The Milwaukee Bureau of Child Welfare failed to prevent 22 deaths of children between 2004 and 2008.
Jatavius [McKillon] was one of at least 22 Milwaukee County children who died from 2004 to 2008 despite clear warning signs to the bureau they were at risk, a Journal Sentinel investigation found. Also among the 22 children was 13-month-old Christopher Thomas, beaten to death by his aunt last November.
Among the officials in charge of the bureau was Denise Revels Robinson, who stepped aside after the investigation, but soon found a new job, and then an even better job.
Revels Robinson didn't resign — she transferred to another job within the department and maintained her annual salary of $108,919. She worked in the new position for almost nine months before being hired in September by a former Wisconsin child welfare official to a top position in Washington state's Department of Social and Health Services.
I know about this controversy only because Monson has covered it on his show
In contrast, here is all that the Seattle Times has had to say about Revels Robinson. If anyone at our newspaper of record has even taken the elementary step of contacting their journalistic colleagues at the Journal Sentinel, they have not shared what they learned from those contacts.
It is possible, in spite of the failures of the Milwaukee Bureau, that Revels Robinson is a good administrator, willing and able to protect the children she is responsible for. I haven't heard her side of these events. But I would like to hear it, and to know why she was hired, in spite of what looks like a massive failure on her part.
I hope that some of our Republican legislators (or Democratic legislators who care about children, even children in abusive families) will investigate this hiring, will ask why Washington Social and Health Services Secretary Susan Dreyfus thought that Revels Robinson was the best person to be Washington state's director of Children's Administration.
(Incidentally, kudos to the Washington Federation of State Employees for expressing their "serious concerns" about this hiring.
Here's Monson's web site, in case you want to follow this controversy.)
Posted by Jim Miller at October 13, 2009 08:51 AM | Email ThisThe citizens deserve better. "It's for the children"? Obviously not.
Posted by: Michele on October 13, 2009 10:53 AMSince accepting the role of Bureau Director in 1997, Ms. Revels Robinson continues to make significant contributions to the lives of Wisconsin's most vulnerable citizens -abused and neglected children.
Given our dismal DSHS record in this state, why am I not surprised someone thought this would be a great addition to our social services bureacracy.
Posted by: Rick D on October 13, 2009 05:54 PMThere is no such thing as an open and impartial hiring process in Washington government. Its all " pay for play" or should I say networking. Where I work, all hiring is slanted by personal connection, not by professional merit.
This instant case just rises above the rest due to the bad conduct in previous position. Stop the cronyism first.
fRed
Posted by: fRed on October 14, 2009 04:53 AMI don't justify specific hiring decisions... although it's good that Jim didn't slander people without specific evidence. I just laugh, of course, when conservatives whine about the problems with these departments, and then expect I-1033 to make it BETTER.
And @3: prove that this is "cronyism" or "pay to play", or shut the hell up. Spouting off without proof is idiotic.
Posted by: demo kid on October 14, 2009 03:27 PM