The Department of Social Services (DSS) in every state oversees all child abuse cases and foster care. The DSS is charged with the protection of children and therefore have a fiduciary responsibility to be in the forefront of reform. However, the Massachusetts DSS has, despite support from dozens of other Massachusetts organizations, as well as legislators, activists and voters, rejected all proposed laws to abolish corporal punishment of children, even hitting and disciplining children with hot-sauce as young as less-than-one year! Ironically, the Massachusetts DSS is standing in the way of legal reform to protect children! Every adult is responsible for the protection of children. "We are not only responsible for what we do, but also, for that what we don't do." -Voltaire The worst way you can choose is to choose no way at all." -Friedrich II To remain silent about the DSS failure to protect children is to be complicit. Massachusetts' citizens need to remind DSS of their fiduciary responsibility and first priority is protecting children and stopping all forms of child abuse. Studies show that approximately half of all child abuse cases in Massachusetts are the result of 'legal corporal punishment.' About 2,000 children die and nearly 150,000 children are injured in the US each year from 'legal corporal punishment.' Massachusetts citizens need to contact, DSS Commissioner Harry Spence, at harry.spence@state.ma.us with a Copy to the Boston Globe at letter@globe.com. As well as calling DSS at: (617) 748-2000 or (617) 748-2329. The time is past due for those who are mandated to protect children to become proactive in abolishing abuse, and not wait until after a child is injured or dead. |
