Activists fight to keep families together

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Activists and social workers rallied at an event held in the United University Church to keep families together and children out of foster homes. Christie Bertch has the story.

The task of protecting neglected and at risk children in L-A County is a difficult one. In recent months, the County Department of Child and Family Services has decided to change its strategy-working on protecting the children.

Social workers are often faced with difficult choices. Removing the child and placing the child in a foster family or keep the child with their biological family and helping them find economic assistance or in some cases, rehab.

Margaret Prescott of "Give Us Back Our Children" said the focus should be on keeping families together.

"Studies have shown that most children are far better off at home with their families then in foster care with strangers," Prescott said.

There have been recent cases of children who have been kept with their families and died from parent abuse. This has led DFCS to focus on protecting children rather than reuniting families.
The issue of child safety doesn't just center around physical harm. Sometimes, children are taken because of the conditions they live in.

"As a child, I remember being hungry," said one grandmother, "I don't think any child should be hungry. But when my grandmother who was a domestic worker in New York City traveled to Barbados with the plan to bring me to a better way of life, where at least I could get three meals a day, I first of all asked is my mother going, Mummy going? No. It's a kind of terror that happens."

A grandmother, "Sabreme" is raising her 11 month year old grandchild. She thinks the welfare system is flawed.

"A disabled mother, forcing to raise eight children on welfare and the traumatic effects it had on me and my children," she said."It is my opinion that the welfare system is broken."

USC School of Social work students shared documentaries demonstrating the pressing need to provide economic assistance to homeless families so they can stay together. The group, "Give Us Back Our Children," is going to keep fighting so that the county changes their policy.