Sex offender, other felons ran Palm Beach County camps for homeless kids
Now this one is a beauty, you should open this link and really read the back peddaling the state is doing to weasel out of this mess...the only thing worse than these offenders? Are the people we pay to run interference for us..keep in mind these people are county funded and have pensions to choke a horse...when is enough enough? If I were a parent whose child was exposed to this? I would hold somebody's neck up to chop as an example...but the very system YOU PAY FOR exempts most of them from civil liability..
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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5 comments:
Now here is the States response to the outrage felt by readers on this issue:
Thank you for contacting the Office of Inspector General regarding your concerns relating to summer day camps.
Chapter 402.302, Florida Statutes, provides a definition of a "child care facility;" however, summer day camps are excluded. As a result, owners, operators, employees, and volunteers working in a summer day camp are not subject to the background screening process. Should you wish to pursuit this matter regarding a revision to the statute to include summer day camps within the background screening process, I would encourage you to contact your Florida Legislator. You can locate your Florida House Representative by going to http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sections/representatives/myrepresentative.aspx
or you can locate your Florida Senator by going to http://www.flsenate.gov/Legislators/index.cfm?Mode=Find%20Your%20Legislator&Submenu=3&Tab=legislators
Sincerely,
Heather Robinson
Operations & Management Consultant Manager
Office of Inspector General
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Blvd. Bldg. 5, 2nd Floor
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0700
So another words, If you dont like it? Change the Laws! Well I didnt like it and wrote back:
Yes I do wish to pursue the matter. It is so typical for a Government agency to throw their hands up and deflect the issue on someone or something else. The "Post" printed and I quote "How does this happen?
The loophole that makes it possible:
•State statutes require background screening for summer camp owners and operators but hold no agency responsible for running checks.
•Because the law specifically exempts summer camps from licensing requirements, DCF has no regular jurisdiction over the businesses.
•{And although the law empowers DCF to create rules for summer camps, the agency hasn’t done so.}
Why hasn’t the agency done so, the go ahead was given in 1999 it is now November of 2010! How many kids does it take to fall between bureaucratic cracks before someone anyone says "oh perhaps we should utilize this responsibility empowered to our agency and create protocol in the best interest of the kids". The last thing the people of this state want to read is the response letter you wrote me. I want to know, since being "given the ability to create rules for summer camps", why hasn’t it been done? What offices were responsible for formulating them? People like me are tired of reading why you haven’t performed, now we want to know who at DCF gave the ability to create rules and "Why no rules were created"? This isn’t going away, and instructing me to go to my Florida House of Representatives is as good as saying to the people of Florida "don't like it! Change the Laws" the laws were changed to give you the ability to create stop gates for this, I and a few others want to know who was responsible, when and why it wasn’t done.
November 20th 2010
Response, (if you wanna call it that)
Thank you for contacting the Office of Inspector General regarding your concerns.
This office would not be responsible for the revision of the statute mentioned below. The Child Care Licensing Program Office would be responsible for changing this statute. You may contact the Director, Deborah Russo, at 1317 Winewood Blvd Tallahassee, FL 32399 Phone Number 850-488-4900
Heather Robinson
Operations & Management Consultant Manager
Office of Inspector General
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Blvd. Bldg. 5, 2nd Floor
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0700
Office Phone: (850) 488-1225
Fax: (850) 488-1428
Letter to Director Russo DCF
So it does seem that this issue has fallen on your shoulders. I am curious Director Russo, while taxpayers funded the 4 day beach conference just this past July at the Sand Key Resort Marriot, did even one of your participants bring up the aspect of background checks to ensure that taxpayer monies allotted to various groups seeking funding were not convicted felons? Did anyone actually make mention of suggested protocol that your agency was given the "go ahead to implement" on this issue? If I may be so bold, if monies are a deciding factor as to whether we should actually pay convicted sex offenders to expose themselves to our children it might be more prudent to forego those expensive Yearly seminars and utilize a more economical approach to adhereing to DCF's Mission page of •Protect the vulnerable
•Promote strong and economic self-sufficient families
•Advance personal and family recovery and resiliency
Can you please forward to me what actions have been taken that "we the general public can be assured such horrendous lack of oversight under your watch, will not happen again?
"Hey its worth a try) if we dont raise our expectations of those put in place to oversee the safety and well being of our children? Then we will get what we ask for!
This is what you get when you scream loud enough:
DCF Reminds Summer Camp Administrators About
Changes in Background Screening Laws
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – As summer camps begin staffing for the season, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) reminds employers that summer camp workers and volunteers must complete Florida and national criminal records background checks before they can begin working.
Until August 2010, when the Legislature passed more stringent background screening requirements, summer camp employees and volunteers were exempt from screening that applied to owners and operators of summer camps.
"Families and parents have a right to know that camp staffers are worthy of their trust," said David Wilkins, DCF Secretary. "These changes will help campers enjoy a safe and memorable experience."
Now they can pat themselves on the back and say they did the right thing. They didnt do it on their own violition they did it because WE backed them up against a wall..
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