Society’s Role in a Child’s Death

Regarding the article on Sept. 30, “Probe Finds Caseworkers Blameless in Child’s Death.”

In acknowledging the long work hours and heavy caseloads of the social workers involved in the difficult job of protective custody issues and child placement concerns, most jobs throughout America are the same. It does not matter what your profession is from banker to doctor or manager of a department store, there are never enough work hours in the day to accomplish all the tasks at hand. However, I feel compelled to say that this excuse is not acceptable, especially regarding a 2-year-old girl named Joselyn Hernandez.

The hospital and social workers were given a wonderful chance to get their jobs done when Joselyn arrived at the emergency care facility at 6 weeks old with broken legs, cracked ribs and burns on her hands and feet. After the doctors and nurses did their job of administering medical treatment to her, the social workers decided that Joselyn would be better off living with her grandmother. I applaud you, this was a good idea. However, the grandmother died shortly thereafter, and it was determined [that] after taking a parenting course, the parents were now much more qualified to raise their precious daughter.

Within two years Joselyn was dead. Hello, is there anyone out there who is willing to believe the Department of Social Services’ pathetic excuse for their own negligence? This was not one of their 18,000 calls involving allegations of child abuse, this was fact.

At this point it is useless to worry about who killed Joselyn. I realize that the police only have circumstantial evidence. What concerns me, is how it happened.

KRISTIE RICHARD-ELZINGA

Oxnard

* This letter is to commend The Times for articles such as the one on Sept. 30 by Fred Alvarez titled “Probe Finds Caseworkers Blameless in Child’s Death.”

This article exposed what can happen to an innocent child through inadequacies in the Department of Social Services and the Superior and juvenile courts.

It is journalism such as Mr. Alvarez’s article that brings these issues into much-needed public focus.

BONNIE GUTZMANN

Simi Valley