Thank you for producing "Failure to Protect". It is time to break the silence of abuse of families--children and parents--by the so-called "children's protection" agencies, that are collecting federal dollars by meeting their child seizure quotas. Hundreds of children in Oregon have been taken by their homes against their will and their parents will. Caseworkers have too much power, and abuse it frequently. There is no due process, civil rights are ignored, no one is held accountable for telling the truth. Often no one is charged with a crime. And yet, the courts have the power to destroy these families.

Hopefully your excellent coverage of this story will be a nation-wide eye opener.

Thanks from Oregon--another "motherinterrupted"

Susan Detlefsen
portland, oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for bringing the child welfare system to the public's attention. These are complex issues that most citizens know next to nothing about.

The child welfare system is grossly underfunded. This undefunding is especially apparent when you consider that the system attempts to do very difficult things, such as care for extremely troubled children, teach parents how to love their children, or rehabilitate substance abusers, reform child abusers, and treat mentally ill parents and children. For example, as a foster parent I receive a grand total of $13 per day (plus Medicaid that is often dysufnctional)for raising a child "24/7." Politicians will continue to underfund the child welfare system until they can be educated to understand that child welfare, while expensive, is less costly (in both financial and humanitarian terms)than allowing children to grow into troubled adults that requre expensive services.

A recent study published by "Pediatrics," a medical journal, found that, on average, children who stayed in foster care (some adopted, some not) actually did better than those who were reunified with birth families. The researchers concluded that "the study's findings strongly caution us against presuming that children who return to live with their birth parents have achieved positive outcomes." "Children who return home from foster care: A 6-year prospective study of behavioral health outcomes in adolescence." (Heather N. Taussig, Robert B. Clyman and John Landsverk. Pediatrics, 108(1) [July 2001].)

Family reunification programs can work in a modest percentage of the cases if they are well funded. Unfortunately, many family strengthening programs water down the best practices and try to do this difficult task "on the cheap." This leaves vulnerable children with the worst of both worlds, reunifcation and monitoring systems that don't work when the child is in a birth home, and foster systems that don't work if they are placed in state custody.

fort collins, co

Dear FRONTLINE,

This tragedies really get to me. It is heartbreaking and all I see is a child that had that unconditional love for her mother. She was open and she wasn't afraid to say what was really going on and how she felt. Did anyone listen? Was anything done about it? The answer to both questions is "NO"..

There is no excuse for the death of that beautiful child and the foster mother should rot in jail! Logan was hurting inside she was somewhere where she didn't want to be.

It's very frustrating because you read stories about DHS not following up on children in foster homes or with their biological families when allegations of abuse are reported....

Then in this situation, her vists with her biological mother were taped and monitored.. Why didn't the Caseworker listen and do her job, remove Logan from that woman??? Why???

It makes no sense. I'm very angry about this and so many other horror stories I read and hear on the news.. It's always after the tragedy you hear about all the things that went wrong!! WHEN ARE WE GOING TO MAKE IT RIGHT FOR THESE CHILDREN!!!

A very concerned parent....

Robbyn Culler
albany, ny