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Playing Police: Mom Says Daughters' Remains in Freezer

Tue, 2008-09-30 16:20 - Kerry

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Child-sized human remains uncovered in a basement freezer were those of two girls and have been there for months, their adoptive mother told investigators. Authorities said Monday they believe she is responsible for their deaths. (Sept. 29)

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY6TUNNp8wo]

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Tue, 2008-09-30 16:55 — Kerry

Child Placement V. Child Protection

It's horrific enough parents abuse their children, but I find it inexcusable for the Child Protection industry to focus more on adoption quotas than child safety.

"You think you've seen it all," Sheriff Mike Evans said yesterday in announcing the discovery, "but you haven't."

With Bowman in jail, charged with child abuse, and investigators working to piece together what happened, the case again shined a spotlight on the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, which recommended Bowman to a D.C. Superior Court judge as a suitable adoptive parent in 2001 and 2004. The girls had been wards of the D.C. government.

The child welfare agency came under fire in January after social workers failed to investigate reports of alleged child neglect by Banita Jacks, a Southeast Washington woman now charged with killing her four daughters in their home.

Yesterday, myriad questions about Bowman's adoptions went unanswered as city and court officials in the District, citing confidentiality laws, declined to reveal details of a background check of Bowman that was performed by a private contractor. They said they were unaware of her 1999 misdemeanor conviction in the District for threatening to hurt someone.

"It would be too premature, too irresponsible, to say someone along the chain messed up," Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said at a news conference. He called the case "harrowing" and "a blow to everyone's heart and psyche that we could lose two more young people."

Not until today, after the ice has thawed, will authorities be able to conduct autopsies and formally identify the victims.   [From:  "Md. Mother Jailed After Bodies Of 2 Children Found in Freezer", Washington Post, Sept 30, 2008, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/09/29/ST2008092900858.html]

According to reports, The Maryland Department of Human Resources will file a petition in court today to gain custody of the surviving 7-year-old adopted daughter.  [Sadly, and ironically, Bowman - a former foster-parent - received a total of $2,400 a month for the three "special needs" girls (http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/21804#comment-6337)] 

Child Protection Services failed this girl (and many many other children before her)  --  who's going to guarantee it won't happen again?  Is this a matter of economics:  it's cheaper and easier to keep corpses than provide the needs of growing children?