ALECOMM

DAYTONA BEACH -- An adult investigator for the state Department of Children & Families details in a report that he talked to two suspected victims of abuse.   The only problem is the victims said they never spoke to him. 

In another local case, a state investigator writes in a report that he spoke to a Port Orange police officer about a child being abused.   But, turns out, the officer said he was never contacted and wasn't even on duty at the time the DCF investigator said the conversation took place.

Those are two of several cases in recent years where state officials found child welfare workers falsified records.

But rarely in such cases locally or statewide do workers face prosecution, according to a recent report by the DCF Inspector General's Office.

State officials hope that will change after legislators earlier this year made it a felony not only when a worker alters an existing document, but creates a false one -- which the old law didn't address.

John Tanner, state attorney for the local judicial circuit, said the change "is appropriate and necessary" to protect children and senior citizens. Clearing up the language, Tanner said, will give the cases "more weight" for prosecution.

DCF Inspector General Sheryl Steckler said she hopes as word spreads about the change, more state attorneys will be willing to prosecute.   "It's simple now -- if you falsify, you commit a crime," Steckler said.

Statewide, the DCF Inspector General's Office referred 42 state DCF employees and private contractors last fiscal year, Steckler said.  Eight were prosecuted and 15 were not.  Nineteen are still pending review by law enforcement or state attorney offices.

Andrea Moore, an attorney and executive director of Florida's Children First, a statewide nonprofit children's advocacy group, said, "When you have crimes of violence versus this type of crime, it's hard to convince prosecutors to take it seriously."

Reggie Williams, local DCF circuit administrator, said two of his employees have falsified records since he took over in March 2006. The two resigned and the reports were sent to the Inspector General's Office. Both said they visited families about alleged abuse, but they had not.

"When you falsify, it ruins the credibility of the organization," Williams said.

Community Partnership for Children, which provides local foster care for the state, was close to losing its contract in 2004 after several workers lied about checking on foster children.

The agency now requires the foster parent and child to sign a form when visited.

The key, according to Ron Zychowski, CEO of Community Partnership for Children, is to ensure workers have reasonable caseloads and know they can go to their supervisor for help.

"Case managers should never feel (lying) is the only option I have in order to get the bureaucrats off my back about getting my work done," Zychowski said.

Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, is glad Florida closed the loophole but doesn't think it will make a big difference. He said the state needs to remove fewer children from their homes so workers are not overloaded and "have more time to find the children in real danger."   ^{_{(Source : http://www.news-journalonline.com/Ne...ST01102507.htm)}}

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