COMMENTARY | Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters completed his investigation into the role the county Job and Family Services (JFS) agency played in the death of Demarcus Jackson. Although he found nothing in their records demonstrating illegal action, he had the good sense to note changes in existing child welfare laws are necessary. Hopefully the suggestion to review the agency's procedures when determining child placement do not fall on deaf ears. Jackson was the third child who died violently in the past year while under the supervision of the county social services agency.
Jackson was entirely safe in the foster home where he had lived since he was just a few days old with his four siblings. While being arrested after her child's death, Latricia Jackson asked police officers if the toddler's death meant the other children would be removed from the home, because she would then lose the government checks she collected for their care.
Less than two months after the JFS knuckled under to the recommendations of court appointed Guardian Ad Litem Marianne Ford, the child was stomped to death. His father is on trial for his murder and his mother jailed on related child endangerment charges. Hamilton County JFS asked the court to permanently sever the parents' custodial rights in August.
According to court records the father and mother had not attended anger management, substance abuse and parenting classes as instructed. Yet, the agency did not issue a formal objection against the guardian's recommendation to return the five young children to the home. A case worker visited the day home the day before but was told Demarcus was not home. When examining the body the coroner found untreated burns to the hands and multiple lacerations throughout his body. If the case worker had insisted on seeing the toddler, he could still be alive today.
Thankfully Jackson and the two other Cincinnati area children may not have died in vain. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is taking a fresh look at Ohio's child welfare laws. The current federal and state mandate requires JFS agencies to reunite children with families when at all possible. The vaguely worded language can make it difficult to permanently sever parental rights, but should never replace common sense solutions. If DeWine is successful in updating the child welfare mandates, the best interest of the child would take priority over parental desires.
There are no comments yet