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08-25-2004, 06:33 AM
http://www.hernandotoday.com/MGB4PA6PAYD.html
DCF mistakes 'tragic' in Allain child case
By CLIFF HIGHTOWER chightower@hernandotoday.com
Published: Aug 24, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Caseworkers were "buffaloed" by a couple accused of starving a
10-year-old girl and were negligent in placing the child in a home that "would
not meet the standards, and would never meet the standards of a foster home," a
Department of Children & Families administrator said Tuesday.
Don Thomas, District 13 district administrator for DCF, made his comments
shortly after the release of several hundreds of pages of documents relating to
the case of a Royal Highlands couple accused of starving a 10-year-old girl
placed into their care by the state.
The Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV News Channel 8 petitioned the court to open the
records.
Hernando Today is owned by Media General, which also owns The Tampa Tribune and
WFLA-TV, News Channel 8.
The records were ordered opened last month by circuit Judge Richard Tombrink.
He reviewed the records and gave directions to state attorneys on what should
or should not be deleted, or redacted, from the documents.
On Friday, attorneys said the documents would be made available to the public
this week.
Besides around 350 pages of DCF documents, the state also released a 24-page
review conducted by an independent task force designated by the DCF secretary
Jerry Regier.
The controversy behind the case stems from the arrest of Arthur "Tommy" Allain,
46, and Lori Allain, 47, both of Royal Highlands in July.
The couple was charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect. They are
accused of starving the 10-year-old girl, locking the child in her room to keep
her from eating. Authorities say they gave the girl only one spoonful of food a
day, and fed her a dietary supplement.
The Allains contend they were strictly following doctor's orders.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges in July.
The girl, along with her 14-year-old half brother, was taken out of custody of
the Allains in May.
They were first placed into the care of the Allains in 1998 after they were
designated as "non-relative" caregivers.
Thomas admitted there were mistakes made by DCF caseworkers that were only
strengthened by lies told by Lori Allain, he said.
"She was skillful in telling stories and having people believe them," Thomas
said.
Thomas pinpointed a few of the collapses in the system, including the initial
decision to place the girl and her half-brother into the Allains' home, and a
later report filed by a caseworker that said the Allains' home "would not meet
the standards and would never meet the standards of a foster care home."
"The work on this case doesn't meet the high standards we set," Thomas said in
the afternoon press conference.
The independent review by the task force made 29 recommendations to the
department for changes. Thomas said the district office has now made 15 changes
and is now looking at how the department can make other changes based on the
recommendations.
He said there have been no disciplinary actions taken against any individual in
DCF. One person, who was heavily involved in the case, now works for a private
subcontractor in the DCF district.
Thomas said the subcontractor would be receiving a copy of the review and it
will be up to the subcontractor if any disciplinary action is taken.
Within the task force's review, panel members were extremely critical of the
failure of DCF in the case.
There were four different allegations of "bizarre punishment and hazardous
conditions," but all instances were deemed unfounded. When DCF sought to have
the two children adopted by the Allains, the couple failed the adoption home
study, records show.
And when allegations arose concerning one of the Allains' biological children,
the state still did not remove the children from the household, a panel member
wrote.
"To say this is a case of tragic proportions is an understatement," Circuit
Court Judge Scott M. Bernstein, who was selected to be on the independent
study, wrote in his case review.
One member of the independent review, Trudy Petkovich, executive vice president
of Florida State Adoptive Parent Association Inc. based in Miami, was also very
critical of the caseworker that wrote the evaluations.
Especially when the caseworker saw that the 10-year-old girl was thin, but was
also being told that the child was overeating and food was being taken away
from her.
"The observations of the assessor seem to be whatever Lori Allain gave to her,"
Petkovich wrote.
Thomas said Tuesday in the press conference that both children were doing well,
especially the 10-year-old girl.
"The child we're most concerned about has doubled her weight," he said.
He said DCF has reviewed existing cases and have found no other cases where a
child has slipped through the system because they are with a "non-relative"
caregiver.
"Maybe it's the only case that turns up," Thomas said. "But we wonder if there
is another case or cases out there."
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
DCF mistakes 'tragic' in Allain child case
By CLIFF HIGHTOWER chightower@hernandotoday.com
Published: Aug 24, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Caseworkers were "buffaloed" by a couple accused of starving a
10-year-old girl and were negligent in placing the child in a home that "would
not meet the standards, and would never meet the standards of a foster home," a
Department of Children & Families administrator said Tuesday.
Don Thomas, District 13 district administrator for DCF, made his comments
shortly after the release of several hundreds of pages of documents relating to
the case of a Royal Highlands couple accused of starving a 10-year-old girl
placed into their care by the state.
The Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV News Channel 8 petitioned the court to open the
records.
Hernando Today is owned by Media General, which also owns The Tampa Tribune and
WFLA-TV, News Channel 8.
The records were ordered opened last month by circuit Judge Richard Tombrink.
He reviewed the records and gave directions to state attorneys on what should
or should not be deleted, or redacted, from the documents.
On Friday, attorneys said the documents would be made available to the public
this week.
Besides around 350 pages of DCF documents, the state also released a 24-page
review conducted by an independent task force designated by the DCF secretary
Jerry Regier.
The controversy behind the case stems from the arrest of Arthur "Tommy" Allain,
46, and Lori Allain, 47, both of Royal Highlands in July.
The couple was charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect. They are
accused of starving the 10-year-old girl, locking the child in her room to keep
her from eating. Authorities say they gave the girl only one spoonful of food a
day, and fed her a dietary supplement.
The Allains contend they were strictly following doctor's orders.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges in July.
The girl, along with her 14-year-old half brother, was taken out of custody of
the Allains in May.
They were first placed into the care of the Allains in 1998 after they were
designated as "non-relative" caregivers.
Thomas admitted there were mistakes made by DCF caseworkers that were only
strengthened by lies told by Lori Allain, he said.
"She was skillful in telling stories and having people believe them," Thomas
said.
Thomas pinpointed a few of the collapses in the system, including the initial
decision to place the girl and her half-brother into the Allains' home, and a
later report filed by a caseworker that said the Allains' home "would not meet
the standards and would never meet the standards of a foster care home."
"The work on this case doesn't meet the high standards we set," Thomas said in
the afternoon press conference.
The independent review by the task force made 29 recommendations to the
department for changes. Thomas said the district office has now made 15 changes
and is now looking at how the department can make other changes based on the
recommendations.
He said there have been no disciplinary actions taken against any individual in
DCF. One person, who was heavily involved in the case, now works for a private
subcontractor in the DCF district.
Thomas said the subcontractor would be receiving a copy of the review and it
will be up to the subcontractor if any disciplinary action is taken.
Within the task force's review, panel members were extremely critical of the
failure of DCF in the case.
There were four different allegations of "bizarre punishment and hazardous
conditions," but all instances were deemed unfounded. When DCF sought to have
the two children adopted by the Allains, the couple failed the adoption home
study, records show.
And when allegations arose concerning one of the Allains' biological children,
the state still did not remove the children from the household, a panel member
wrote.
"To say this is a case of tragic proportions is an understatement," Circuit
Court Judge Scott M. Bernstein, who was selected to be on the independent
study, wrote in his case review.
One member of the independent review, Trudy Petkovich, executive vice president
of Florida State Adoptive Parent Association Inc. based in Miami, was also very
critical of the caseworker that wrote the evaluations.
Especially when the caseworker saw that the 10-year-old girl was thin, but was
also being told that the child was overeating and food was being taken away
from her.
"The observations of the assessor seem to be whatever Lori Allain gave to her,"
Petkovich wrote.
Thomas said Tuesday in the press conference that both children were doing well,
especially the 10-year-old girl.
"The child we're most concerned about has doubled her weight," he said.
He said DCF has reviewed existing cases and have found no other cases where a
child has slipped through the system because they are with a "non-relative"
caregiver.
"Maybe it's the only case that turns up," Thomas said. "But we wonder if there
is another case or cases out there."
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
