Conyers Office Engages In False Claims Of Child Welfare

U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. Office announced an error that only I can properly identify.  My heart has grown heavy with the incompetence and indolence of his staff, particularly William Isaac Robinson, who was paid with federal money to launch his mother's campaign with congressional resources and attempt to run it by stealing from Mr. Conyers's federal campaign contributions.

Rarely do I come to the defense of the State of Michigan regarding its child welfare system, but this is a special occasion.  Michigan is making strides for improvement...in certain areas, but I shall not allow the residents of the state to become subject to false claims through fictitious legislative initiatives for the sole purpose of getting someone elected.

I must protect the people I love, and that includes Mr. Conyers, so with that said...

The following is my communication with Congressman Conyers' Office:

This is worse than I expected.  Are you aware that federal cannot make state policy in child welfare????  States have to adopt its own policies.  The notification is already written into Michigan law.

Enhancements?  Through unfunded mandates or with increased reductions of the federal percentages?  Perhaps there shall be incurred greater attorney fees with with this prolific publication of legal violations.  Here are some codified enhancements already in place:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/18954463/OMB-Circular-A133-Compliance-Supplement-2009

Then, there is included the religious component.  There is no religious preference in placement; this is federally codified.  Compliance comes down from HHS on the funding side with penalties in FFP rates, Block Grants and educational funding opportunities.

Close your eyes an imagine Michigan being denied, again, for any future "educational enhancements" like the "Race to the Top" grants.  Non-compliance of Title IV-E placements is why Michigan lost.  Guess with this legislative action, no one will forget the state is still non-compliant and loose more public school funding.  This is why Michigan is moving to a state wide educational authority.

Is anyone even aware that this code is already on the federal books?  Is anyone even aware that Michigan is under federal monitoring which jeopardizes releasing the state from federal oversight in the Children's Rights case? Does anyone realize that Michigan has an appeal into the HHS DAB on this matter?  A legislative action of this magnitude puts the State of Michigan in jeopardy of loosing hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Is anyone even remotely aware that Wayne County Department of Children and Family Services and Detroit are currently under investigation with its child welfare service contracts?  Is this an attempt to interfere with a federal investigation?

Does anyone even know that the U.S. AG has the Childhood Initiative Task Force, of which I have been working with since its inception last year, where its findings report will be published next month to launch new initiatives of departing from the current child welfare system as we know it?  This is a severe insult to the work of the AG and the multi-agency collaborative of POTUS Cabinet.

Did anyone even talk to the Congressional Children's Caucus or the Congressional Foster Care Caucus for input?  Obviously not because there are no co-sponsors.  

Did anyone talk to George Sheldon?  Of course not because if you did you would know that there are 2 out of 28 states that took advantage of the federal waivers that were approved a few years ago.  Why are the states not taking advantage of the waivers?  The answer is non-compliance.  That is why there are issues with the states on relative placements.  

Here is the background of the Michigan Amer Act: http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2012/04/michigan-amer-act-is-already-federal.html#axzz1z21nXS93

The issue is how and why children removed from the home.  Here is a bit of background to what is going on in DC, just to bring you up to speed.  http://democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings/Testimony.aspx?TID=9633  Please note the date.

For the last two years I have been engaging this office to offer my subject matter expertise in this field, specifically the funding and compliance.  It is now quite apparent that JC's constituents have no representation in DC as reflected in political and economic climate of his Congressional District.

I am so embarrassed.  I am utterly speechless with the topor research of this Bill.  I was never conferred.

I truly hope Isaac Robinson's future State Senate campaign tactic proves to be for naught for his mother's, Rose Mary Robinson. campaign of which he is running, both out of Congressman Conyers' offices, and please note the plurality of my allegations.  This is nothing more than an empty campaign promise in hopes of securing campaign contributions from the tears of temporary joy for a sine die legislative action.

I shall make it a point to illuminate this throughout my international networks.  I have an obligation to the truth.  I lived through this and must still experience the episodes of my children suffering with their battles of survival, daily, from the results of apathetic, self-serving malfeasance of Detroit political miscreants.  

I am very passionate about the issue of child welfare and for the well-being of Mr. Conyers, so, please forgive me for being deeply disturbed with the wretched advisement of this office, but then again, it is not a secret.

On behalf of the Congressman, I would like to thank you for another riveting chapter in our book.

The following is the missive press release of Isaac Robinson:

Conyers Introduces Legislation to Improve Placement Decisions in Child Foster Care Programs  

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) introduced H.R. 6021, the “Rehab and Ahmed Amer Foster Care Improvement Act of 2012.”  The Act will enhance the existing federal policy of encouraging state foster care programs to place children in the care of willing and able relatives.  This legislation accomplishes this goal by requiring States that receive federal funding for foster care programs to add certain procedural enhancements to their foster care programs so as to ensure a more fair placement decision-making process.  Rep. Conyers released the following statement following the bill’s introduction:

“In 1985, Rehab and Ahmed Amer lost two of their children to Michigan’s foster care system after Rehab had been subject to criminal charges related to the death of her two-year-old son Samier, who died because of head injuries resulting from a fall in a bathtub.  Although Rehab had been acquitted in August 1986 of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Samier’s death, the State refused to return the Amers’ other two children to them and, in fact, removed a third child from the Amers’ custody four months after Rehab’s acquittal.

“As a temporary alternative, Rehab’s brother petitioned to be a foster parent to the Amers’ three children, but was denied his petition even though he had previously served as a foster parent for other children.  It is important to note that the Amers are Muslim.  Nevertheless, the State, rather than placing the Amers’ children with a foster family of the same faith and cultural background, sent them to live with an evangelical Christian family, which re-named the Amers’ children –  Mohamed Ali, Sueheir, and Zinabe – with Christian names and raised them as Christians.

“Today, only the oldest of the Amers’ three living children, Mohamed Ali, now known as Adam, communicates with them.  In reaction to the Amers’ story, Michigan enacted what became known as the ‘Amer Law.’  That law requires foster care placement agencies in Michigan to consider and give special preference for relatives when making a foster care placement decision.

“The Amer Law is consistent with federal foster care policy, which also seeks to give preference to a child's relatives and, for Native American children, a family of the same cultural background as the child, when making placement decisions.  The Amer Law, however, has several provisions that go beyond current federal law to ensure due process.  In sum, this law gives parents, relatives, guardians, and the child in certain cases additional procedural rights, including the right to written notice and an explanation of a placement decision.  In addition, it authorizes judicial review of a placement decision by a foster care agency. 

“My legislation simply adds these enhanced due process features of the Amer Law to existing federal foster care law.

               

“The best interests of the child should always be the overriding consideration when making foster care placement decisions.  That standard, however, should also require foster care agencies to give special preference to placing a child with relatives, where the child can be raised in the same culture or religion as his or her own, all other things being equal.

               

“I thank Rehab and Ahmed Amer for bringing this issue to light and for their tireless efforts to make the foster care placement process fairer for everyone, first in Michigan, and, now, nationally.”

The Rehab and Ahmed Amer Foster Care Improvement Act of 2012 would require that a State, within 90 days after it makes a foster care placement decision, to provide notice of such decision to the following affected parties:

                ●             the child’s parents;

                ●             relatives who have informed the State of their interest in caring for the child;

                ●             the guardian;

                ●             the guardian ad litem of the child;

                ●             the attorney for the child;

                ●             the attorney for each parent of the child;

                ●             the prosecutor involved; and

                ●             the child if he or she is able to express an opinion regarding placement.

Additionally, States must establish procedures that:

                ●             allow any of the parties who receive notice of the State’s placement decision to request, within five days after receipt of the notice, documentation of the reasons for the State’s decision;

                ●             allow the child’s attorney to petition the court involved to review the decision; and

                ●             require the court to commence such review within seven days after receipt of the petition and conduct such review on the record.

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