LA Foster Care Workers Take Donations Intended For Children

JWBear · 11-12-2007, 10:22 AM

Quote:

In their latest report, auditors singled out the purchase of 160 tickets in July to see the hit musical "Wicked" as part of a $14,000 gala event for foster children and their mentors.

Only 53 children and roughly the same number of mentors were given tickets. The rest went to department employees and their relatives and guests, along with unidentified "potential mentors" and a number of employees of not-for-profit organizations, auditors wrote.

What low-lifes! I hope they all get fired!

BarTopDancer · 11-12-2007, 11:36 AM

Oh that makes me sick

€uroMeinke · 11-12-2007, 11:45 AM

I don't know, maybe more people would be willing to help out foster kids if they could get free tickets out of the deal. Charities often offer "premiums" how is this any different?

wendybeth · 11-12-2007, 11:57 AM

The tickets are intended for the kids and their foster care providers, not the case workers and office staff. At least, that's what I got out of the article. They really are stealing from kids, and they are the ones appointed to help them.

Morrigoon · 11-12-2007, 12:02 PM

Doesn't show if they were first offered the tickets and only got a few takers though.

But that only applies to Wicked... I see they had other abuses as well involving gift cards. B*stards.

wendybeth · 11-12-2007, 12:07 PM

Even if they did, the tickets were not theirs to take. (Somehow, I doubt that is the scenario in this case, and what about the money?) People who work for state agencies have to really watch for any appearances of impropriety and misuse of public assets. Those tickets were donated for a specific reason, and they were not used as intended. This sort of thing might inhibit future donations, so it's more than just diversion or petty theft in the long run.

BarTopDancer · 11-12-2007, 12:20 PM

With the quantity involved, it sounds like the tickets were meant for a field trip, not incentive to donate or volunteer. And if they were incentive to donate or volunteer then they still shouldn't have gone to employees, relatives or potential anything.

Just another reason why the foster care system is screwed up

€uroMeinke · 11-12-2007, 12:24 PM

Really, we should just ship the kids to Russia or China where they stand a better chance of being placed.

Morrigoon · 11-12-2007, 12:44 PM

ouch.

BarTopDancer · 11-12-2007, 12:48 PM

Sadly he has a point (not that I am saying we should).

It is easier to adopt from overseas then it is from the US. And there is less risk of the birth parents fighting it/wanting their kid back.

On an interesting side-note, one of our VPs adopted a child from here (OC, CA) last month. He lives in England. He said it was easier to adopt from the US then from the UK. They were out here for a month handling paperwork (it wasn't supposed to be a month but the fires put a kink in the schedule).

11-12-2007, 11:36 AM	#2
BarTopDancer Prepping... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here, there, everywhere Posts: 11,405	Oh that makes me sick __________________ Spork is the new MacGyver Postcards From My Edge
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11-12-2007, 11:45 AM	#3
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	I don't know, maybe more people would be willing to help out foster kids if they could get free tickets out of the deal. Charities often offer "premiums" how is this any different? __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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11-12-2007, 11:57 AM	#4
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	The tickets are intended for the kids and their foster care providers, not the case workers and office staff. At least, that's what I got out of the article. They really are stealing from kids, and they are the ones appointed to help them. __________________
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2007, 12:02 PM	#5
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	Doesn't show if they were first offered the tickets and only got a few takers though. But that only applies to Wicked... I see they had other abuses as well involving gift cards. B*stards. __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
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11-12-2007, 12:07 PM	#6
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Even if they did, the tickets were not theirs to take. (Somehow, I doubt that is the scenario in this case, and what about the money?) People who work for state agencies have to really watch for any appearances of impropriety and misuse of public assets. Those tickets were donated for a specific reason, and they were not used as intended. This sort of thing might inhibit future donations, so it's more than just diversion or petty theft in the long run. __________________
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2007, 12:20 PM	#7
BarTopDancer Prepping... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here, there, everywhere Posts: 11,405	With the quantity involved, it sounds like the tickets were meant for a field trip, not incentive to donate or volunteer. And if they were incentive to donate or volunteer then they still shouldn't have gone to employees, relatives or potential anything. Just another reason why the foster care system is screwed up __________________ Spork is the new MacGyver Postcards From My Edge
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2007, 12:24 PM	#8
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	Really, we should just ship the kids to Russia or China where they stand a better chance of being placed. __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2007, 12:44 PM	#9
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	ouch. __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2007, 12:48 PM	#10
BarTopDancer Prepping... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here, there, everywhere Posts: 11,405	Sadly he has a point (not that I am saying we should). It is easier to adopt from overseas then it is from the US. And there is less risk of the birth parents fighting it/wanting their kid back. On an interesting side-note, one of our VPs adopted a child from here (OC, CA) last month. He lives in England. He said it was easier to adopt from the US then from the UK. They were out here for a month handling paperwork (it wasn't supposed to be a month but the fires put a kink in the schedule). __________________ Spork is the new MacGyver Postcards From My Edge
	Submit to Quotes