Casa Pacifica Accuses County of Using It as Scapegoat

Reeling from a barrage of criticism, directors of the Casa Pacifica shelter for abused children demanded Thursday that county officials reaffirm their support for the nonprofit facility or the directors will turn it over to the county to run.

In a scathing letter to the county Board of Supervisors, Casa Pacifica directors accused the county of “allowing us to serve as a high-profile scapegoat for the ills of the county’s entire child welfare system.”

Shelter directors accused county officials of failing to come to Casa Pacifica’s defense as the facility has been hammered the past week by state inspectors and the Ventura County Grand Jury.

State officials said last week they are seeking to revoke the facility’s license, but will give operators the opportunity to develop a corrective plan.

The state’s action came only one day after the grand jury report stated Casa Pacifica was a “recipe for disaster” because it has not been designed, funded or regulated appropriately since it opened in July 1994.

Absent a “swift and loud” statement of support from county supervisors, the county should expect “the demise of our partnership,” the letter said. “We are prepared to dissolve the private side of this partnership and turn all of our operations over to the public sector.”

Supervisor Susan Lacey, who also sits on the Casa Pacifica board, said most county supervisors will offer just the type of support Casa Pacifica directors are seeking.

“I think the Board of Supervisors will say that we agree with them and we are prepared to join them,” Lacey said. “We need to reaffirm our support, because there is a lot at stake here. Casa Pacifica has been providing a safe and nurturing place for children. The Casa Pacifica board and many other volunteers have gone out and raised private money. And we need to say we join them in that commitment.”

At its Tuesday meeting, the county board is expected to back a request by Supervisor John Flynn, who wants to form a special committee composed of Lacey and Supervisor Judy Mikels that would aggressively back Casa Pacifica while addressing past problems at the center and in county children’s services overall.

“It is important that the board, as policymakers, express strong support for this system and its members,” Flynn said Thursday in a letter to supervisors.

Flynn noted, nonetheless, that a “lack of communication and coordination of efforts has led to difficulties” at Casa Pacifica, which opened with much fanfare and millions of dollars in private contributions in 1994.

“Especially recently, such difficulties have arisen and threatened the unity and cooperation of all parties involved in the system of care,” Flynn said.

Supervisor Frank Schillo has been the harshest critic of Casa Pacifica management. The other four supervisors have expressed some support.

“I would say that John Flynn and Kathy Long have made very strong and supportive comments and Judy Mikels has been out to see Casa Pacifica twice and has really made an attempt to understand what the system would be like without Casa Pacifica,” Lacey said. “I don’t think Mr. Schillo has ever been to Casa Pacifica and reviewed what it’s supposed to be doing.”

Schillo said late Thursday there is no partnership between the county and the facility, though 328 children were placed in Casa Pacifica’s shelter program last year after being removed from their homes under court order due to neglect and abuse.

The shelter receives 15% of its funding, or $700,000, from the county and has room for up to 50 children at one time. “This is a threat that I shouldn’t be critical of what they’re doing,” Schillo said. “I don’t believe there is a partnership--there is a contract between the two.”

The Casa Pacifica board, which includes two judges, two attorneys, a county supervisor, a superintendent of public education, business owners and corporate and civic leaders, has the power to improve the facility, Schillo said.

“But my intelligence tells me that all I’ve been getting is a lot of talk and no action on the part of the board,” he said. “They keep saying they’re working to make it better but have not sent me one scrap of paper that shows that at all.”

If Casa Pacifica were to turn the facility over to the public, the county would need to find another contractor, Schillo said.

“The state is driving this and will close them if they don’t make appropriate changes,” Schillo said. “So it might not even be Casa Pacifica deciding to close, it might be the state deciding to close Casa Pacifica.”

Casa Pacifica officials stated unless there is a sign of renewed commitment “the dream of Casa Pacifica will disappear into a nightmare of allegations.”

The idea of Casa Pacifica began more than 10 years ago, with the county and community working together to raise money for the project.

“More than ever, we need their verbal commitment now,” said Bill Kearney, president of the shelter’s board of directors. “The press has been misreading a lot of what’s been going on and we feel we’ve been left out by ourselves. We’d like the county to speak for themselves and not have disgruntled social workers as their spokesman.

“If the county refuses, it’s obvious they don’t need the private sector,” Kearney said. “And if they don’t want us or need our help, that’s fine.”

Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) said she was “a little surprised” by the letter.

“I think the support of the board is still there,” Wright said. “But they have to look at their funding source, which is partly from the private sector.”

If the public sees any waffling from the board, donations will be cut off, Wright said, adding that the state’s investigation was flawed.

“If you analyze what some of the charges were against Casa Pacifica from the state, you’ll find out the state added charges and incidents no one knew anything about,” she said. “I think it was just a witch hunt as far as I’m concerned.”