'Fractured Families' forum targets child removal concerns

CEDAR RAPIDS - Iowa has one of the highest child removal rates in the United States, and although recent data from the Department of Human Services (DHS) shows the number of children removed from their home dropped sharply last year, local families say there still needs to be more emphasis on keeping children at home or with other family members.

More than 100 local parents and family members filled the African American Museum, 55 12th Ave. SE, Wednesday night to hear from six expert panelists about the complex process of separating families in difficult foster care and adoption situations. KCRG-TV9 and The Cedar Rapids Gazette sponsored the forum.

The panelists included Chief Judge Patrick Grady of the sixth judicial district, local attorney Sharon Hallstoos who represents parents in foster cases, Marlene Jessop, an adoptive mother who temporarily had her son removed, local counselor Virgil Gooding, Marc Baty, area director of DHS, and Lisa D'Aunno, director of the National Resource Center for In-Home Services.

A major topic of discussion was the disproportionately high rate of children removed from African American families in Linn County. Panelists explored several theories as to why more African American children are removed from the home including poverty rates, bias, and lack of knowledge about different cultures and families.

According to D'Aunno, Iowa is one of several states actively working to reduce the disparity among removal rates according to race. Even when research has controlled other factors such as income and single parenthood, D'Aunno said race is still a factor in the decision to remove the child.

"There is still something about the decision-making process that doesn't give African American families a fair shot," she said.

But according to Baty, DHS data released Wednesday shows Linn County is making progress. In the Linn County Institutional Analysis Report, the rate of removal was cut down by almost half for African American children, going from 75 children removed in fiscal 2010 to 47 children in fiscal 2011.

"This is a promising piece of data that may suggest we're moving in the right direction," Baty said. "But we certainly have a long way to go."

The data also showed that the rate of removal for Caucasian children dropped to 168 in fiscal 2011, as opposed to 194 in fiscal 2010. The trend of fewer temporary removals did not result in a higher re-abuse rate, Baty said.

In addition to disparities among races, questions directed at panelists touched on the many frustrating complexities of child removal and attempts at reunification.

One main issue is what families say is a lack of effort on DHS's part to place children with extended family members or close family friends. Despite a federal mandate that dictates effort should be made to seek out extended family members for the child's relocation, many cases result in the child living with a completely unrelated foster or adoptive family.

D'Aunno said family is always preferable.

"[The] child has familiarity with the folks, with the culture, with knowing where you belong," she said.

Jessop shared her experience with trying to contact DHS officials in order to suggest a relative for her son to stay with. By the time she got a hold of someone, however, her son was already in foster care.

Baty and other panelists said the issue of finding family members gets extremely complicated when the relative lives across state lines, since every state operates under a different system. This difficulty between states is another area that needs work, said Gooding, who is a member of the African American Family Preservation and Resource Committee.

"It's easier to move a parolee through interstate compacts than it is to move brothers and sisters," Gooding said to a burst of applause from the audience.

The panelists also addressed other audience questions regarding the mental health of removed children, and the possibility that, once out of foster care, young adults are left with attachment disorders.

"If we don't deal with that, we're going to have a lot of disconnected adults out there," Grady said. "And that's a huge social crisis."

Ultimately, D'Aunno said it's extremely difficult for parents to improve the home environment and meet strict, time-sensitive DHS requirements when their children are already removed. Therefore, preventative measures are key, she said.

"It's very hard to become a better parent when you don't have kids to parent," she said.

For 32-year-old Victoria Coghlan, a mother from Marion, the discussion hit close to home. Coghlan said her three young children were removed from her home in May 2011 after an ex-boyfriend who wasn't allowed in the home forced his way in. She said she was reunited with her children on Feb. 10, and has a court hearing Friday to determine whether she can regain full custody.

Coghlan said Wednesday's forum was valuable for parents, as information isn't always readily available. She said informational packets with resources and information on what to expect should be provided to every parent in her situation.

"When you go to a [homeless] shelter, they hand you a packet," she said. "...It should be the same way."

Coghlan is a member of a locally-formed support group called "We Are Still Parents" for people going through any type of issues with DHS regarding their children.

"It's important to know your rights," said Coghlan, who wore a t-shirt decorated with her children's names to the forum. "Every step that I have gotten to is because I went out and researched and found resources myself."