We Fight For The Rights Of Children

Getting It Right Awareness Campaign

Legislative Agenda 2008-2009

Hearing a child’s words:

Lobby for mandated video taping of all child abuse interviews within the investigation process. (Currently there is no law that states whether or not to tape interviews with children.) A child’s word must be heard, not the words of a social worker or law enforcement, children have a voice.

Preserving the evidence:

Preserving a child’s physical evidence in a child sexual abuse case keeping it from being destroyed by law enforcement before the criminal statute of limitations have ran out. (Currently our law does not state how long evidence shall be preserved , Wichita Police Department, according to their policy and procedures can destroy evidence after 2 years. (Statute of limitations in a child sexual abuse is 5 years and even longer under certain circumstances for a child under the age of 14. "such as the age of the child" or "if the child was prevented from telling".

Removing children from the care of Parents by law enforcement:

Amend current statute on the removal of a child/children from the home of a parent/parents. (Currently Kansas law states a child can be removed from the care of their parent on probable cause, the statute needs to be defined, we want children protected from abuse, but we don’t want the abuse of power that sometimes occurs when law enforcement removes a child/children.

Lobby for the Protective Parent Act

This area seems to not get addressed enough, too many protective parents are losing custody of their child/children after abuse has been disclosed. Children tell, evidence shows and still family and juvenile courts are taking the custody away from the protective parent and giving custody to the abusive parent. Whether you are mom or dad, both sides have seen the destruction within these courts and it must be addressed.

Keeping Children Safe and Families Strong

ACRA-A Child’s Rights Association

Hello Everyone!

A New Legislative Session is upon us, this means it's time to go to work on our state reps and senators, representative Mike O'Neal is trying to win the position for speaker of the house, we must get behind him and support his efforts to win this position, we as advocates need him.
Contact your state senator and state rep and tell them you want Mike O'Neal for speaker of the house.
ACRA is needing your help, please become a member of ACRA or make a donation, the funds from memberships and donations will fund the operating costs to continue the fight to expose the truth about what is happening within juvenile and family courts, and to lobby in Topeka on behalf of children and families, there are laws we will present that will help reduce the victimization of children and families across Kansas and even right here in our own backyards.

Author Talia Carner Writes
“There is something bad happening to our children in family courts today that is causing them more harm than drugs, more harm than crime and even more harm than child molestation,” said Judge Watson L. White from Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court.
In researching for my book, Puppet Child, I discovered that “something bad” to be the judges, especially when it comes to adjudicating allegations of child sexual abuse.
This is happening in juvenile courts as well , it's not just about the sexual abuse of children, it is about getting it right, children are being removed from perfectly safe homes while other children are being forced to live with abuse everyday.

IT'S ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT!
Couple weeks ago I court watched on a case where Dad is trying to protect his children, I was so mad by the time I left I didn't leave the courtroom so quietly. When the judge ruled that this father would have NO CONTACT with his 3 children it broke my heart, the judge just violated the rights of these children and father, this father is not a danger to his children and the judge punished these children. I yelled out OHHH NOOO, then I stood up and started to walk out and then I said out loud so all the courtroom could here,

"What about

Daytona

Robertson?"

You allowed

her to die.

Then I came home and wrote a letter to the judge and he responded and now he knows that the courtrooms have the presence of ACRA, people are watching and documenting cases so we can address the issues, we must watch what these judges do. They have the ultimate say in a child's life and the child's life is in their hands.

They have jurisdiction, we as parents don't.

Some of ACRA'S accomplishments are listed below
I personally spearheaded the lobbying efforts for Jessica's Law in 2005, my daughter and I both testified on behalf of this bill along with Mark Lundsford, little Jessica Lunsfords dad, Jessica was murdered by a pedophile, this animal buried this little 9 year old old girl alive, how could something like this happen, it made me so upset that I decided to do something about it and got Jessica's Law passed here for Jessica Lundsford, for a little girl who didn't deserve to die.

In 2005 myself and one of ACRA'S members "Marlene Jones" kept contacting state reps and senators about Kansas not being in compliance with CAPTA and Keeping Children and Families Safe Act. In 2006 Kansas legislators amended and clarified state statutes pertaining to child in need of care statutes. Like for instance that you are entitled to a hearing within 72 hrs after law enforcement removes your child, law enforcement was having their own 72 hrs and then the srs having their 72 hrs made it 144 hrs before a hearing. It is in clear violation of the law, and now it is stated 72 hr hearing must be held. Above is just one of the many changes.

In 2007 a detective from EMCU resigned after I and a mother made a complaint to the Chief of Police, this detective was and is a bad apple in the basket, we could not allow him to continue to wear a badge to protect and serve the people of Wichita. Especially the most vulnerable, "the children."

In 2008 members of ACRA exposed Don Jordan stating that social workers are being bullied, this story broke first in the paper and then on KSN News, Marlene, Nancy, Stacie, Susan, and ACRA wrote the Attorney General a letter requesting a criminal investigation and of course that didn't happen, but what did happen was that Marlene got Senator Schodorf and Representative Mike O'Neal involved and now there will be an audit, the audit is not what ACRA wanted, we want a criminal investigation, but at least the audit keeps it out there for a bit but we must keep pushing forward to a criminal investigation.
Above are just a few accomplishments, but there is so much more to do that is why we need your help to fight for the rights of children and families, with your help we can make a difference and ensure that the rights of children and families are protected.
Please become a member or make a donation today!
www.achildsrights.com

Click on Donate and then use pay pal or you can send it via regular mail attached is a copy of the membership form and also ACRA's agenda for 2008-2009
Please tell everyone you know about ACRA and encourage them to become members or to make a donation so we can continue to our fight.
Thank you for supporting ACRA'S efforts!
Some receiving this email are already members of ACRA, please pass this on to everyone you know and let them know you are members and you would like to see them become a member.

--
Donna Roberts
www.achildsrights.com