Welcome to the Kentucky Focus Group Report

1
Welcome to the Kentucky Focus Group Report

•  
• KENTUCKY RESIDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF
• SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AT RISK OF
• ABUSE AND NEGLECT
• Sponsored by the Public Children Services
  Association of Ohio
• For the National Network to Increase Child Safety
• Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
  Services
• Focus Groups Conducted by Triad Research

2
Outline of Kentucky Focus Group Overheads

• Welcome
• About the Groups
• The Family Today
• Perceptions about intervention
• Perceptions about when to intervene
• Participants definition of terms
• Dividing line between discipline and abuse
• Perceptions about keeping families together
• Services to prevent child abuse and neglect
• Perceptions about caseworker responsibility for
  child deaths

3
Outline of Kentucky Focus Group Overheads, cont.

• Attitudes about Foster Care
• Perceptions about Neighborhood Placements
• Perceptions about Kinship Care
• Termination of Parental Rights and the Federal
  Law
• Perception of CPS Agencies
• Knowledge about CPS Agencies
• What the Public would like to know
• Perceptions about Media and Confidentiality
• Accountability and Federal Outcomes

4
ABOUT THE GROUPS

• 8 Focus Groups held in KY, held in the
  following areas
• Daviess County/Owensboro
• Warren County/Bowling Green
• Fayette County/Lexington
• Kenton County/Covington
• Laurel County/London
• Jefferson County/Louisville
• Perry County/Hazard
• Boyd County/Ashland
•        

5
ABOUT THE GROUPS

• Groups were stratified according to age, race,
  gender, geographic distribution and so forth.
•  
• Participants were asked questions about
  perceptions of services and issues for children
  at risk of abuse ad neglect.
•  
• Findings from all 8 focus groups quite similar,
  irrespective of ethnicity/race, age, gender or
  region. Significant differences will be noted.

6
THE FAMILY TODAY

• Strong agreement that family life is
  disintegrating
• People have lost the closeness with their
  neighbors
• No longer the love and support of the
  traditional family unit because of divorce and
  single parenting
• Children are not well disciplined (including idea
  that one can not discipline without fear of govt
  reprisals.)
• Fewer families have a spiritual life
• Families do not or cannot spend enough time
  together
• Drugs are prevalent
• Materialism
• TV and movies portray violence and lewd
  behavior as acceptable

7
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT INTERVENTION

• Agreed that there are times when govt
  intervention into potentially harmful situations
  is appropriate
• Yet still have reservations about govt
  intervention
• Five reservations expressed were
• Investigations are not done right or hearsay is
  believed by workers
• People with a grudge can get parents in trouble
• Intervention does not do any good, and children
  are returned too quickly
• Who and what defines abuse and neglect
• There is already enough government involvement in
  citizens lives.

8
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT WHEN TO INTERVENE

• In extreme situations sexual abuse, broken
  bones, marks, life-threatening, drug or alcohol
  abuse, mental or emotional abuse
• There must be proof prior to intervention
• Should be no intervention for discipline
• Those abused as children tended to favor
  increased intervention
• Many concerned about false accusations or
  retributions for reporting

9
PARTICIPANTS DEFINITION OF TERMS

• At risk when in danger of being physically
  harmed
• Abuse - physical harm
• Many people again wanted to point out that
  discipline is not abuse. Also that not
  disciplining can be type of abuse.
• Many people also said you know abuse when you
  see it.
• Neglect -- ignoring a childs basic needs
  and/or putting a child in a dangerous
  situation.
• Most participants agreed that abuse and neglect
  are equally bad

10
DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN DISCIPLINE AND ABUSE

• Struggled with how to define the line
• Reasonable discipline should not be considered
  abuse. Many people are afraid that if they
  discipline CPS will show up at their door.
• Some angrily related stories of being reported
  when they perceived their actions as discipline
• Large number said difference is obvious
• Many thought you could tell abuse by noting
• If physical marks are left
• Where the child is hit
• What instrument is used
• Intent of the parent

11
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER

• Agreed that in a perfect world, families would
  remain intact
• But conceded that there are times when child must
  be removed
• But there was strong agreement that children are
  harmed when theyre removed from their homes
• Ideas on how to treat the families were mixed
• Many were in favor of counseling and education
  classes, rehab, support groups and the like
• Most thought these treatments depended on the
  severity of abuse

12
SERVICES TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

• Participants suggested some services to help
  prevent child abuse and neglect
• Parenting classes (esp. young parents)
• Counseling for parents and children
• Referral services
• Offer to all kinds of families
• Support groups
• Mentoring
• Involving the faith (church) community

13
FACTORS CASE WORKER SHOULD CONSIDER

• When making recommendation to remove child or
  leave child in home
• Truth of allegation
• Degree or type of abuse
• Familys history
• Willingness to change
• What the child says
• Parental drug or alcohol addiction
• Condition of home at unannounced visit

14
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT WORKER RESPONSIBILITY FOR
DEATHS

• Is caseworker responsible if child is left in
  home and later tragically dies?
• Generally agreed case worker would only be
  responsible if he or she had not done a thorough
  job of investigating the home
• Many said case worker may not have had resources
  to conduct a thorough investigation, or they are
  over-burdened
• Some thought that caseworkers might be duped by
  family and therefore are not responsible
• Others thought they did bear some responsibility

15
ATTITUDES ABOUT FOSTER CARE

• Mixed Reaction
• Fairly positive (Daviess, Kenton, Perry, and
  Warren)
• Fairly negative (Boyd, Fayette, Laurel and
  Jefferson)
• Quality depends on motivation of foster parent
  (love or money)
• Want foster parents to be thoroughly investigated
  
• Strengths noted Safer, Stable, Positive Family
  Environment
• Weaknesses noted Overcrowding hard for kids to
  adapt lack of homes inconsistent quality
  jerking kids around (Jefferson and Laurel)
  foster parents unequipped siblings split.
• Some wanted a return to orphanages.

16
THOUGHTS ON NEIGHBORHOOD and KINSHIP PLACEMENTS

• Most did not see neighborhood placement as
  desirable
• Expect Laurel and Perry, saw it as less
  disruptive
• Common Objections included
• Parents can still get at the children
• Children and foster parents may be assaulted
• Children will be made fun of.
• Strongly agree its better to be with a relative
• Still concerned about parental access, abuse as a
  family trait, screening process for family
  members, and kin not being forced to take
  children.
• Various opinions on kinship payments. Most said
  only if financial need.

17
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS and THE FEDERAL
LAW

• Most agreed there are appropriate circumstances
  for termination
• Situation remains dangerous
• No hope for improvement
• Sexual or severe abuse is occurring
• The family can no longer take care of the child
• Virtually no of aware of federal law regarding
  time limits.
• Most people thought they were fair.
• Some opposition to the premise of this level of
  intervention
• Strong opposition in African-American
  predominated groups

18
PERCEPTION OF CPS AGENCIES

• Know almost nothing about what CPS agencies do
• In Daviess, Warren and Kenton Counties they
  leaned towards giving the benefit of the doubt
  assumed they are overburdened
• In Boyd, Fayette, Laurel, Jefferson and Perry the
  participant voiced negative assumptions (esp.
  Laurel, Jefferson)
• Criticisms
• Caseworkers allow children to remain in or return
  to unsafe homes
• Caseworkers dont do adequate follow up
• Caseworkers dont make surprise visits
• Caseworkers constantly turning over

19
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CPS AGENCIES AND SERVICES

• Public didnt know about services, dont have an
  opinion
• Did not know what the qualifications for a
  caseworker are
• Thought should have at least a 2-yr. degree in SW
  or related field.
• Also practical training, some said only parents
  should be caseworkers
• Did not know if management was good or not, or
  how they managed
• Assumed minority groups needs are being met
  (Fayette)
• Acknowledged they were not well informed
• Mostly heard anecdotes
• Some said they were glad to not be informed

20
WHAT THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT CPS

• Only a few suggestions generated (even with
  probing)
• Telephone number to call to report
• Where the agency is located
• Ratio of caseworkers to families
• Process for investigating an allegation
• What services are offered through the agencies
• Why did they not desire to know? Three reasons
• Not relevant to their lives
• Cant do anything about another family
• Its extremely unpleasant, and life is already
  hard enough

21
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDIAAND CONFIDENTIALITY

• Agreed that media sensationalizes abuse/neglect
  stories
• Agreed that confidentiality must be maintained
• Agency should be able to defend self w/o breaking
  confidentiality
• Interaction of CPS agencies and law enforcement
• Mostly unaware of the role of police and courts
  in the CPS
• Police or caseworker investigation of allegations
  of out-of- home abuse? Debate on which route KY
  should take
• Small towns dont want to burden forces
• Police are not properly trained
• Police can act quickly, authority
• Collaboration needs to occur

22
ACCOUNTABILITY AND FEDERAL OUTCOME MEASURES

• Some said they doubted if they are getting their
  moneys worth
• Most strongly agreed that CPS agencies should be
  held accountable for the job theyre doing
• Federal Outcome Measures seemed pretty
  reasonable
• But thought they did not address
• The issue of quality of services
• The services offered to parents