posted on Mar, 3 2008 @ 04:39 PM
Let me clarify one thing.
The burden of proof for terminating parental rights is very high and the number of cases of that are actually very small considering how many children
are brought into state's custody.
I've been involved in too many of these cases and I have to say that before a parents rights can be terminated, that parent has to exhibit extreme
levels of abuse, neglect, or mental incompetence and the unwillingness or the inability to remedy the situation.
It is also the state's responsibility to provide all the services to the parent or parents free of charge that they need to get their lives and
circumstances in order.
I cannot remember a case in which a parent's rights were terminated that I felt that it was not in the best interest of the child.
It hurts like hell to see parents lose those rights, but when you've spent a year or more doing everything humanly possible to get these people
engaged in the reunification process, it's understandable.
I do believe that the state becomes involved in many cases a bit too readily and I do acknowledge that the children suffer the most in these cases
whether they are reunited or not.
The sad reality is that we are raising children into a culture that puts family values last and the self first and that as long as we do that we will
continue to see families in this predicament.
Social Work as a profession should stop backing every "progressive" agenda that comes down the pike and put its knowledge and power behind
reestablishing the values that put children first, but that will not happen.
It is the sickest irony that I have ever seen that there is a profession that supports every legislation that diminishes parental power, discourages
responsible individual behavior, promotes laissez-faire sexual attitudes and the culture of victimhood and then purports to be the agency that can
mend families when everything goes to hell in a hand basket.
And what is even more ironic is that most of those Social Workers who are out there "mending families" are doing so while their kids are in daycare
and are themselves "latchkey kids."
It's sicker than most people can even imagine and I haven't even gotten into these industry that thrives off the broken families.
But, back to the my original thought. I was really referring to the number of ways that a person can be granted rights of visitation and sometimes
even parental rights.
[edit on 2008/3/3 by GradyPhilpott]