Vargo-Heffner made these remarks during a Human Services Committee meeting at which Children, Youth and Families (CYF) was asked to explain their process after receiving complaints of abuse. Before that, Vargo-Heffner called a meeting of the Governance Committee to see if there was some way Council could shut down the unwashed masses from saying things that hurt her ears. Her own explanation? "Given that last month's meeting was very long due to public comment, I had questions about whether there was any flexibility, if there were any rules about that, and did we want to take a look at that as well as other matters that I've heard Council address at times about how we conduct our meetings." Fortunately, no changes were made to council's public comment policy.
It was actually Council member Ron Heckman who was so bothered by these allegations that he wanted to hear from CYF, but he unfortunately was sidelined.
Maria Torres, who administers Northampton County's CYF, did provide some clarification. The number of children who are in placement is 200. That's down from a high of 319 in 2021. Of the 200 children in placement, about 80 of them are in "kinship care," which means that the children are still in the hands of family members.
The top three referrals of child abuse or neglect come from schools, medical professionals and law enforcement. Once a complaint is received, the child is seen as soon as possible. The parents are seen within 72 hours.
A committee will decide whether allegations are serious enough to warrant placement, but no child is placed without first getting a court order. The primary concern of CYF is the child's safety.
All parents, regardless of ability to pay, are represented by legal counsel. They can obtain their own or a lawyer will be furnished by the county. All children are represented by a guardian ad litem.
According to Torres, once a child is placed, efforts are made to reunify the child with his or her family within 12-15 months.
22 comments:
I believe Heckman was once a child abuse caseworker for the county. am sure he wanted to have the agency clarify their procedures. I don't know why Hefner would be bothered by that. It is a very emotional subject and parents can vent if they want to at open mic.
Vargo is a menace and should resign.
Please leave Lori alone. She’s much too busy with CCAP and The Federation of Women of PA to not make such stupid unforced errors.
Look you have to give Lori credit. Her deal with John Brown to be Human Resource boss is going swimmingly.
This is the result of a good idea subject to abuse. Nobody could argue that getting a child out of a dangerous situation is a bad thing. However, the way it is done, with only a suspicion abuse by someone resulting in drastic action, followed by an investigation conducted "at the speed of government" is something that can be abused, and certainly has been. Like a PFA. You shoot first, ask questions later. In this case, too, drastic measures are taken after nothing more than an allegation, followed by a hearing 10 days later. It can be, and sometimes is, used as a weapon.
These are both examples of well-intended laws that can be abused. Does the good outweigh the bad? Maybe, but the "bad", the people who have been subjected to over-zealous "protection" are damaged without compensation of any kind.
Fargo-Heffner should be proud. She’s provided a tax cut for the largest warehouse in the Milky Way !
Yeah, Lori gave a LERTA to Pektor, so they could build a warehouse big enough to fit Becky Bradley’s ego in.
I would have more respect for LVH if she told these parents to their face that they were "somewhat slanderous." She waited till they were gone and then she tried to scale back public comment in a governance meeting and then called them slanderous at another meeting last week. That's pretty slimy on her part. She has been the subject of some unfair attacks for opposing McClure's agenda, but I will never vote for someone who thinks so poorly of the people she represents. By the way, I believe those parents were used by Pinsley and are probably largely wrong, but LVH should have told them to their faces.
"I believe Heckman was once a child abuse caseworker for the county. am sure he wanted to have the agency clarify their procedures. I don't know why Hefner would be bothered by that. It is a very emotional subject and parents can vent if they want to at open mic."
Yes, he was truly concerned by what these parents had to say. He wanted to hear from HS. This is where he stands out as a person and Council member. I criticize him frequently bc he talks too much, but he really does care about people. Unfortunately, he was sidelined, and LVH instead asked questions about irrelevant matters like complex cases instead of the concerns addressed by these parents. I'd like to know how many vacancies exist in CYF, but LVH chose not to go there. I'd like more detail on a decision to place the child and how due process is guaranteed. I was left unclear on due process prior to placement.
I think it is important to note who she is married to, and what he does for a living
Her husband is a lawyer who has specifically had cases **against** the families that spoke in front of her. She should resign
https://openpayrolls.com/michael-j-vargo-100212659
You should volunteer for the committee in Lehigh!
"I think it is important to note who she is married to, and what he does for a living
Her husband is a lawyer who has specifically had cases **against** the families that spoke in front of her. She should resign
https://openpayrolls.com/michael-j-vargo-100212659"
This is false. LVH is not married to Michael Vargo. His wife is a well-respected lawyer as well. I am unaware of any relationship between LVH and Michael, other than a common surname.
Maybe Vargo should look into a libel case against that poster.
point of clarification 8:31. After taking emergency custody, the detention hearing is within 72 hours. If the child is still detained (in State custody), then a full hearing in 10 days.
If the parent(s) signed the child into care instead of the County taking emergency custody, then a hearing in 30 days.
Shameful how Mclure and his little minions are attacking Hefner on your blog and social media. Even fakebook is loaded with their snarks. So much for no authoritarianism. The Keegan woman is another Zirinski. Next year McClure will have his own council, they are all McClure servants. Better vote republican.
Quite a group this council…the business of the county has been sidetracked by ego trips, self preservation, selfishness, and lack of respect and research.
As long as personal needs are placed above
County function, they will never function well as a governing body.
Ring leader of the gang that could not shoot straight. What a disappointment she has become as abuse of her powers is very evident now. Time for her to go away..asap!
Hey, @9:43 pm (aka Lori)... should a person involved with the Democratic Federation of Women encourage voting from the opposing party. If you are getting this advice from your brain trust, remind them that one of them works for a Democratic Senator and the other works on prominent Dem campaigns (like AOC). Would hate to see your shift to Republican tendencies take down your crew!
"Would hate to see your shift to Republican tendencies take down your crew!"
This is the thug like behavior that rules the county now Bernie. Your boy and his crew demean, attack and destroy any who get in their way. A favorite tactic is to get his little minions to believe that he and only he can define what a democrat is or isn't. They are too dull to understand that little Lamont is more republican that many republicans.
So now they threaten some very good people with how they may lose their jobs. Your boy, bowtie and Barron think they have power they don't. One day they will cross the line and threaten the wrong person. Then even JM won't be abler to saver him and his political ambitions.
"A committee will decide whether allegations are serious enough to warrant placement, but no child is placed without first getting a court order." -Maria Torres
Is this accurate? For instance....
A police officer can take emergency custody of a child and turn the child over to C&Y. C&Y can then place the child in foster care w/o a Court Order, but a detention hearing occurs within 72 hours.
For instance (and this used to happen almost daily) in Lehigh County. For a variety of reasons (and usually honest mistakes on the parent's part) a child isn't picked up at school. After school officials exhaust all efforts to contact family or emergency contacts, they call the Allentown Police to take emergency custody. Allentown Police then transports the child to Lehigh County C&Y and transfers custody of the child(ren) to the county. An Assigned caseworker will make all efforts to try locate a parent or responsible family to care for the child, including but not limited to, driving the child(ren) to their house, parent's work or other known addresses to access the situation. Most of the time, there was a lack of communication between the caretakers about who was supposed to pick up the child (ren) that day and the children are returned to the parents. However, on rare occasions, the caseworker finds the home in deplorable conditions and the parent is severely under the influence and unable to adequately care for the child...or even worse things are happening.
On these occasions , the caseworker would find an appropriate foster or kinship care home and give notice to the parents of the 72 hr.Detention hearing.
This is just one of many scenarios in which a child is placed into emergency care without a Court Order. Granted, this is the policy in Lehigh County, but I can't imagine that Northampton County doesn't experience similar situations and if they are often contacting a Judge after hours for a County Court Order, that would get shut down real quickly.
Sounds like Lori herself cmmenting.
"However, on rare occasions, the caseworker finds the home in deplorable conditions and the parent is severely under the influence and unable to adequately care for the child...or even worse things are happening."
For instance, one time, I was the assigned caseworker to drive an elementary school aged child home after not being picked up at school. Upon arrival at the home, an older sibling ran out to the porch with a steak knife and said to me, "My dad is on drugs again and beating up my mom. If he doesn't stop, I'm going to kill him". I asked him to put the knife down and called the police. Both parents ended up being arrested for various reasons and both kids were placed in a kinship care foster home pending the detention hearing.
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