E-mail for March 18, 2004
A CALL FOR MINORITY PASTORS
Are you a pastor of a minority group congregation which has been targeted by Children's Protective Services.
Do you know of a pastor of a minority group which has been targeted by CPS?
If so, please call me immediately at 281-344-8878. I would like to talk with you about sharing your concerns at a press conference in Austin next Tuesday, March 23, 2004.
We are working with several other groups to bring to light special problems of how minorities are overrepresented in foster care. Tuesday's press conference precedes a hearing the next day of the Select Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care chaired by Representative Hupp. Wednesday's hearing specifically addresses barriers to adoption, specific to minority children.
Statistics show that nearly two-thirds of children in foster care are African-American or Hispanic.
Decisions to remove children are often very subjective based on an opinion of an under- trained and underpaid social worker. Removals affect children and families for a lifetime.
Children have been removed for neglect simply because their families may be going through a tough financial period. This especially affects minorities.
Once removed children are often placed on addictive psychiatric drugs often based on additional financial incentives for their caregivers.
Even though minorities often have strong family, church and neighborhood ties where known friends or relatives would willingly care for their children during an investigation, requests often fall on deaf ears of Children's Protective Services. Statistics show CPS prefers giving children to total strangers in foster care.
Statistics on foster care demonstrate a higher rate of abuse than the general population.
Tuesday's press conference could afford the right pastor an opportunity to air such grievances. As one of the groups organizing this press conference please contact us immediately if you would like to participate or know of a minority pastor we could contact.
Respectfully,
Peter Johnston
President
