December 14, 1990
TO: Norman W. Hickey
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTENTION: Andrea Murphy
CAO Staff Officer
FROM: Rev. Ellis H. Casson, Chairman
Social Services Advisory Board
RESPONSES TO THE GRAND JURY REPORTS: #10, "FOSTER CARE: HOME AWAY
FROM HOME"; AND #15, "BREAKING THE CYCLE OF CHILD ABUSE"
This is in response to your request for review and comment on the
above grand jury reports.
Grand Jury Report #10
First we suggest a person in the County be appointed to follow
through on these recommendations and action items. The following
lists the recommendation number and our input.
Recommendation #90/56: Foster parents should be encouraged to
participate in their own solutions and
asked for input on what would work for
them. We recommend there be regular
meetings with specific agenda items for
foster parents to resolve issues.
Recommendation #90/57: Agree that foster parenting should be
professionalized and recommend the Detroit
example be used as a model. In the
Detroit model single mothers on welfare
are trained and hired as foster parents
and receive a salary. They take 3-4 kids
and are not penalized on the welfare side
for this job.
We recommend parents take college level
courses to help professionalize foster
care.
Norman W. Hickey, Chief Administrative Officer
Page 2
December 14, 1990
In addition, foster parents should become
a certificated program possibly through
GAIN.
Recommendation #90/60: Suggest that this project be administered
by a volunteer much like the orthodontics
program of the County.
Recommendation #90/61: Surest the County consider hiring a
Volunteer Coordinator. SSAB also asks for
the status of this.
Recommendation #90/64: Strongly agree.
Recommendation #90/66: Recommend the parents incur the cost of
the visitation and consider the use of
free community buildings and parks where
appropriate.
Recommendation #90/67: Strongly agree.
Grand Jury Report #15
Recommendation #90/95: We agree regardless of cost.
Recommendation #90/96: Recommend day care centers are included
to facilitate clearing their employees.
In addition, we suggest mandating one
place at the Federal or state level to
carry this out. At the federal level we
recommend the FBI.
Recommendation 490/97: Suggest a more proactive approach and
would like to know how this is being
circulated and advertised?
Recommendation #90/98: Recommend volunteers and churches do
transportation such as is occurring in
East County. Presently churches in East
County are volunteering for child care.
Recommendation #90/99: SSAB would like to invite the Child Care
Coordinator to one of its meetings to
discuss how they're doing with the
program.
Norman W. Hickey, Chief Administrative Officer
Page 3
December 14, 1990
Recommendation #90/100: Strongly agree to actively pursue the
continuation of funding for primary
prevention. SSAB would like action items
presented to them.
Recommendation #90/105: We realize the difficulty of providing
shelters and don't have a solution. We
commend Storefront and recommend their
services be expanded to every area of the
county and suggest investigating the
possibility of support from local
businesses.
Recommendation #90/108: We acknowledge there is a waiting list
problem and strongly agree with
recommendation.
Recommendation #90/109: Agree
Recommendation #90/111: We know there is no money for car phones
but perhaps two-way radio companies would
be interested in donating them.
Recommendation 490/112-: Strongly agree.
Recommendation #90/113-117: Agree
Thank you for the opportunity to review these reports.
![]()
REV. ELLIS H. CASSON, CHAIRMAN
Social Services Advisory Board
EHC:cr