Grafton Baby Dead: Should Massachusetts DCF Get MORE Funding?

Warning missed before Grafton baby’s death

According to  the Boston Globe article, Warning missed before Grafton baby’s death, “state lawmakers, said they hoped to add millions to the department’s budget to alleviate heavy caseloads faced by social services workers.”

Concealed in this article is  mismanagement, lack of accountability for ineffective and dangerous practices by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Grafton Police and neighbors  notified DCF–a 51A was filed by Grafton police– with concerns about the safety of Andrea Lavigne’s newborn , yet DCF did not act proactively or reactively; despite a history of child abuse.   Andrea Lavigne’s first child removed from the home  due to child abuse,  lived with a relative.

DCF  protocols  require outreach to high-risk families,  and  yet DCF did not reach out to Andrea Lavigne during pregnancy and after birth of her daughter. Her daughter is now dead at 4 weeks.  A history of  #childabuse increases future concerns of #childsafety  and risk of abuse.   Massachusetts DCF did not perf0rm its basic functions in this case, more funding is not the solution.  The problem is systemic and adaptive.

It appears  Massachusetts DCF government  is jawboning for more funds in using the recent  deaths of children in their care as evidence of being understaffed.     Tell me what government agency or business is not understaffed.  Understaffed and incompetence are two different things, the latter does not need more funding.   Quality does not have to suffer because a business is  understaffed.  Understaffed businesses do not overreach and overextend without resources.   How does DCF explain the exorbitant medical, legal and law enforcement price tag  for  their mishandling of  the Justina Pelletier’s case?   DCF does not have to;  DCF is unaccountable to us tax payers…or so DCF thinks.

Finally, incompetence should not be rewarded with more funding but rather better training and choice of social workers.

DCF is undeserving of  more funding but in dire need of effective management. Doling out money with the same old plans packaged differently will lead us back to larger problems.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Our Failure to Listen leads to more spending and repeated mistakes  over and over again…When will we learn more money is not always the solution.

Related Stories and Resources:

1. Justina Pelletier – Resource of Online Information 

2.   No Child Abuse Yet Massachusetts Keeps Child