look at ways of improving our system," said Crystal Ward Allen, executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. "But too often, I've seen where we've mandated things that sound logical but in the end don't make sense."

For instance, she worries that a caseworker might not be able to catch all family members at home for a proposed rule that would require monthly face-to-face visits from when a child is placed in a home until the adoption is finalized six months later.

"With after-school activities and work schedules, the only time some families are all together is bedtime," Ward Allen said.

Franklin County Children Services Director John Saros praised the state's recommendation to require a large-family assessment.

The agency has had its own policy in place since 1996 and reviews about 15 families a year.
"There are a lot of families who adopt special-needs children who do a wonderful job, but it's hard work," Saros said. "We want to make sure they're prepared for the demands of adding a seventh, eighth or even ninth child into the home and the family dynamics that will change because of it."

As part of the assessment, caseworkers ask parents how the child will fit in, where he or she will sleep, how youngsters in the family feel about a newcomer and their motivations for having a large family.

They're also asked if they understand the challenges of adding another child, what support network they have if they become overwhelmed and how they would know when "enough is enough."

People interested in having more than 12 total children must submit a written plan on how they will handle so many children.

Kent Markus, director of the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy, said he would have liked the state to specifically have outlined what went wrong in the Gravelle case. But he said the report addresses longstanding complaints about the state's adoption system.

"Does the report raise any problems that are entirely new?" asked Markus, whose program is based at Capital University Law School. "I'm not sure it does, but it might bring the spotlight and desire to make changes where the will wasn't there before."

Yet, he said the state should be careful about what information it shares from its child-abuse and neglect database because most people investigated have never been convicted of a crime.
Common names, data entry mistakes and false reports of abuse also can cause problems.

"I get very nervous that an allegation to which a person may not had full due process to fight in court could result in a black mark on their record," he said.