Beating Death of 2-Year-Old

Re “A Child Dies, and Legal System is Blamed,” April 28:

I was horrified to read your front-page article on the death of Lance Helms. A year ago I was attending a Bible study at which his aunt, Ayn Helms, was a regular participant. Our little group would close each week in prayer: Our concerns varied; Ayn’s were always the same. She prayed for Lance’s safety and well-being, and for wisdom in her own course of action. Her love for the child was immeasurable.

TOM HOUG

South Pasadena

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The California Chapter of the National Assn. of Social Workers (NASW) is saddened and disturbed by the death of Lance Helms. A professional social worker’s recommendations did not prevail in a situation in which there appeared to be great risk to a small child.

Increasingly over the past few years, the skill and expertise of professional social workers in evaluating the risk of abuse to a child are being challenged, disregarded or downplayed. The challenges to the social worker’s recommendations are often procedural and deny the most important aspect of the case, the social worker’s assessment of risk to the child.

Several bills have been introduced in the state Legislature that would, among other things, reduce social worker immunity in child abuse cases (AB 1355) and introduce burdensome and unnecessary evidence requirements (SB 86). NASW urges judges, referees, lawyers and others in the juvenile dependency court system to give a professional social worker’s risk assessment the highest consideration. NASW urges the state Legislature to vote against any legislation that would intimidate or burden a social worker in his or her assessment of risk in a case.

JANLEE WONG, Executive Director

National Assn. of Social Workers

California Chapter, Sacramento

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L.A. County has so underfunded its Department of Children’s Services that it cannot fill vacancies, let alone hire desperately needed children’s social workers. More tax dollars spent there will immediately save children’s lives and reduce injuries. Someone must speak for these children while there is still time.

LAWRENCE F. CARLSON

Los Angeles

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Sheriff Sherman Block, as chairman of the county’s Interagency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, has called for training of judges assigned to the child dependency court (April 29). Block also said there was a need for attorney training, “so they don’t walk into these courts with a law degree and not much else.” As a lawyer for 20 years, including four years as a federal prosecutor, and as a practicing lawyer in the dependency court who has been appointed by the court for 13 years to represent abused and neglected children, allow me to make some observations.

A completely fail-safe system is not possible, but of course, risks can be minimized. “Databases” will be of marginal use unless experienced, skilled, committed lawyers are in place to represent children. Court-appointed lawyers are currently paid an inadequate hourly rate to represent children, and there is now a proposal being advanced to pay lawyers a total flat fee of $400 to represent children. Think about it: $400 to represent a child for probably two years, often five to six years. Is that what you’d want for your child?

JOHN P. NEWMAN

Beverly Hills