DC

 Child  Rights  Watch                        November  2010  

         
 
 

The Gerald The   DC   Child   Protection   Agency   (CFSA)   under   Di-­‐

rector   Gerald   and   James   Toscano   overlooked   child  
Administration abuse   and   neglect   in   the   wealthiest   Ward   3   (aver-­‐
age  income  over  $150,000),  released  CFSA  data  re-­‐
Overlooked Child vealed.      The  lack  of  protection  of  Ward  3  children  
occurred   during   the   Fenty   administration.   Ward   3  
Abuse and Neglect is  represented  by  Councilmember  Cheh.  
 
in Wealthy Ward 3 City-­‐wide   from   2007-­‐2009   only   55%   of   all   investi-­‐
(2007-2009) gated   cases   of   neglect   or   abuse   were   labeled   “un-­‐
founded”  (i.e.,  “no  abuse  or  neglect”  found).      In  con-­‐
trast  in  Ward  3,  that  number  jumped  to  80%  and  then  to  100%  in  2007  through  2009.      
 
The   spike   in  
CFSA’s   failing   to  
find   abuse   and  
neglect   cases   in  
Ward   3   directly  
correlates   with  
the   front   page  
news   political  
scandals   in  
2007,   by   the  
highly   publi-­‐
cized   Benita  
Jacks   case  
(Ward   8)   and  
the   Caplan   Fam-­‐
ily   case   (Ward  
3).     CFSA   ig-­‐
nored   the   Jacks  
3   children,   re-­‐
sulting  in  their  death,  while  they  took  the  Caplan’s  children  without  a  basis  in  fact  or  law.    
 
CFSA’s  failings  in  Ward  3  only  changed  after  public  interest  attorney,  Roy  Morris  testified  
before  the  DC  Council  Human  Service  Committee  in  May  2009,  exposing  that  CFSA  was  red-­‐
lining  Ward  3  children  –  and  failing  to  protect  them.  The  negative  repercussions  of  that  ear-­‐
lier  failure  continues  to  be  felt  today  with  children  who  were  overlooked  in  2009,  including  
a   seven   year   old   who   suffers   from   abuse,   neglect,   and   untreated   life   threatening   severe  
chronic  neutropenia  that  can  cause  “toxic  shock,  loss  of  limbs  or  loss  of  life.”  
 
Ward   3:   American   University   Park,   Berkley,   Cathedral   Heights,   Chevy   Chase,   Cleveland   Park,   Colony   Hill,   For-­‐
est   Hills,   Foxhall,   Friendship   Heights,   Glover   Park,   Kent,   Massachusetts   Heights,   McLean   Gardens,   North  
Cleveland   Park,   Observatory   Circle,   The   Palisades,   Potomac   Heights,   Spring   Valley,   Tenleytown,   Wakefield,  
Wesley  Heights,  Woodland-­‐Normanstone  Terrace,  Woodley  Park  .