HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.4.2024 Board Correspondence - FW_ Bringing families home and child welfare..ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:BOS; Boston, Shelby
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Bringing families home and child welfare.
Date:Monday, December 9, 2024 4:51:31 PM
Please see Board Correspondence -
From: Shawn Cash <shawnp.cash@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 11:28 AM
To: Mittag, Penny <PMittag@buttecounty.net>
Cc: Boston, Shelby <sboston@buttecounty.net>; Clerk of the Board
<clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>; Corrales, Humberto <HCorrales@buttecounty.net>;
housing@dss.ca.gov; piar@dss.ca.gov; Charlene Strang <charlenestrang.CS@gmail.com>;
Jill@harrisconsumerlaw.com
Subject: Re: Bringing families home and child welfare.
Shelby Boston Director Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services.
Penny Mattig, Assistant Director Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services
First just let me say that I find your arguments insulting in our matters. Just to clear up Charlene's
letter to Mrs. Shelby Boston on December 2, 2024. Mrs. Megan Zeller has been amazing, she has
taken a real interest in helping those that are in a precarious situation as ourselves. When Charlene
first started working with Megan it seemed like Megan did not know the limits of what her job
entailed, or how far she could go to help. I had researched the Bringing Families Home program, and
had been studying the All Counties Welfare Director Letter (ACWDL) dated February 11, 2022.
Starting on page 15 it states that "Pursuant to WIC 16523.1 (c)(2)(A) Grantees (that's the
department) must conduct an assessment of each families housing and service needsincluding a plan
to assist them in meeting those needs, using an assessment tool developed in the local community, or
an assessment tool used in other jurisdictions." It goes on to state that "Programs may not allow
individual case managers to determine prioritization on a case by case basis. It is critical that
assessment and prioritization criteria are consistent, and not subject to the bias of an individual case
manager, or staff."
Please refer to your ACWDL Dated Feb, 11 2022 page 12 under REQUIRED SERVICE COMPONENTS
that in order to recieve federal funding for the Bringing Families Home program "Grantees operation
a BFH program must provide housing related supports directly to program participants, or through a
contracted partner, as applicable. Housing related supports available to participating families shall
include, but not be limited to, housing related case management, housing navigation, housing related
direct financial assistance, and housing stabilization services." So as you state in your letter WIC
section 16523.1 (b) does not create an entitlement to housing related services for the general public,
the words shall and must creates an entitlement to program participants with children in the
dependency scheme. I would appreciate if you would quit throwing nefarious, out of context
statutes at me and start doing your job. It will help your Department in the long run.
When You argue that the Department has helped us with $17,311.40 of our bills since the
department has detained our children. I would like you to investigate the entire case file starting at
the beginning of these cases. I think your outlook on these matters might change. I do agree with
you that in your court of law where the judge is so used to working with your department on a daily
basis that she just does whatever county counsel tells her to do, and we are at a disadvantage due to
them being bifurcated proceedings, but as we both know the United States Supreme Court has no
interest on what the County Child Welfare Departments deems the process is for gaining federal
funding may be. They are interested in what the law states, and if County Departments are
committing a miscarriage of Justice in their operations to procure such funding. when I look at these
cases I bide my time, and bite my tongue because I was taught long ago from a wise old man that for
months a bird will fly down and eat ants all day thinking he is just on top of the world, but there will
come a day when the bird falls over, and it's the ants turn to eat the bird. He also taught me that
humankind is so blind to the natural order of the world, and so set on their own destruction that
they will cut down one tree to make a million matches, knowing full well that one match can kill a
million trees. Those are the two most proper statements when it comes to this department, and
their actions. You see when you as the assistant director are asked to review what the department is
willing to provide to help this family, you go straight to where you can save the most money for the
department. Knowing full well that this department was put into place to help people in mine and
Mrs. Strang's position to become self-reliant, and not have to depend on the government for a
helping hand. So I invite you to go back in time with me and maybe you can do a new workup of your
mathematics.
On November 18, 2021 myself, and Mrs. Strang got married, we prayed and prayed for another
child, a sister for Annabella to be raised with. Charlene had just licensed her business, "Crochet
Charlene and things", and I was putting together a business where I was going to be purchasing 40
acre parcels of land and putting a big barn style his and hers restrooms, with 20 commodes, and 20
showers each and 240 remodeled tuff sheds for housing for 2 people each unit, at a daily rent of
$10.00 per day for homeless persons. ($5.00 per person). I sent this plan to the board of supervisors
in November of 2020, with them opening the pallet shelters in April, 2022. Over the next year I went
and pitched my idea to the Board of Supervisors in Bend Oregon, and various other places. Around
March 2022 I procured 4 angel investors interested in funding my business, and was in the process
of licensing my business to be able to accept a $2,000,000 investment for the first of many "Rocky
Times Campgrounds" to be built on old property located at the end of Fair Street belonging to the
McGowan Faye Family trust. This business was to generate a revenue of $72,000 per month with a
net profit of $30,000 per month, and take 480 people off of Chico streets, bringing business back to
downtown, cleaning up the trash off the streets with 2 40 yard dumpsters for the homeless to use,
and being low impact to any neighboring communities, as it is mainly commercial businesses at that
end of fair street from United Rentals to Comanchee Creek. At the same time Charlene was just
beginning to buy Storage units at auction and sell the contents of them on her online store
mentioned prior. That could have very well paid our rent for almost any apartment we could find.
But then the Department of Employment and Social Services decided to illegally kidnap our children.
At such time we both disregarded our business dealings, to attempt to restore our family we had
prayed so hard for and GOD HAD PROVIDED.
On 09/07/2022 our prayers had been answered. We had another baby girl, Beautiful as could
be, looks just like her mother, and as we have come to find out just as smart as her father. She was
born healthy, had no genetic disproportions like her parents, her mother having ADHD, and her
father having Epilepsy. She was just what we prayed for. Although on 09/09/2022 a social worker for
the Department decided that she had better step in because Under California law then "an infant
born and identified as being affected by substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from
prenatal drug exposure, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is defined as an infant for whom
substance exposure is indicated at birth, and a subsequent assessment identifies indicators of risk
that may affect the infants health and safety". DSS All County Letter No. 17-92
Well isn't it a good thing that Elizabeth was born and diagnosed as Asymptomatic (Having no
symptoms) and was ordered to be released home with her parents by her M.D. on 09/09/2022 at
9:26 am even after a registered nurse had completed an "assessment of the needs"? Otherwise she
would have had to have a "plan of safe care" done as set forth in Division 31-100 of the Child
Welfare Manual of Policies and Procedures. Social workers should be trained in the position that
they carry, especially when they are held in such high regard as being able to detain children from
their rightful families, and break up a natural family costing the Federal Government lots of money
to protect said children from the harm of their parents. Obviously the Butte County Department of
Employment and Social Services do not believe in training their social workers. Otherwise the Social
Workers would have known that according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services
"Drug Testing in Child Welfare: Practice and Policy Considerations (publication 10-4556)
states: "Immunoassay technologies have become less expensive, provide rapid results and are
sufficiently sensitive to detect targeted drugs, their metabolites, or both. However chemical reactions
that occur during this process can make it difficult to distinguish a given drug from other drugs, such
as prescription drugs with a similar chemical structure. for example some over-the- counter
medications (e.g., psudo-ephedrine and ephedrine) (including ADHD medications such as Adderall,
and Desoxn) have chemical structures very similar to amphetamine metabolites, and therefore may
cross react and cause a positive amphetamine screen result." It then goes on to state that: "When
child welfare agencies present drug test results in court that could result in serious consequences for
the parent and his or her children (such as requiring substance abuse treatment for the parent, or
removal of the children from the parents custody) agencies shall perform confirmatory instrument
testing to ensure the drug test's accuracy. Test results used in case decisions require the greatest
accuracy possible". Or you would at least think that Social Workers would be trained to know that
pursuant to Family Code 3041.5 (which gives judges authorization for pre-jurisdiction drug testing)
that even a judge must have a preponderance of the evidence that there is unlawful, habitual,
ongoing substance abuse in the home? That begs the question: what is the harm that the natural
parents presented anyways that warranted the removal of Elizabeth from the custody of her
parents? The social workers claim that mother used methamphetamines 2 days prior to birth, yet
they have no evidence of this, they have a presumptive positive hospital drug screen that they failed
to ever order a confirmatory test done on it, so therefore should have never been presented to a
court of law. They claim mother acknowledged using multiple other times throughout her
pregnancy, even though that was perjury evidenced when they placed in the 6 month and 12 month
review that Elizabetth came to the attention of the Children's Services when being born with
methamphetamines in her system, at the time of birth mom admitted to using methamphetamine
one time while pregnent. Well we know that one of those two statements is perjury. When I say that
the Department has kidnapped my children I do not say it lightly. Those are harsh accusations, but
that is the fact. The department acted illegally, lied to a judge in a court of law, many many times
throughout these two cases.
Social Workers report to the Judge that Charlene's child Tylian was born drug exposed in 2019. Yet
Butte County investigated and found the allegations to be inconclusive.
Social Workers report to the Judge that Chartlene's child Annabella was born drug exposed in 2021.
Yet Butte County investigated this as well and found the allegations to be unfounded.
Social Workers report to the Judge that according to the resource parent "Elizabeth is a typical meth
baby who has arm and leg tremors, has trouble feeding, and latching on for the first month of her
life". Yet when the resource parent is part of the family team meeting October 10 2022 when
Elizabeth is one month old, the resource parent states in the meeting that Elizabeth is sweet, eats
well, sleeps well, has regular checkups and doctors have no concerns, and that she loves to be
swaddled and held.
Social Workers report to the Judge that father has a possession of methamphetamine conviction
showing he has an ongoing drug problem, yet fails to show that it was 22 years ago.
Social Workers report to the Judge that Elizabeth was detained for father not cooperating with the
"voluntary case agreement" by not following through with drug testing even though they testified
that they gave father until 4pm to test, yet they detained the child at 2:20pm. The hospital report at
9:26am on 09/09/22 shows the decision to detain Elizabeth was made before social workers ever
met with father.
Social Workers report to the Judge that father has a lab confirmed positive drug test on 9/14/2022
when a confirmatory test was never even ordered to be done on the sample, and Social workers told
this to the judge on 9/15/22 at 8:30am when the lab who did the immunoassay presumptive positive
didn't receive the sample until 4:30pm on 9/15/2022.
Social Workers report to the Judge that mother has 4 presumptive positive drug tests for the
removal of Annabella. Yet Children's Services already has results returned by Redwood Toxicology
that reports all drug screens negative for any illegal substances except alcohol which was
presumptive positive on 9/13/2022.
Social workers report to the Judge that Annabella had to be removed from the home due to mothers
ongoing drug abuse even though she took 17 drug screens, all of them were negative, and Social
workers made it clear as day their intentions when they demanded father be removed from the
home for not doing services, that he as an assumed father was not required, or even available to do
as he was an assumed parent.
Social Workers made it very clear at their October 12 visit that if father was in the home they were
going to detain Annabella, Further evidenced on Nov. 4th immediately following detainment
Charlene text the social worker " I have done everything you asked, I don't even let him come to the
house, if he needs something I take it to him in a public place, but I am not going to throw his shit
out on the street, I am not a bitch like that". to which the social worker responded "Not letting
Shawn back in the home is a good thing, that's what we asked you before". Then reporting to the
court I was forced to move out due to domestic violence that supposedly happened on October 19th
when Charlene told me about this conversation and I broke my own phone. However nobody
followed up with Charlene, nor did they offer any domestic violence services for this so-called
domestic violence.
And this is just the start of it.
As I have stated if the Department has to attempt to obtain a warrant, fail to get a warrant, detain
illegally, using law enforcement that is strictly forbidden by Penal Code 11165.13, make the
allegation that Law Enforcement decided to detain even though Chico police arrived at the hospital
at 2:36 pm, and was up to the 4th floor, signed paperwork, and was back in her car with the call
cleared at 2:45 pm a whole 9 minutes later, Social workers tell the court lie after lie to get
jurisdiction, and then tell the parents, "well those issues are regarding jurisdiction and we cant go
back and fix those" (Nannett Norton) then my kids were kidnapped illegally. There is nothing about
either one of these cases that are legal detainments. I will be taking all this information and more to
a Butte County Sherriff investigator this week for criminal prosecution of those committing perjury
for the kidnapping of my children. Which is every signature involved whether they failed to
investigate, and validate said perjury, or willingly participated in said perjury it makes no difference,
a persons signature "respectfully submitted" in a report to the court with known false statements is
perjury, just the same.
From the father's position, he was shown that he did not have a chance for fair jurisdictional
procedures from the county court when he asked to present the Enloe Hospital record into
evidence, that showed Elizabeth as being 38 weeks, born Asymptomatic, with no reason for the
courts to interfere with the privacy of the family unit, and the Judge made her own Objection over
the attorney's stating "That may be your opinion, I have a different opinion if there is a child being
born testing positive for methamphetamine in their system." So even the Judge was bias as she
should go by the law, and not have an opinion of her own to refuse evidence.
So lets now get down to brass tacks. you are being told that we can no longer afford the rent on
our apartment. you are correct. Upon our children being kidnapped 816 days ago we made a
decision to put our business endeavors on the back burner, and start studying constantly on how we
can restore our family, and make it where any other family including our children never have to go
through the torment that this department has put this family through again. If only you could see all
the letters that have been written to United States Health and Human Services, California
Department of Social Services, California Department of Civil Rights Case # 20235-20668713,
Governor Gavin Newsome, Commission for Judicial Review, California State Bar case 23-O-19975,
Eastern District of California Case #2:23-cv-01572, Butte County Administration of Risk Management,
President-elect Donald Trump, United Nations Department of Human Rights, Doug LaMalfa
Representative District 1, among others regarding the illegal activities of this department. ....
singing.."And it has only just begun"....
So now I ask you... What amount of money has this department received from the Federal
Government for the illegal detainment of my children over the last 816 days? What amount of losses
have the parents, and children suffered over the last 816 days? What amount of counseling is it
going to take to restore the parents, and children back to health after this department's illegal
activities have taken place for the last 816 days? Would you like to redo your mathematics on what
this department has provided to this family over the last 816 days, and what this department is
going to do to restore this family back to where it was on September 9, 2022 or are we going to "Just
keep pressing forward" as told by Nannette Norton, Alicia Escobar, and the rest of the department
that fails to stop this out of control train until the state Jurisdiction is over, and I am able to take it to
the Federal Government for redress of this department's illegal activities, or everybody is
handcuffed and led out the front door? I told Charlene long ago when Jurisdiction was taken that if
the department wanted to dig themselves a hole that "I will be your huckelberry" and i will let you
dig the hole big enough to expose it all, so that no family ever has to go through this again. Well
Jehovah has informed me that its time for the bird to fall over, and be consumed by the ants. Its
time for the light to shine, and the evils to be exposed. Everybody is on notice, just waiting for your
next move. I vow to make sure another father who has only met his daughter for 15 minutes in her
whole life does not have to go through this again over not doing actions that a social worker thinks
he should do to prove that he is a fit father even though they have not one shred of evidence that he
is unfit. June 24, 2024 the Third District Court of Appeals found insufficient evidence for the
detainment of Annabella, reversed Jurisdiction, and vacated all subsequent orders stemming from
those orders. Since that date the department has failed to afford the parents with a new detainment
hearing, Jurisdictional hearing, or show any other evidence why Annabella should be detained out of
parental custody. Any time a new petition is filed parents must be afforded the same statutory
timelines as to hearings as the original petition. If the department is unaware of that fact then they
should not have the power to break up families. The department cannot file a new petition further
detaining a child and not afford the parents a hearing to respond of any kind in any way for the next
133 days as of today. If the Director is unaware that you cannot kidnap a child and not let the
parents respond for 133 days, and subsequently move the child 30 miles away from the parents,
changing schools, doctors, residential city, etc without parents input after the Appellant Court found
insufficient evidence for Jurisdiction, then the Director needs to not be in the authoritative position
beheld to her. A Jurisdictional Hearing was scheduled for November 24, 2024 where the
Department filed a third petition that morning, and parents would not waive time, so the Judge
made Jurisdictional findings anyways without holding any evidentiary hearing. She found the
department provided reasonable services without even asking what services were provided, she
found that the child coming home was not in the child's best interest without so much as requesting
what the parents home was like. She found the continuance of the hearing to be a stall tactic by the
parents even though the department had filed a new petition that morning and had not served the
parents with the new petition. So I don't think we will not have that Judge again on January 10th.
Let me just add.... The parents researched, and found the Bringing Families Home program after
countless pleas to the Department for being behind in rent. The parents applied for and were
approved for the program in Feb 2024, At this time the parents signed a Release of Information form
for the Social worker to be able to speak with the landlord for help with paying the rent. Social
Worker Alicia Escobar informs the landlord that there is substance abuse and domestic violence in
our apartment, the landlord then subsequently has our $5,000 GMC Envoy towed for expired tags in
her first attempt to vacate us from the apartment complex. This Department was supposed to
provide notice to the parents on each change they made to how much rent that they cover. Upon
not covering any rent they were supposed to make a "warm handoff" to another agency that could
help the parents with rent. Parents lived in a Federal Subsidised housing that was not to excede 25%
of the gross monthly income, but were being charged top price of $1,024.00 per month increasing
constantly from the $750 per month agreed to on the lease when moving in August 2021 On June
25th parents received a note on their door that they owed $59.00 in late fees with no current rent
or back rent due. Landlords presented a 3 day pay or quit to the same judge as the dependency
hearing, in an unlawful detainer that said it was served to the parents on June 24, 2024 that
requested $2,024 in back rent for the months of April 2024, and May 2024. The judge tells mother
"You should have never counted on the Bringing Families Home program to help you with your
rental obligations. Parents never received any notification that Bringing Families Home program was
not going to be paying the rent before they stopped, nor did they do a "warm handoff" to another
agency stating that they were discontinuing services for the parents. The parents were evicted from
their apartment on November, 13 2024, wherein the Department agreed to rent them a hotel room
for 21 days, at the end of they must move into a shelter, or other State funded program that
requires drug testing, and other program requirements until they can find an apartment that they
can afford. Parents have been requesting a storage unit to place all their, and their children's
belongings in for over 3 weeks. Today December 3rd was the last day of the 14 days that parents
had access to their belongings. They made special arrangements with the landlord from 8am until
2pm. The Bringing Families Home Housing Navigator finally calls at 1:20pm to try to figure out the
payment for the storage unit, and if I can make it to Childrens Services by 4:00pm we can get a
storage unit we no longer have anything to put into due to the landlord now has the personal right
to all of our personal belongings, including all items posted in Charlene's online store. We have now
lost everything we own. We have 2 more days to stay in the motel, and you want to send me a letter
outlining everything this Department has done for this family, and we are at our statutory time limit
for reunification because we have been fighting this department for 2 years, and that the
department has no obligation to provide services to the parents? Your response is insulting. Let
nothing in this letter be taken as threatening, let this serve as notice to you of the illegal activities of
your subordinates, and my action plan going forward from here. I have full intentions of bringing
criminal prosecutions to the fullest extent of the law to all parties involved however, and whenever I
see fit, and I have full intentions of filing complaints against this Department at all oppurtunities for
redress of this Departments actions against this family under the nefarious scheme of "Child
Protection" and all while embezzling, laundering Federal tax paying dollars in harming the same
children you have taken an oath to protect.
Did I fail to mention the day that Annabella was brought to a visit with her mother where she was
completely lethargic? Social workers informed the court that "mother must be on drugs, due to the
way she was acting due to a slight fever." Personally a mother demanding somebody call 911 due to
her daughter being brought in, laying in her arms unable to lift her own head. Foster parent
declaring "I don't know what happened she was fine when i laid her down at 11:00, when i woke her
up at 1:00 she was like this". I do not care if it comes with no fever whatsoever, if a child cannot lift
their own head somebody better get that child attention. Nope, all Butte County Social Workers all
of a sudden turned into medical staff at the direction of Jamie Panuke, and declared her just fine
because there was no fever associated with it. mother demanding 911 must be on drugs. How about
the 7 deep purple human bite marks that Anneabella received over a 4 month period all across her
body, where the only answers the parents could receive was " Its fine, it happened at daycare, we
will get you an ouchie report".
Do your job, do your research, everything in this letter and much much more is all reported in
black and white, testified to, and recorded in and out of the case record.
Thank you for your time and understanding in these matters. Hope to hear from you soon.
Shawn P. Cash
shawnp.cash@gmail.com
(530) 321-2628