Earlier this year we reported that while Phoenix, Arizona has had the dubious distinction of being the #1 city in the U.S. for taking children away from their parents and placing them into state-funded foster care, that according to statistics published by the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (NCCPR), Philadelphia has now overtaken Phoenix as the top city in the U.S. having the highest percentage of the children being removed from homes and put into foster care.
Earlier this month (May, 2019), Philadelphia City Councilman David Oh presented testimony before the Philadelphia City Council regarding abuses in the state-run child protection services (DHS – Department of Human Services), and how they were continually breaking state law, while not admitting to any wrong-doing.
In fact, the councilman claimed that DHS “routinely and intentionally” violates state law.
“There is something wrong with DHS. The biggest problem I have with DHS, is that DHS tell us that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.”
He claims to be representing over 50 “not-at-fault” mothers who all have solid evidence of wrongdoing, and have approached other elected officials many times over the course of years, with no results. He states that they were:
“…never accused of doing anything wrong. They were never accused of being abusive or negligent.
“It was determined by DHS that the allegations were unfounded. Yet, they have been denied their children for years.
“Their children are being placed in multiple foster care situations where they are abused, they have run away, they’re depressed, they’re medicated, they’re sexually violated.
“And it continues.”
He goes on to explain that most of these mothers comply with everything DHS asks them to do to get their children back, and yet in most cases their children are adopted out.
During his testimony, Councilman David Oh states that “In the course of pursuing this…..”
And he then pauses for about 5 seconds, very obviously carefully considering just what exactly he wants to say next:
“There have been threats made, threats intimated, that there will be retaliation, that there will be political consequences – all types of threats.
“And I wonder why? Why is that, when all we are doing is our duty to provide an oversight to an administrative agency that is responsible for protecting children.
“Why the threat, why the problems?”
Child Sex Trafficking in Philadelphia?
Councilman Oh then concludes with some “horrendous” things he has seen reported to him.
“I have accumulated evidence in a particular case that I have sent to the Attorney General’s office, and the U.S. Attorney’s office.
“I have tried to give it to our District Attorney, and it is because DHS has placed a 5-year-old child who has been raped by a boyfriend, tried to place that child with the boyfriend, claiming to the judge that this was the paternal father, when that was not the paternal father.
“DHS then places the child with the girlfriend of that person.
“That 5-year-old child provided a medical report, corroborated by her ten-year-old brother, of two years of rape.
“And DHS determined that the case was unfounded. There’s no police investigation.
“That person, the rapist, is on the street.
“But DHS came into the grandmother’s home and took the third child without a court order. And that’s on video tape.
“No court order. They handed a piece of paper, and when it was opened after taking the child, in front of a police lieutenant and six police officers, that piece of paper was NOT a court order.
“Now the judge, receiving a document from DHS, signed an order that the grandmother is to have no interaction with her three grandchildren.
“And now, they have brought allegations against the grandmother, as being mentally ill.”
Councilman Oh concludes by saying: “DHS cannot investigate itself.”
Watch the full video of his testimony:
