Dead Foster Childs Body Dumped in the Trash
[Where is the respect for human life ... even after death?]
Stephanie Ramos, an 8-year-old disabled child was placed in the "protective" custody of retired nurse, Renee Johnson. As a retired nurse, Ms. Johnson was trained to assess, monitor, evaluate, and to preserve life -- yet, she was unable to ensure that the child entrusted to her care received the appropriate intervention and/or emergency treatment which may have prevented her death. If unable to give little Stephanie the medical treatment she obviously needed, why keep her? Let me venture to guess ... it was for the money. Although most retired nurses are able to live comfortably off their retirement, perhaps this was not the case for Ms. Johnson. Without being able to work double shifts as a nurse, maybe she had a difficult time living within her budget and saw caring for children with special needs as a way to supplement her retirement income.
Foster children (I use this phrase reluctantly, as I have vowed to never refer to children involuntarily sucked into the black hole that is foster care as "foster children" ... but as foster care survivors) with disabilities are classified as "special needs." Unfortunately Stephanie Ramos, like so many other children in foster care, did not survive the experience -- she did not resurface from the abyss.
Children with "special needs" generate more household income for their care providers than children without disabilities. I just finished reading a book Remember Cynthia Rose by journalist Jeanne Sinclair-Krause. The book does an excellent job at explaining the monetary advantages or financial incentives to fostering children. It also does a great job at explaining the various special needs categories or designations. Did you know that a child can be declared a special needs child and therefore generate additional money for their state and caregivers (courtesy of our federal government) by simply fitting into one of the following categories: (1) A child twelve years of age or older; (2) Being a member of a certain racial or ethnic group; (3) Has siblings or half-siblings; (4) Has a significant emotional tie with the foster parents where the child has resided with the foster parents for one or more years and separation would adversely affect the child's development if not adopted by them. If you find these "special needs" designations to be outrageously ridiculous, as I did, read this book. You will find many, many more hair raising facts. Now back to little Stephanie.
Renee Johnson, according to published reports, was arrested after Stephanie's lifeless body was found in a plastic bag placed by the curb with the other "trash." It takes a truly demented individual to have placed this child's dead body in a plastic bag and to sit her out like mere garbage. If Ms. Johnson was so cold and insensitive after death, one can just imagine what life with this heartless monster must have been like for Stephanie.
Published reports described 8-year-old Stephanie as "physically and mentally underdeveloped ... and weighed only 28 pounds." Yes, 28 lbs ... I know one-year-olds that weigh more than that! Where was the supervision of this child's care provider? I am willing to bet that because Stephanie's "care" provider was also a licensed caregiver/Registered Nurse, no one supervised nor questioned anything this woman said or did. I wonder if social workers even bothered to conduct home visits ... because, after all, she was in the nurturing and protective care of a loving, thoughtful, retired-registered nurse. If visits had been conducted, someone would or should have noticed that Stephanie was wasting away. It appears that no one seems to care about the children in foster care just the money they generate. I believe Ms. Johnson's plan was to simply make Stephanie disappear like Rilya Wilson (see Children Missing Permanently or Temporarily While in the States Custody at www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/).
Ms. Johnson's next door neighbor feels that she nursed little Stephanie to life. I beg to differ ... it appears she nursed her to DEATH!
TMajor
www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/
NOTE: Besides being charged with "dumping a body," I wonder what other charges, if any, were brought against Ms. Johnson. It appears this case was simply swept under the rug -- I have been unable to locate any follow-up information. Maybe the records were sealed.
For more information on this story, click on the title above: Dead Foster Childs Body Dumped in the Trash. Also see http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-07-10-caretaker-charged_x.htm
If you believe that foster care should be reserved for children that are orphaned, or have TRULY been abandoned by their parents and ALL extended family members; If you believe that children in foster care should actually be victims of abuse and/or neglect, once proven by a judge and jury NOT a social worker with a God complex; If you believe in the Constitution and civil rights for all, no matter what their economic, social, or cultural group may be – Please sign the petitions referenced at www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/ (scroll down to Get Involved!!!). Thank you in advance for your participation!
Stephanie Ramos, an 8-year-old disabled child was placed in the "protective" custody of retired nurse, Renee Johnson. As a retired nurse, Ms. Johnson was trained to assess, monitor, evaluate, and to preserve life -- yet, she was unable to ensure that the child entrusted to her care received the appropriate intervention and/or emergency treatment which may have prevented her death. If unable to give little Stephanie the medical treatment she obviously needed, why keep her? Let me venture to guess ... it was for the money. Although most retired nurses are able to live comfortably off their retirement, perhaps this was not the case for Ms. Johnson. Without being able to work double shifts as a nurse, maybe she had a difficult time living within her budget and saw caring for children with special needs as a way to supplement her retirement income.
Foster children (I use this phrase reluctantly, as I have vowed to never refer to children involuntarily sucked into the black hole that is foster care as "foster children" ... but as foster care survivors) with disabilities are classified as "special needs." Unfortunately Stephanie Ramos, like so many other children in foster care, did not survive the experience -- she did not resurface from the abyss.
Children with "special needs" generate more household income for their care providers than children without disabilities. I just finished reading a book Remember Cynthia Rose by journalist Jeanne Sinclair-Krause. The book does an excellent job at explaining the monetary advantages or financial incentives to fostering children. It also does a great job at explaining the various special needs categories or designations. Did you know that a child can be declared a special needs child and therefore generate additional money for their state and caregivers (courtesy of our federal government) by simply fitting into one of the following categories: (1) A child twelve years of age or older; (2) Being a member of a certain racial or ethnic group; (3) Has siblings or half-siblings; (4) Has a significant emotional tie with the foster parents where the child has resided with the foster parents for one or more years and separation would adversely affect the child's development if not adopted by them. If you find these "special needs" designations to be outrageously ridiculous, as I did, read this book. You will find many, many more hair raising facts. Now back to little Stephanie.
Renee Johnson, according to published reports, was arrested after Stephanie's lifeless body was found in a plastic bag placed by the curb with the other "trash." It takes a truly demented individual to have placed this child's dead body in a plastic bag and to sit her out like mere garbage. If Ms. Johnson was so cold and insensitive after death, one can just imagine what life with this heartless monster must have been like for Stephanie.
Published reports described 8-year-old Stephanie as "physically and mentally underdeveloped ... and weighed only 28 pounds." Yes, 28 lbs ... I know one-year-olds that weigh more than that! Where was the supervision of this child's care provider? I am willing to bet that because Stephanie's "care" provider was also a licensed caregiver/Registered Nurse, no one supervised nor questioned anything this woman said or did. I wonder if social workers even bothered to conduct home visits ... because, after all, she was in the nurturing and protective care of a loving, thoughtful, retired-registered nurse. If visits had been conducted, someone would or should have noticed that Stephanie was wasting away. It appears that no one seems to care about the children in foster care just the money they generate. I believe Ms. Johnson's plan was to simply make Stephanie disappear like Rilya Wilson (see Children Missing Permanently or Temporarily While in the States Custody at www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/).
Ms. Johnson's next door neighbor feels that she nursed little Stephanie to life. I beg to differ ... it appears she nursed her to DEATH!
TMajor
www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/
NOTE: Besides being charged with "dumping a body," I wonder what other charges, if any, were brought against Ms. Johnson. It appears this case was simply swept under the rug -- I have been unable to locate any follow-up information. Maybe the records were sealed.
For more information on this story, click on the title above: Dead Foster Childs Body Dumped in the Trash. Also see http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-07-10-caretaker-charged_x.htm
If you believe that foster care should be reserved for children that are orphaned, or have TRULY been abandoned by their parents and ALL extended family members; If you believe that children in foster care should actually be victims of abuse and/or neglect, once proven by a judge and jury NOT a social worker with a God complex; If you believe in the Constitution and civil rights for all, no matter what their economic, social, or cultural group may be – Please sign the petitions referenced at www.squidoo.com/abolishcps/ (scroll down to Get Involved!!!). Thank you in advance for your participation!
posted by DCFSvictim | 1:13 AM
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