BY JIMMY LAWTON

North Country This Week

An emailed letter read to St. Lawrence County legislators highlighted major ethical concerns regarding the Department of Social Services overseeing foster parents within the department.

Just two weeks earlier, legislators voted against a resolution aimed at curtailing real and perceived ethical concerns.

The letter was read by Dottie Spears, the biological grandmother of a child fostered by a Department of Social Services employee. Spears, an area native, is currently located in Tennessee. A recording of her reading the letter was played for the county legislators.

The letter was written by a DSS employee who is fostering Spears’ grandson and sent to the state appointed attorney of child.

In the email the DSS employee attempts to dissuade the child’s attorney from helping the grandmother gain custody of the child and disclosed that a DSS supervisor had shared sensitive information with her co-worker regarding a case.

Legislator Kevin Acres, R-Madrid, said he believed that the issue needs to be investigated as it appeared to be a clear violation of protocols.

 Acres took the lead on striking down a resolution that was aimed at ending the practice of DSS employees fostering children with oversight from their own department, but said that the letter seemed in contrast to what Interim DSS Director Heather Rand told legislators at the time that decision was made.

Acres said the legislators were assured that material of a sensitive nature was not shared between employees or DSS foster parents.

“What Dottie Spears referenced in her audio was a very specific email where the foster parent had reached out to the attorney (for the child) and made her fears known about what potential would happen if the child was removed from them. And actually indicated that the visitation supervisor had given this foster parent some information,” he said.

In the DSS employee’s email she tells the child’s attorney that she has concerns about her foster child’s biological grandmother taking custody of her own grandson.

The employee says that the child has formed a bond with his half-brother, who is also fostered by the DSS employee.

In the letter the DSS employee says that Spears was willing to take both children, but the case worker again attempts to persuade the child’s attorney against the idea.

“I am very aware that Grandma states that she would take (sibling) as well. However she has no relation to sibling, has had zero contact with him ever, and (sibling) has been with our family for over 2 years, forming a bond with us,” the caseworker writes. “It is my understanding that we now have legal standing with (sibling) and we have already started the adoption proceedings for him.”

She notes that she’s also hired an attorney to help her win custody over the biological grandmother.

The case worker further attempts to persuade the attorney using knowledge that she should not have, which is one of the many ethical concerns raised by those who oppose the practice of DSS employees fostering children.

“I have no idea if the visitation supervisor was supposed to tell me, but he voiced his concerns after returning the baby to me one day, that (biological father) told him that he’s not worried about the baby being moved to TN because his mother told him that when she gets placement of the baby, he will move down there and after 6 months she will just give him back the baby,” the case worker wrote.

Citizens Helping People in Distress Founder Courtney Fantone said the letter highlights exactly why St. Lawrence County needs to end the practice of allowing DSS employees who foster children to be overseen by the same department they work in.

“This case demonstrates exactly what we have been saying at CHILD, this is why it is improper for the employees of SLCDSS to be fostering the children of this county. This employee possesses intimate details of this case, details that no foster parent should know, and for good reason. We as a society have put these rules in place for a reason, individuals do not get to violate these rules (and in-turn the privacy of these families) just because they work for the Department of Social Services,” she said in a prepared statement.

Fantone explained her concerns further.

“The role of a foster parent is to temporarily care for a child that comes into care, with the expectation that the child may be returned to the biological family. As a foster parent, that is something that you have to come to terms with. However, this employee is actively advocating for this child not to go to his biological grandmother, and that is unacceptable,” she said. “In opposition of the unkind and accusatory statements made about this grandmother by this DSS employee, I can personally say that I have spoken to a caseworker in Tennessee who completed her home-study application, who shared that she had never seen such glowing recommendations in all of her years on the job as she did for this woman (Spears). It is clear from surveys and petitions that this county is opposed to the idea of DSS employees fostering, this is certainly an issue that needs to be revisited.”

Fantone was not the only one who was concerned about the letter read by Spears.

Acres asked that the county look into the matter, to which Administrator Ruth Doyle said “Will do.”