should social services have done more?

Question

Couple Gets 2 Years in 'Caged Kids' Case
Thursday, February 15, 2007 6:34 PM EST
The Associated Press
By THOMAS J. SHEERAN

NORWALK, Ohio (AP) — A couple who forced some of their 11 adopted, special-needs children to sleep in wire-and-wood cages were sentenced to two years in prison Thursday, after the parents insisted they were only trying to keep the kids safe.

Two of the children, however, said in statements read in court that they were treated harshly while they lived with Sharen and Michael Gravelle. One wrote that they should be imprisoned "for as long as my siblings had to be in cages."

Sharen Gravelle told the court the children were never confined as punishment but rather to protect them, including a child who wanted to jump out a second-floor window.

"Would you prefer that we let them jump? Either way, we'd be here. The difference is they're still alive," she said in a tearful, 26-minute statement.

Gravelle blamed social services officials for not helping her and her husband, Michael, control the destructive behavior of some of the youngsters.
http://adelphia.net/news/read.php?ps=1011&id=13461215&_LT=HOME_LARSDCCLM_UNEWS

Answer 1

Yea adopt 11 kids then blame social services for not helping you control them.

How many people can control 2 or 3 kids let alone 11 kids... with special needs.

The blame on social services should be that they didn't stop these people from adopting 11 kids.

Answer 2

Social services has fallen into the political trap where ineffective people have taken over. Political appointments coupled with underfunding have created a monster that was intended to help and protect children. In most states the Children are left to fend for themselves while local officials wait until election time to really take any positive actions. There are More unwarranted investigations which only waste money than those that have merit. For people to be allowed to have 11 children is a prime example of the system breaking down. Even more evident is the failure of social services to follow up on adoptions with on site inspections.

Answer 3

both parties were wrong in this instance.
this is not how you treat cihldren-
but people who don't know/aren't trained to work with special needs children should be able to adopt them.

I think these people actually thought they were doing something right- and considering how bad some of these children's minds might have been its easy to think that the end justifiys the means.

I'm still very surprised that people with no backround on children that have been abused, have emotional problems, physical and mental disorders, and other things that make them differ from your everyday child -were allowed to adopt/foster these kids.

Answer 4

the social services system does a decent job considering that the average pay there is probably around 35,000 a year, could you find hard working diligent people to do that type of job for years wil on a 2-3% raise a year, please take off the rose colored glasses and understand the condition the social services system in the US is in