SECOND-IN-COMMAND AT SC WELFARE AGENCY HAS SOME SERIOUS ISSUES
Not long ago, our founding editor attended a meeting hosted by South Carolina’s Department of Social Services (which has been receiving glowing coverage from the state’s mainstream media despite clear evidence of manipulated data).
Anyway, leading this assembly was Isabel Blanco – deputy director of the Palmetto State’s welfare agency. Blanco is paid $123,600 a year – not counting benefits – to serve as second-in-command to Lillian Koller, who was appointed in 2011 by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.
As FITS has previously reported, Koller came to South Carolina with a checkered past … but it turns out she’s got nothing on her No. 2.
Allow us to explain …
Last month, a pair of employees at the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services were arrested and charged with “falsifying state documents and encouraging others to lie in sworn statements,” according a report by the Associated Press.
Specifically, child abuse reports were allegedly “destroyed or falsified” so that “it would appear (the agency) complied with federal guidelines governing the response to abuse allegations.” Failing to comply with these guidelines, of course, meant that the agency would continue to receive millions of dollars in grant money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS).
Why is this important? Well, these Georgia workers are reportedly telling the U.S. Justice Department that they were “forced to follow these polices by Isabel Blanco,” who worked at the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services prior to being hired by Koller to come to South Carolina.
Hmmmmm …
In fact sources tell FITS that federal investigators are taking a closer look at the data being turned out in South Carolina under Koller and Blanco’s supervision – especially its food stamp and “welfare-to-work” data.
Ruh-roh, right?
During her tenure with Georgia’s welfare agency, Blanco was investigated by the state’s Inspector General after it was alleged that she was hired improperly and without sufficient qualifications. Investigators were “unable to substantiate” those allegations, however. They were also unable to substantiate the charge that Blanco was “allowed to work only three days a week so that she can fly back and forth to Chicago, her permanent residence, on weekends,” and that Georgia taxpayers were “paying for Blanco’s trips to Chicago and her ‘overnight stays’ in Georgia.”
Why is this relevant? You know … aside from previous allegations of improper hiring at SCDSS?
Blanco – who was finally compelled to move to Atlanta in 2007 – still resides there. In fact she is being accused of similar “costly commuting” expenses as it relates to her South Carolina position, with one SCDSS employee telling us she has been “creatively billing taxpayers for hotel and travel expenses”associated with her commute.
Also relevant on this point? Blanco’s May 2009 arrest in Cobb County, Georgia on charges of driving under the influence. Described by sources at SCDSS as a “raging alcoholic,” Blanco has nonetheless been given her own taxpayer-funded vehicle by the agency.
Obviously this website opposes the welfare state and the increasingly costly perpetuation of dependency among our citizens. Specifically we reject the complete undoing of 1990s-era welfare reform that has taken place under the administration of Barack Obama (who like Blanco hails from Chicago). But more than that we hate hypocrisy – and dishonesty.
SCDSS has been getting praised by the press in the Palmetto State on the basis of data that is at best dubious – at worst flat out misstated.
It’s time for people to start lifting the hood at this agency – starting with the people who are running it.
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122 comments
If you’re going to break the law, like issuing purposefully wrong statistics for your agency(fraud)-you certainly don’t hire a Good Two-Shoes to do the work.
You hire an experienced, hard core criminal.
From a managerial decision making perspective when you throw out any need for morals or accuracy you have to hand it to Koller-she’s doing a bang up job.
Btw, that mug shot is pretty hot. I’ll bet she can play lineback better than USC.
edit: linebacker better than any USC player.
Total bond $1600? Must not have been her first DUI? Maybe 2cd or 3rd?
She looks like an inmate, doesn’t she?
DAMN! Are you sure this person is not a defensive tackle on the Clemson squad? If so, the Gamecocks are in for some deep doo-doo.
Fits, do us a favor and put a black-out bar across her face!
PS: I’m going back to church – cause I don’t want to go to HELL and meet her(it) there.
More secret chats w the Feds! Wow impressive. They speak to no other media outlet….but will? All of their top secret investigations get leaked to just….will?
Ok….well, tell us about Area 51….how many aliens does the FBI catch each year……where is big foot…who flies the black helicopters….where is Hoffa buried….wait wait…who shot Kennedy!?
With all of the sources FITS should be able to break these mysteries wide open?
if you think that the black helicopters are phony perhaps you should spend some time in the “great outdoors”. A black helicopter is a black helicopter but 4 or 5 running maneuvers is eye-catching.
Once again, Fitsnews digs up the stories that no one else has the talent or the balls to handle! Thanks Fits and please, do more of these stories about local corruption and fewer about football and stuff that really does not impact the world I live in.
keep digging…theres more to this story than you could believe
DSS isn’t the only Haley appointments looking to fiddle with the laws regarding finances. The new crew at DHEC are blatantly defying purchasing and spending regulations. Take a look.
She appears to be a career criminal, a cancer in the system, and she will bounce from job to high-paying job until someone throws her out of the public sector once and for all. A website revealing her to be a fraud and an alcoholic for the world to google might do the trick. Thanks fITS. The State newspaper would never do investigative journalism in the public interest. They’re too busy pushing for the penny sales tax.
If she gets bounced out of the public system, someone will hire her. Someone has to. Happily employed stooges are far less likely to let something slip.
Making Cruella de Vil look hot by comparison isn’t normal. But on meth it is.
Meth. Not even once.
And the abused child in South Carolina who should be protected from torture and neglect–you are on your own, kid. I hope you make it, I hope you survive. BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS NOT COMING TO SAVE YOU. LEGISLATURE, AG, SCLAC, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS–THERE IS NOT A MINUTE TO WASTE. LIVES ARE ON THE LINE.
I’ve seen it get even worse….sometimes they’ll pull a kid from a bad environment and put him/her in a worse one.
I recently came across a teacher for the public education system that has major psychological issues and has 4 foster kids.
I weep for the kids in her class and under her care and can only hope her wife is a better parent.
To be a professional in your craft and have to do something as immoral as to close a case because you are told the numbers matter and not the stability of the family and children involved. At my County DSS office her in South Carolina I was ordered to close 2o cases that were not viable for success. It was so dis-hearting, but I had no choice, had to feed my family but remain sick at my stomach for the decisions I must make based on the internal policies of our state director, and second in command.
My prayers are with the children around the stated involved in the state system. And Foster care Review Board, CASA and GAL stop falling in line for contracts and paychecks help the kids you are mandated to help, you also see what is going on and do nothing as we do at DSS>
DSS has become hell: it should be obvious to anyone outside of South Carolina, that to have DSS, Foster Care Review Board, and Guardian ad Litem all in the Cabinet or Office of the Governor is an absolutely astounding ethical conflict. But, so it has been for close to 20 years. It works OK as long as you have governors and their appointees with a smidgen of ethics, but there is no hope for that anymore.
Oh, SLED is in the mix, too. They are in charge of child fatality reviews – which last time I looked on their website were undiscoverable and have not seen a published one in years -and their director is appointed by the governor.
The entire system appears to be designed to cover up the managerial incompetence of governors and agency heads as their agencies kill children and vulnerable adults.
Damn, that is one fucking butt ugly woman.
This piece of shit is a roaring drunk, Koller is a flaming Dyke.
Hell, makes one wonder who else they got in charge over at the DSS Asylum.
The Director of Finance is a probably a direct descendant of Charles Ponzi with odds on that the Director of Human Resources is a hermaphrodite which enables him to fuck herself when not sticking it up the taxpayer’s ass.
AY YI YI. Everyone has the right to be ugly. But she is abusing the privilege.
Where did Lillie dig her up? The Puss N’ Boots?
So does Isabel prefer the burrito or the taco?
All the dimwitted Senators who gave their advice and consent to Koller’s appointment had to do was just google her and pull up the Hawaiian newspaper stories about the way she lied to legislators there and violated agency confidentiality policy.
That’s all they had to do. Seems like some of those legislative staffers could have found less than 30 minutes to do that.
And, how about diverting SC state adult protective services funds to pay for the privatization of child protective services? That one should be pretty easy to get the goods on.
Legislators don’t give a damn. They are just as corrupt and they support Haley’s sorry selections for agency heads.
Georgia was so glad to get rid of “Isabitch Blancaho” as they called her that the whole state had a party. when she left. She fired anyone who didn’t kiss her ass, even if they did a great job. She is busy firing everyone in SC now. Georgia said she ruined that child welfare program and she was coming to ruin SC’s. Now she is reuniting innocent children with drug-addicted parent just to get her numbers down. She is telling staff to spend money illegally.
Isabitch Blancaho!
Just listen to somes of the responses people have had to this article written by an uninformed hateful and intentionaly hurtful individual.
You people have already been this womans Judge & Jury! Instead of ridiculing her character, look to your hearts and ask yourself why it means so much to you to harshly judge someone that you may not even know and to believe everything you read on the internet. So tell me who is the F’kn idiot.
I have worked with Ms. Blanco and muct say that she is the most dedicated hard worker I’ve ever met. She has a passion for her work and for the safety & well being of children that is beyond words. I have seen her work many nights until 8:30 PM.
I know she pays for her own non work related expenses. She drives her own car to and from work every day.
She is not in charge of welfare or food stamps so why did fits lead us to believe that somehow she was guilty of mis management when she is not even ovedr those departmets.
Finaly, fits says they hate dishonesty and hypocrisy. Well they must hate themselves then because it is they that are misleading the public with unsubstantiated lies and false accusations. They are hypocrits.
Please people, dont be so ignorant to burn someone at the stake just because you dont trust the goverment or because you believe what you read on the internet.
Articles written here do not have to have any accountability for what they report or who they choose to slander!
“Articles written here do not have to have any accountability for what they report or who they choose to slander!”
So, should we expect a slander/libel lawsuit forthcoming?
The kissing your butt part, Isabel hates kiss butt. I worked for her many years in Chicago. The best boss I’ve ever had. She has her ways but, a good people. The media will always make things seem worse then what they are
I bet she was behind giving SCDEW $650,000 of our DSS money for our clients to secure jobs. Don’t they do that for free?
Then she hires a secretary, Jessica Hanak-Coulter, and makes her a director. She is as mean as Isabel and about half as smart. She lives in Spartanburg and works in Columbia – funny she isn’t in Columbia every day. Also, she and Isabel think up reasons for the agency (or the ever-popular Annie E Casey foundation) to pay for hotel rooms for them to spend the night – sometimes in COLUMBIA where they are supposed to be living. Get rid of both of them. Two peas in a dysfunctional pod. They are practically killing children and have almost closed down the group homes in the state.
It goes beyond Columbia to the Regional Directors who are kool aid drinkers and bitches. Sandra Sturkie is both. She bullys with a smile and intimidates staff with unreasonable tasks and deadlines. She is nothing more than the Solicitors piece of ass. Wake up chick – he aint buying the cow. She fires people and a letter that circulated a few months ago was obviously squashed by her boss. Clean up DSS or shut it down.
Very interesting…. Fed up… You sound just like one of the miserable bitches that was fired from FCDSS recently…. Sour grapes baby?? Bet you love those food stamps now! Who care I’d he buys the cow when she has steak?? The letter was ridiculous and that’s why no one did anything with it. Bet you wrote it too didn’t you?
Isabel waltzes in Mondays about noon and waltzes out about noon on Friday – and that’s on a good week when she works. I have never seen such a new employee with so much leave. Anyone checking her leave records? Are there any? Earns all that money in SC but pays her taxes in Ga. We couldn’t find anyone from SC to torture children for money?
Isabel Blanco is truly Cruella DeVille. She screams at people, cusses, and throw things around the office. She is so awful employees have to leave their cell phones on so they have witnesses to “conversations” she has with people. Read the comments about her at the end of this article. They are accurate.
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/12/03/deal-names-senate-floor-leaders-makes-appointments/
Did Blanco declare this arrest on her application as required? Does she have a valid SC license to drive a state car? DUI first offense in Ga is $300-1000. Why $1600? I am sure Blago and the Chicago mob is proud of her.
Blago is PROUD of South Carolina First Steps director Susan Williamson DeVenny-another SC employee who doesn’t show up for work. She hired disgraced Blago education advisor for a First Steps Board of Trustees “retreat” using taxpayer $$$.
http://www.scfirststeps.org/docs/ECACRetreat.pdf
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-11-29/news/0511290389_1_junk-food-middle-schools-blagojevich
When are they goining to investigate the $12400 jobs that were found by the Department of social service. How about diverting SC casemanger job duties to outside agency such as JUMMP a $1 million dollar upfront (contract) to pay for the privatization of FI (welfare casemanger)? If DSS casemanger throughout the state found over 12,000 clients jobs in the state of why would privatizate? The State newspaper, Post and Courier and WLTX praise Koller without asking for verification to verify such data.
I heard the JUMMP program has been struggling to et the DSS clients jobs. DSS gave DEW about $650,000 to place DSS clients in jobs. Don’t think that’s working out very well either. A good bit of the funds go to pay staff at JUMMP and DEW from what I thought I saw in the contracts.
I heard that since JUNE 2012 until now JUMMP has only found 24 job for DSS clients. That’s not one client per county office and we have 48 countries in the state. The Closure reason used for close the cases are not JOB closure reason they are as following: Child Support, Unemployment, Voluntary withrawal reason and Koller has the nerve to go on WLTX, the state news and reported that they have found 12000 clients jobs….LIAR, LIAR THEIR PANTS ARE ON FIRED. I just wonder what the Federal Investigator would do if they was to learn thay we are providing childcare service to client receiving unemployment because DSS close the case as job being found and then send the clients a closure notice stating they qualified for childcare for two years.
Is this the same Isabel that got arrested in Texas? Was that a DUI?
No it was not
Queen Namrata will stand by her court and nothing will come of this.
And that’s that……..
End of story
Sad to say but it appears FITS is becoming a paper tiger who is roaring at the wind for all that’s worth.
What does that drawing of Joan Brady have to do with this story?
Is this the same Isabel Blanco that got arrested for DUI in Virginia?
“Kenny Joe and Isabel Blanco have never showed any respect for anyone. They yell and curse at people like they are children. They fire people just for the hell of it and are intimidated by veterans who know that they only got the job because they know BJ Walker. Kenny Joe ran Fulton County DFCS into the ground and got rewarded with a higher paying job at the state office courtesy of his god mother, BJ Walker. These people have no track record of success. They constantly fudge numbers to make things appear to be improving.”
I have been part of these meetings and can concur that the profanity and intimidation is so real when it comes to Koller and Blanco, to be treated as less than a person, to have your Boss use her power and position to intimidate is against the law. The Executive staff is creating a HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT, and it appears that no one cares.
Isabel has never disrespected her employees. I was her assistant for several years. Yes, she curses but, not directly at you. Wow, give the woman a break. The media is waring her out.
They don’t care about employees.
The department of social services has become an agency of dictatorship, that has forgotten their mission statement and values of the agency as it relates to children and families.
The agency has become one in which the well-being, safety, of families has become non existent. Kollier and Blanco only took over from Wendell Price, Katie Morgan, Wilbert Lewis, Fuenseas Jacobs, Kelly Cordell, to name a few of the Executive staff.
The corruption within this agency has always been prevalent and strong. But the new administration has taken dishonesty, hatred of the well being of this state to a higher level. I am an employee within the system and I see the problems that have manifested itself and continues to see this unrest with staff and customers.
The privatization of the agency is hurting the people we are charged to take care of and give assistance to. The staff we should be educating, and giving them the appropriate training to maintain or gain professionalism is not there.
Their are good staff that work for DSS but they are afraid to speak out, for fear of termination and this is on every level especially the direct staff. It is becoming more and more difficult to work at DSS but retirement is 2 years away. What ever you read on FITS, it is your choice to believe it or not, but I am in the trenches and it is true what has been stated by FITSNEWS.
Lesbians are typically difficult to work for.
So are you saying Isabel is a lesbian, now?
For every child who cries at night
Alone with shame and pain and fright
For every child who wants so much
To only feel a gentle touch
For the beaten child, who cries in pain
Whose tears run silent, like the rain
For the child used to satisfy lust
Who never learns to love or trust
For the child taken from her home
And made to feel so all alone
For the child whose home is just a shell
Where life becomes a living hell
For the child who smiles but cannot feel
Because of scars too deep to heal
For every child who yearns for love
I hope and pray to God above
To hear your cries and heal your pain
And give you back your life again
With love, to all the children
Kathy Williams
1964-1996
Wow–this is music to my ears. Unfortunately, most of this is true. Ms. Blanco and Ms. Koller, as well as Regional Directors, have unrealistic expectations of case workers. Some case workers have caseloads as high as 45 cases with over one hundred children to see. Case workers are not valued at all, instead, case workers are bitched out on the regular by incompetent County Directors, Regional Directors, and State Directors. I find it absolutely sickening to see the salaries earned by the administration. It’s not just in state office, it’s in every county. Incompetent narcissistic county directors are everywhere! No one wants to hear the case workers recommendation ALTHOUGH case workers work with these families daily. Ms. Blanco enjoys making people feel like they are worthless. HOW WAS SHE HIRED WITH A DUI? HOW?!?! As far as the Region 4 Director, Ms. Sturkie, is concerned…WOW. They are all bitches! SCDSS workers are SLAVES!!!!!!
You description of the explosion of management jobs as front line jobs disappears says it all – to anyone with half a brain.
Isn’t the SC legislature supposed to have oversight of state agencies?
She doesn’t have a DUI. Due process. Innocent until proven guilty and she was not guilty.
Love the mug shot. I guess the arresting officer thought she was intoxicated.
I have worked at DSS for over 20 years and I have never felt such despair about the state of affairs,in this agency and such fear for the children that we are mandated to protect. We are forced to get children out of foster care, regardless of whether they will be safe in the care of their parents. Everyone is making rash decisions just to pacify Blanco and Koller and meet their ridiculous goals. These fierce goals and fear of recrimination for not meeting them are causing caseworkers, supervisors, and directors to put chilldrens lives at risk. In addition, if children cannot be rushed home, Workers and supervisors are being forced to terminate the parental rights of kids just to play a numberss game. DSS isngoing to make legal orphans out ofma lot of kids for no reason at all! Why terminate parental rights on a 16 year old juvenile delinquent that does not want to be adopted? Why terminate parental rights on a 16 year old mentally retarded child that no one will adopt? When you terminate parental rights then parents no longer have to pay hild support for their children. Can South Carolina afford this? Is this just another game that Koller and Blanco are plying to fool the feds? Md what about the Appropriate Respose project that is going to result in more dead children? Why have we not heard about the kids that have already died and suffered terrible abuse because DSS did not do an investigation but farmed the cases out to unqualified, untrained, and overwhelmed staff at privated agencies for assessment? This is a travesty, but those of us that are stuck in the system cannot do anything but sit back and hope that family court judges and legislators will come to their senses and investigate.
You have not heard about the children because the Child Fatality Board is at SLED and that director is appointed by the governor, too.
Family Court judges pay attention to what they are seeing? Give me a break.
It’s all true. Bullies and morally bereft. Those of us who need our jobs and want to do good for the families and children of SC sit in shock each day and wonder, what will they do next? They destroy morale and humiliate dedicated hard working people in front their coworkers. It’s harder every day to stomach but no one seems to care as lond as the numbers are there.
Oh- no wonder Blanco thinks it is okay to send kids home to drunk, drug abusing parents- she is one too! how can she dare stand up in front of DSS and other professionals at her P2 dog and pony shows and pretend to be something that she is not? she should be ashamed and koller should be too! And the rest of us should be ashamed for going to P2 dog and pony shows — i know we just do it because we have to, but i think all dss employees that are not ass kissing brown nosers should all just boycott the next one just to show them that they cannot really control us and that we stand for what is right!
yo told it pinky! been there too an ama hatin’ it but whos gonna take out a big Bitch like Blanco- Koller ain’t doin’ sheeayt!
AMEN!! I agree that the agency should take a stand and boycott the “dog and pony” showes known as P2 & P3. They are a waste of Casey money not to mention, it is the same info month after month regurgitated.
Blanco happens to be a wonderful mother and her children are very good and respectable young men.
She is not a alcholic and certainly not a criminal as some of you blood thirty people assume her to be. Anyone single one of you could be pulled over by the police (sting operation) simply for an aledged traffic violation. Anyone could be considered to have had a drink just by having gone out for dinner or even having a glass of wine! You dont have to be drunk to be pulled over by police!
The woman has absolutely no criminal history. She believes in the well being and saftey of all children. I think she should be hailed as an assest to South Carolina and hopefully will clean up those employees that only want to collect a paycheck, but dont want to do their job nor be accountable!
Maybe Sandra Sturkie is willing to try a taco since her solicitor wont get serious with her? Just saying! If you can’t beat’em, then lick’em! What about that squashed letter? Any chance fits can get a copy? Is Jessica Honak Coulter a lesbian too? What is it with the lesbian leadership at DSS?
Sandra doesn’t deserve this. She is just following the demands of Blanco. Everyone looks for growth ($$) at DSS and you can’t blame Sandra for wanting a bigger title and paycheck.
Seriously…bashing Sandra is stupid and counter productive. She isn’t the problem… She does what she is told to do. She has made some great positive changes in FCDSS; but they have a long way to go… Better now w/o the old director and coordinator! It’s slow going. At least they cut some of the dead wood over there… Get rid of more. The state must hire more staff. They ask why we can’t get shit done! THAT’S WHY!!! Not enough staff to do the work! One of my coworkers had 43 children in his caseload! That’s unsafe.
Georgia FBI is investigating Blanco right now. Rumor has it that Blanco isn’t working in SC right now; she has been spotted here in Georgia. Fired? Suspended? SC folks better contact the Georgia FBI about Blanco and speak up in SC. She is being investigated for sure. Feds are saying the next stop is SC.
Keep her SC. Your jails are worse. Harder time for Inahell Blame-ho.
I heard she was suspended…
My sister also works for DSS and from hearing her talk I have been wondering what world/planet these two ladies are from. They insist on pushing not only children but potential identified people into adopting and then they just fall apart immediately. Traumatizing the children again. They have such unrealistic expectations. Many of the county directors also do. Some of the county directors are just as threatening as Isabelle and Lillian. The entire agency does need to be looked at. The people who really do care about their jobs are told, “I will come and fire you to your face myself,” by Isabelle if they do not kiss her a**. It is such a numbers game and the best interest of the child is totally overlooked. And not to mention the people on food stamps and other welfare programs who have the perfect hair, manicures, pedicures, I-Phones and drive the Escalades and other expensive SUVs. I am so tired of taking her to work (because we car pool to save gas and money)and looking at these people walking in who are punished/tortured because it is such a struggle for them to actually have to get out of bed and get the FREE TAX PAYER BENEFITS they can’t put on clothes and wear their pajamas to the office but are dressed to the hilt in the grocery store while screaming at the children they have with them and then pay with EBT. I am so sick of it!!!! And now I am seeing where people can buy clothes with their EBT cards. And I have been in seafood markets and seen people buy hundreds of dollars worth of crab legs and shrimp with EBT. I am happy with a pound of shrimp but they are paying for the block!!!! And this is our government enabling this. Got to love it:(
It’s true. I walk in to hell daily, and think, there has to be more to life! The only way out is getting a masters degree, or finding another agency. It’s HELL!!!! No wonder most case workers are on psychotropic medication for anxiety…
Thank you so much Fitz News for exposing the 2 faced hypocrites at DSS. This agency has been run into the ground by people who are out for their own agendas. The people on the 6th floor need to stop creating jobs for their buddies and stop dismantling DSS by contracting out child protection duties to non qualified agencies.
can someone really tell me why my case is being handled by someone in greenville county. Hell I live in neeses… And then I’m told to call a 1 800 number by dss staff n it never works. It just hangs up on me. Fix the program so I can get my stamps!
Tell me it ain’t so- Isabel placed on suspension today! Ding dong the bitch is gone….at least until the higher ups determine if she really has screamed at and threatened employees! Who does she think she is, screaming and cursing at professionals that she supervises? She is an unprofessional alcoholic bully bitch! But she puts on a show at P2 and P3 meetings! Along with her crowd of kool aid drinkers that rush to the microphones to kiss her ass and tell her what she wants to hear. They only say what she wants to hear and are afraid to tell the truth or share original thoughhts. I agree–we should all boycott the next P meeting as a quite show of unity. If any county directors have an ounce of self-respect they will tell the truth in support of those county directors that have been brave enough to take a stand against Blanco. Also hope the Legislature Investigates the illegalities of contracting out CPS investigation duties to unqualified and untrained staff! Legislators should talk to the food stamp recipients in their counties and see how they appreciate not being able to talk to people in their counties and see how diffiult it i to get benefits when they cannot even make an application for assistance in the county they live in. There are elderly and poor people out there that do not know how to use computers and who dont have internet access to make an application. This is Koller skating around legislation just like she did in Hawaii!! Which is why she was thrown out of Hawaii — for subverting the intent of law and the federal food stamp program. All Haley did when she hired Koller was to bring hawaii’s problems to SC! Koller was booted from Hawaii when employees took a stand and called in the feds —and when her governor was not reelected. I hope we dont have to wait 2 more years to be rid of Koller and Blanco!
Oh, and Alice, who commented above, is a kool aid drinker who is scared that she is going to have to learn to kiss someone elses ass in the near future! Sheis afraid she will have to work on a floor below the sixth floor. She is showing her ignorance by implying that fitsnews is not valid news! What rock has she been hiding under? Fitsnews usually goes where no other man will go— then comes out dragging a tiger by the tail! Go Will! You are my hero!
The first round was the suspension of Blanco. She is corrupt and told (demanded)the county/regional offices to make the numbers look good. We see how well that is working out in Georgia, and the Feds are looking at SCDSS now. We can only hope that this mean bully of a woman ends up in jail for her corruption. Kids in SC were sent home to unsafe conditions, or placed for adoption with anybody who would ring us up on the phone. I pray that we don’t end up with dead kids due to meeting the WIG’s, but am not holding my breath. And the screaming at staff is real. She could be heard out in the hallway.
Jessica Hanak-Coulter was not and is not qualified to be the Director of Child Welfare. She has no experience in child welfare and although she can read a book and regurgitate some catch phrases, has not a clue how to apply her book learning to the field. She is a laughing stalk in the agency and is not respected by anyone other than maybe the Kool-aid drinkers. She was an assistant that hung around and ran errands and maybe she will end up the fall guy when everything topples. Think about it Jess. The Child Welfare Director does not and should not run a power-point for someones presentation. That is what an administrative assistant might do.
Koller needs to take her sorry behind back to Hawaii. The feds are on to you honey, so you can forget about that cushy job in DC that you are planning on when you ride out of South Carolina on your broomstick.
Not sure who Alice is, but with her comments, maybe mandatory drug testing at the agency would be in order. The top bitch on down.
The State Attorney General’s office needs to look into the contracts that Koller is handing out on a daily basis. Where is all this money coming from? Consultants are brought in to consult with other consultants, and all have their hand in a cookie jar and are friends of Koller. Hmmmm, I wonder about kick-backs?
I have no problem with Jessica but must agree that everyone is impressed with her ability to scribe and work power point. I would do it for her salary.
Alice- do you work for DSS? Well I do. And all of the posts are accurate. I don’t agree with the personal punches but facts are facts. Koller and Blanco are taking the agency to hell in a hand basket.
And what about Jessica’s 2 new coordinators that were hired to be her right and left hands. Maybe one can scribe and the other can run power point? Love to know their salaries.
What is a kool aid drinker?
maybe the money is coming from adult protective services. i read a comment earlier that implied that ms blanco stole that programs money and used it to privatize child protective services. how will adult protective services help vulnerable adults being abused or neglected if there is no money to run the program?
This is something that needed to happen. All this office is worried about is reducing the numbers to look good, but is it really good? The idea that a child or any child is able to be adopted is as crazy as the person that says it! Really how many people do you know that are waiting to adopt a sixteen year old pedophile or arsonist! Have they applied to adopt these children or even adults (18+) in their forever homes? Okay lets wait on that! Workers spend most of the time sitting in non-effective trainings from people that get get paid ridiculous amount of money from Hawaii and Georgia….OMG gosh now I wonder why they aren’t helping out in CPS services from the state they stated they retired from….I just hope that the investigation is legit and not conducted by the butt lickers that already have DSS messed up! And yes the regional and county directors are puppets and are too dumb to speak up on the behalf of the front line workers and God forbid them to actually talk to a client (can you say lunch break?) The workers once enjoyed working to help families but those workers question needed services because they are forced to close cases within 3-6 months… but I pray for a change with the agency starting with the head honchos.
Definitely something that needed to happen. If for some God forsaken reason Blanco actually comes back to SC, everyone needs to form a human force field and refuse to allow her to enter the agency. This is the time for staff to band together and refuse to be bullied anymore. Her tactics have created a very hostile work environment and should not be tolerated by human resources and the Governors office. If she and Koller were actually the smart people they believe themselves to be, they would immediately resign before they get thrown out.
Koller actually said that she and the Gov. are they only two smart people in South Carolina and she was brought in to help us poor dumb southerners.
Oh yeah, no state has EVER FAILED the CFSR, it is a measure of where improvement needs to be targeted. If she continues to insist that SCDSS failed our CFSR, then so did Hawaii, while she was there and so did Georgia while Blanco was there.
She needs a shave.
I have been told that these people say that at each child has at least 150 people who will adopt them. My child has gone to school with some of the clients that are in foster care and I try to encourage my child to stay away from them because they are so violent and threatening. I understand that they have a right to be bitter and angry due to how they have been treated by parents and family but when they are threatening to rape and torture my child or other peoples children the ball game totally changes and some of these children do just that. They are violent and many of them need to be in the criminal justice system. SO why don’t Isabelle and Lillian take THESE clients home with them and adopt them? They make enough money to provide these poor, underprivelged children with a good life and provide them with all of the things they have never had. SO why don’t you show how good you are? You know you are reading this website and the comments ladies. Why don’t you investigate the worst most violent clients you have and take them home to your family and even pets. See how safe you feel THEN idenitify the 150 or plus people who will adopt them. Show the state what you all know we all need to know. SHOW EM’ WHAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH WOMEN!!! Isabelle, put the bottle down and offer someone a good life. The Holidays are coming up. You can post the picture perfect family photo in all of the major papers in the state. SHOW EM’ WHAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH!!! GET DRUNK AND SHAKE THAT BOOTY AND GET THEM KIDS IN YOUR FAMILY. HAVE YOUR CHILDREN ADOPT THEM AND EXTEND YOUR FAMILY. Get them numbers down. Lead by example and show the citizens of South Carolina the happy endings that you all dream about and try to make everyone think exists. Lead by example.
Since Ms. Koller and Ms. Blanco took their posts, they have managed through intimidation and fear. Their relentless focus on the numbers and numbers=dollars mentality has set in motion a downward spiral for DSS. Ms. Blanco’s drive to meet HER goals at all costs is unacceptable. Ms. Blanco has inflicted herself on staff, the public and DSS partners in such atrocious methods that she would be run out of most for-profit businesses. I hope the brave individuals who took a stand get an ovation and a medal of honor for their efforts. Words really cannot convey the level of fear Ms. Blanco evokes in staff. We have been called liars and threatened and intimidated for daring to express any opinion that differs from Ms. Blanco’s thinking. We have been told that this administration does not manage by ‘stroke of pen management’ which means that they don’t put in writing any of the mandates they are making of staff. This is their method of being ‘creative’ while circumventing written policy, much of which is based on law.
In addition to the harrassing and threatening behavior of this woman, I believe the administration has set child protection in SC back by at least a decade. The administration truly is not child-focused. They cry crocodile tears and swear that they have the children in the forefront of all their work. Not true…they don’t care how we do it just as long as the numbers are in line and we are on board with their demands. REMEMBER NUMBERS = DOLLARS.
The economy dictated that no staff was being hired to replace staff who left the Agency for a period of over 3 years. When the ability to hire was finally reached, what did these two ladies do??? They ignored the need for front line staff instead padded management positions within the state office and by appointing Regional Managers who are simply Ms. Blanco’s minions. Most of the County Directors who are not Koller appointees (had their jobs before Koller’s entrance) have risen through the ranks and have a working knowledge of the job and a background in Social Work. That cannot be said of the management hired by Ms. Blanco and Ms. Koller. They have one agenda – to dismantle the Agency so Nikki can report that she was true to her promise to decrease the size of Government. But at what cost??? On the backs of our staff and the children and families we serve!
We are working nights and weekends(without pay) in an effort to meet the demands of a job that is impossible to do with the current caseload sizes and staffing ratios. That statement is one that is prohibited. Simply uttering that statement is gounds to bring the looming threat of termination and, worse, the Wrath of Blanco on whomever dares speak it.
Does the Agency need to improve in performance and consistancy? ABSOLUTELY! We are not perfect. Although it pains me to say so, even some of the relentless focus on the numbers has resulted in some positive changes in that complacency surrounding multiple out of home placements for children and repetitive system involvments is being addressed with greater accuity and accountability.
I am truly hopeful in the hell in which I work. I hope that we will persevere in our efforts to keep best practice in focus at all times. I am also hopeful that Ms. Blanco will not be permitted to return to work. We are already walking around with big red targets on our backs. If she is allowed to return, it will send a clear message to everyone (not just employees of DSS but the public as well) that her temper tantrums, snit fits, profanity, threats and intimidation are acceptable. Ms. Koller should be next in line simply by association. Don’t believe for a second that Ms. Koller isn’t aware of Ms. Blanco’s methods. As for Ms. Blanco’s appointees many of whom have no life experience in the field, they should also go.
Elections have consequences and, unfortunately, Ms. Blanco (and Ms. Koller) is a consequence of the election of Governor Haley. I hope that will not be a mistake made twice when the chance finally arrives.
Nights and weekends without pay! No one in leadership has experience in casework!
Allow me to provide some more detail as to how DSS is neglecting to provide the care and safety of children in foster care. With Medicaid’s financial assistance, children are being pushed to reside in a higher level of care (Residential Treatment Facility, also known to be a Mental Health Institute) than with an appropriate setting that can better meet their needs. This cost sharing method is basically exposing neglected and abused children to those that truly are mentally ill individuals, helping them learn increased negative behaviors and potentially leading to them being institutionalized.
A second popular cost sharing method is eliminating any form of transition when these children in out of home placements finally do find potential adoptive or foster parents. Keep in mind, these kids are abused/neglected, terrified and confused, have attachment issues, and have their future homes decided abruptly because it is too costly to take the time to get to know who they will live with.
For some time now, SCDSS has taken the approach that Georgia’s practices will pave the way for lowering the number of kids in the system. I may not be the brightest individual, but why would we follow the practices of an agency that is currently being federally investigated for falsely relaying the numbers and cases to those requesting that information? I have personally witnessed Blanco’s wrath and inappropriateness and was shocked that someone could behave that way while holding the position she held and salary she obtained. I have also witnessed the youth in our state being placed in inappropriate settings simply for limiting financial expense. However, Blanco is a small part of a much larger problem within the agency. Hopefully someone will blow the whistle and fix the problem before making national headlines.
Every child is medicated and mst have a psych eval. Everyone has ADHD. Sad
Will,
I have been telling you for 3 years about the Doris Holt case, a senior kidnapped by DSS, hidden from her son for 9 months, and ultimately killed under their umbrella. This case is heinous and reflects generally on what is being kept hidden from our citizens. Though there is a need for protection of our citizens, it appears DSS is more concerned about money than well being, judging from the stories I constantly hear.
You should investigate the Doris Holt story and how it ties into DSS, SLED, the SC Supreme Court, and many other agencies. You may, in the process, find much other information you are looking for.
I think your story and this DSS story are way outside the pay grade of the likes of Will Folks.
After all as Sanford’s spokeman while he appointed 2 idiot state directors, Folks is a part of the long term cover-up of this cabinet agency’s problems.
I hope some legislator who is on the committee that is SUPPOSED to oversee DSS is reading these comments.
And, DSS has gotten way too many fly overs by LAC. I talked to Perry Simpson in the midst of a audit about 7 years ago – I made an appointment, took annual leave and went to his office in Columbia – to try to let him know about some of the severe management problems that date back to the Hodges and Sanford years. He wasn’t interested. But, now he’s LAC director, I hear. I guess the Peter Principal is right: people rise to their level of incompetence.
Alice, you sooooooo right homegurl:) I totaly aggree that ms. Banko is the hardest wrker everrrrrr!!! Mattafac, she gaved me her leftovr meetbal sub fo lunch to Fridays ago. It dont make no since ive seen her workn so hard in her offic to the point she pass out! Neva seen such harrrrrrd work lead to her fell out out! She was sooooo much fun at da Christmas Party!! Neva seen a whit woman make dat booti clap! I yell twerk it gurl!
i worked for the state of georgia under the dfcs umbrella…(the foodstamps and mediciad programs) she had people afraid of her. she would throw screaming fits in meetings in front of personnel. i always wandered if she was legal. and georgia was furloughing employees right and left and she was making a 6 figure salary. she should be buried underneath a cell somewhere. and the governor of s,c, (nikki halley) should clean house from the bottom up. has this state not had enough dark clouds hanging over it with the previous administration?
instead of cleaning from the bottom up it should start with top down…my slip. there are too many hard working honest people that have to deal with this heffer!
Just heard that Ms. Blanco resigned today
We can hope and pray that this is true!!! However, Koller is where the buck stops and she is ultimately responsible for all of the crap that has been dished out by Blanco. She may claim ignorance, which is in direct contrast to her claim that she and the Gov. are the only “smart” people in South Carolina. And it isn’t as if people weren’t telling her of the abuses and the bogus recording of numbers. Oh My, did I say that the numbers reported at DSS are untrue…. Well they are people.
Don’t get me wrong, DSS needed major reforms as far as accountability but did not need to be threatened, bullied, cussed at and abused. You don’t have to threaten people to do the job right, you just have to hold them accountable.
Can we now stop throwing kids out of foster care to unsafe conditions???
The ramifications of this administration won’t hit for a year or two, when the adoptions fail and we have kids homeless with no where to turn. All in the name of positive permanency!!!!
The Gov. won’t take any action as her ethics are shady and compromised. Maybe Koller will see the handwriting on the wall and decide to leave on her own accord.
I’ll drink to that!
And I’ll drink to that! Ding dong the witch is gone! Happy Halloween! Hopefully, some regional and county directors will be taken down too. I can’t name one competent regional or county director! Sad when secretaries make more than case workers….
worked for this “lady” for 5 years. nothing but a dictator and cared for no one but herself. it was reported that the “inspector general” for georgia dhs found no wrong doings in her hiring. well, guess what, the inspector general is appointed by the same person that hired this “lady”, so go figure. also, credit to this paper, we in georgia had no clue of her overnight stay in the cobb county jail because the atlanta media MISSED IT!!! hey blanco, carma is a bitch, and you will get your due. you ruined some good folks career here in georgia. just one question. does s.c and georgia feel like there is no one in THEIR state that is qualified for these types of jobs??? we get the thugs from chicago!! and see what a wonderful life it is there.
uh, duh! hiring practices at dss are a joke. a person who doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for a job as a county director suddenly becomes State Director of CHild Welfare? WHAT?
DSS is not the only area that needs to be focused on. YES there are many problems that are going on and YES even Lillian Koller needs to be removed from her position because she has permitted Isabelle to be the bully that she has been. She has encouraged it since it has gone on so much and has not been done secretly. Even other agencies and private providers have openly stated how things in our agency have been wrong since these ladies were hired. Nikki Haley is clueless. And other cabinet programs need to be focused on. ESPECIALLY Foster Care Review Board. That group of people are clueless and have no clue what foster care workers go through and they think it is so easy to identify adoptive families. They thrive on making foster care workers who are already over loaded and don’t have enough hours in the day to complete even the simplest tasks of there job duties because they have fifty million other things going on kick themselves even more. They act as if we do not care about our children we work with and in reality we are probablly the only ones who do care. We know more about these children than they ever will. If they “care” as much as they pretend they do maybe they could and would advocate for additional staff to be hired so that the true well being of the children can be looked after. They do not care, they are just sick individuals who get off insulting workers and making themselves feel better by doing this. They are useless and serve no purpose.
you are sooo right. anytime a reponse time may have been missed or a child not seen, it was always “do you care”? oh it was sickning and i hope she gets her pay back! {forgive me Lord} but you know what? she may “resign” from s.c., but that blasted casey foundation will pick her up for 6 figures and she will make others “slaves”………….
DSS has followed every crack-pot idea that the Annie B. Casey Foundation has come up with for over 10 years…to the detriment of children.
It is one of those entities that appoints itself “expert” in a field with absolutely no empirical evidence to back up their claims.
The connection between Casey and SCDSS needs to be fully explored.
I hope that crazy bitch is gone for good! I think the most upset I have ever been was when Blanco first traveled into the regions to meet staff. At the Region IV meeting someone made a comment about salary increases and she addressed that by asking if any employees volunteered, giving their time, to their church or to scouts. Then she told us that we need to give our time to DSS, not expecting anything in return, just as we don’t expect anything from our churches and other organizations that we choose to volunteer for. At that point I decided that Blanco was whacko! WTF? I already give about 20 hours per week to DSS without pay – I get paid for 40 hours per week, then i work through breaks and lunch hours, then stay late almost daily just to try to stay on top of the workload. And I lose leave at the end of each year because i take very little time off. And Blanco thought that I should give additional time? Did she ever think about how badly she was insulting those of us who bust their ass to get the job done? I have missed countless school functions with my own children over the past 10 years because I felt like I had to be at work. I ruined my marriage because I stay at work late and never take time off and am always in an atrocious mood because of the stress of the job. Did Blanco even consider when staff last had a salary increase? Did she ever think about how badly front line staff are needed before she hired another level of state and regional staff? Did she think about the overtime that we were already volunteering to the agency! Hell no! And did she ever consider hiring qualified people for the new jobs she created? No! She hired “yes” men and women – People who wont dare disagree with her! Most of those jobs were not even posted and people were not interviewed. Talk about unfair hiring practices! But did HR folks at DSS ever call Blanco or Koller on the carpet for this? No! And Koller certainly knew about all of Blanco’s actions and is equally to blame! Haley should be ashamed of what she brought to SC and of the results on the children of SC. And if she doesn’t know how foolish Koller and Blanco are she should look at their WIG video on youtube! What idiots! And I have no respect for those people in the videos with her — I would have quit before humiliating myself as they did! And what about that WIG celebration? How many of us were really happy to be there and were proud of the fact that we have forced kids out of foster care and put them back into homes in unsafe circumstances? How foolish did people look parading around like school children and doing elementary performances. What a waste of time and money and We were forced to attend! It makes me sick to think of how much money this administration has squandered, regardless of the source, on roundtables, nonsensical celebrations, P meetings, and unnecessary positions! I agree with previous posters and think we all should boycot the next P meeting! Of course, there may not be anymore if the star of the show is gone! Ha!
She (Blanco) actually has mentioned salary increase at many meetings and asked if anyone had donated time to their church or a civic organization… Well, Yeah dudette, for those of us who do actually do attend church and are involved… Hey dudette, that isn’t the same as coming to work everyday and being expected to be there… I guess she doesn’t get that as she comes and goes at whim… She was gone from work for a week on a Casey trip to do some consulting… was that charged to leave???? As a tax payer, I demand to know if Blanco was on leave while she earned funds to consult.
And guess what, Jessica’s assistant, Tina, is related to her, so Tina’s paper supervisor is someone else, but Tina works directly for Jessica… This is nepotism at it’s finest.
The levels of corruption in this administration rival no other in the 30 years I have been at DSS.
Well, Miss Creant, you certainly have a ball to bust!!!! Thank you for speaking up. We all need to exercise our voices in this matter and not stop until Koller and Blanco are officially gone from DSS. The minions that have been hired can probably find jobs elsewhere, or better yet, they can join the patrons of JUMP and We will find them a job (at taxpayer expense) so they can keep their livelihood.
@ John from earlier today: She believes in the well being and saftey of all children. I think she should be hailed as an assest to South Carolina and hopefully will clean up those employees that only want to collect a paycheck, but dont want to do their job nor be accountable!
John, if it was true that she believes in the well being and safety of children, she wouldn’t be a person of interest in the Georgia FBI investigation as she was the “architect” of their numbers fixing scheme that allowed them to continue to collect federal funds for meeting their PIP.
My guess is you are either related to her, or were one of her minions in a past life.
If Isabel was such a “model” supervisor, she would know how to treat staff. I don’t think it’s okay to disrespect and put down your employees. Karma.
I truly hope that Blanco, Koller and Haley read the comments posted here. Even though they will not be phased in the least bit but hopefully they may at least become paranoid about Karma biting a big piece of their butts off because if any people deserve it they definitely do. They are no better than and have the same mentality as Hitler. They have not benefited our state in any manner at all.
You are all bashing DSS for something the people in high places have done. There are good employees at DSS that work hard daily to ensure that the children on their case load are taken care of. The front line staff are underpayed and overworked. The state pays for people to sit in offices Around the state that do nothing except get the big money and the front line do all the work. They make changes to the system when ever they want and do not ever ask the people that do the work. The staff follow the directions of policy and supervisor that do not know what theya re doing either. However they make the best descions they can to protect the children and help families. State workers make less than McDonalds staff do, and we have college degress. What’s up with that. South Carolina is the lowest paid state workers in the nation and we do alot. We are on call week at a time, with no extra pay except $1;00 an hour for carrying the beeper. We do not get paid for anything over 40 hours even though we work long hours. Everythinks that State workers make boi buck not here. The people that set in offices all day make the big bucks. Why does Govenor Haily not care about teh state workers and getting them the salary that they deserve. You get a 3 percent raise and then insurance goes up and social security goes up. So where is the raise. It took SC six year to get a raise for DSS. What’s up with that? Do bonus for front line staff. But I know that every year every one in Columbia gets a raise and bonus. What happened to taking care of the people that really do the work and show up for work?
go get a real job you fucking loser
It was great coming to work today and not seeking that red sports car… I do hope that Isabel is gone forever as if she does come back the bulling that she has inflicted on others may be two-fold or more…
To DSS is in the toilet- Are you kidding me, Tina is related to Jessica??? Who does she report to on paper? Tsk,tsk,tsk… not surprised…
@ Concerned Worker: Yes there are many dedicated workers at ALL levels that are there day after day making sure the job is done well. It is really only a few people (at all levels) who don’t pull their weight and only collect a pay check, and if you ask anyone at any level they can tell someone just who those people are… Hint those who are reading, please as us… Many people at state office are hard working and put in long hours just the same as many at the county level. There are only a few that actually get paid well. Typically, changes are done as federal regulations change, not at someone’s whim. But, maybe that needs to be better communicated to the agency.
hahahahahahaha my ass…I’ve met quite a few dss workers & every single one of them have come across as bordering on being mentally handicapped & obese lazy slobs. most of the lawyers in sc will tell you the same thing behind closed doors. my 5 year old cousin could handle that agency more efficiently than all of those idiots put together.
While leaving DSS this morning I passed a woman carrying a child who was not dressed for the weather because she was in a tshirt and flip flops. The child was a toddler. Mom though had her hair done and nails and had a thick coat on. Under it she had on her tight tank top that was too small with her breast almost falling out but I am sure the I PHONE she had sticking between them had it all balanced perfect. She had on flip flops with two different brightly colored socks. Made me so glad to be a tax payer:)
I think that people who are dependant on the welfare system and have baby after baby should be legally mandated by a federal law to take a parenting class that last as long as the first half of the school year. This may decrease the number of people we support because it is obvious they run from education. It should be mandated to get food stamps or any other government assistance.
Is there anyone in any position, at any level of South Carolina government that is not corrupt. Appointments are used to repay obligations of politicians. get the best person for the job? bullshit
Lets see where I should begin, as a Foster Parent for DSS if I only knew then what I know NOW, I would never have went through the LONG Process & Money to be a Foster Parent, lets address the DSS Case workers, they don’t return your calls 97% of the time, they only work M-F – Holidays (they get A LOT of them) don’t expect to get in touch of one if you should ever HAVE to get in touch with them, especially if schools are out. They carry a case load of anywhere between 25-40 kids, they will wait till the last few hours of the day on the last days of the month to rush you into a visit, yet they have to do one every month, they demand you to bow to them if you do not wish to run to them at last few minutes, the supervisors are the most worthless payroll eating people we have on state payroll they do nothing nor do anything to earn there pay nor direct the case workers to do the job they are paid for, the director for DSS in Pickens now Greenville again cannot direct his staff to do again what they are paid to do, TPR workers act like they are the thing, NOT NOT NOT. Most of the DSS employees will tell you they are doing this to get there tenure and they are gone, NOT for the children but for the state benefits NOW and after. The state is going through the process of letting go of all of them and going with a private sector called YAP and it has created more issues between the state DSS workers, YAP and the foster parents, the guardian at litem program this is for the kids to help or give them a somewhat voice they do not see the kids, talk to the kids, if fact care about the kids they too are supposed to see the kids once per month I have had a child for over 9 months and they have never seen the child, never called, never emailed back, Nothing, they don’t care about cases and yet they volunteer to do this or if they are one of the few paid by the state they are even worse, again along with there director too, DSS caseworkers themselves try to be heard but are silenced by the Kohler and company out of Columbia who just wants to outsource there jobs and give them somewhat of a voice so they just tuck there tail and do a 1/2 ass job and pass along there hatred to us, If you think a Foster parent is paid NOT, we get $11 a day we pay for field trips, food, clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, extras, etc. etc. When DSS does not pay the medical bills, guess who they call and threaten? When you want to go out of town or need to better make sure you have sent them emails and called Congress cause it will take you a LONG time to get paperwork to do that if you want or need the children to go with if you plan on not doing this then they have to find you a home that can take the child for up to 7 days, by the way you pay the other family to do this whatever they ask, DSS does NOT Compensate you for this if its more than 7 days they will then ask you to cut your trip shorter or they will possibly remove the child from your home, if you file a complaint about anyone they will take out aggression on you and Extra Surprise White Glove Visits, & would rather put a child in a Shelter Yes a Shelter than provide a stable secure home, I personally voted for Halley but she needs to change directions Immediately and clean house or the voters of this state will the problems that Kohler and company are creating is Unbelievable, they are loosing more families, yet while more and more children are coming into the system, Do you know they are now paying a Finders Fee (our tax money) to help find, train, license, new Foster Families? $200 per newly licensed family doubt me contact YAP ask them I could go on and on about stories and issues but its long enough already
Lets see where I should begin, as a Foster Parent for DSS if I only knew then what I know NOW, I would never have went through the LONG Process & Money to be a Foster Parent, lets address the DSS Case workers, they don’t return your calls 97% of the time, they only work M-F – Holidays (they get A LOT of them) don’t expect to get in touch of one if you should ever HAVE to get in touch with them, especially if schools are out. They carry a case load of anywhere between 25-40 kids, they will wait till the last few hours of the day on the last days of the month to rush you into a visit, yet they have to do one every month, they demand you to bow to them if you do not wish to run to them at last few minutes, the supervisors are the most worthless payroll eating people we have on state payroll they do nothing nor do anything to earn there pay nor direct the case workers to do the job they are paid for, the director for DSS in Pickens now Greenville again cannot direct his staff to do again what they are paid to do, TPR workers act like they are the thing, NOT NOT NOT. Most of the DSS employees will tell you they are doing this to get there tenure and they are gone, NOT for the children but for the state benefits NOW and after. The state is going through the process of letting go of all of them and going with a private sector called YAP and it has created more issues between the state DSS workers, YAP and the foster parents, the guardian at litem program this is for the kids to help or give them a somewhat voice they do not see the kids, talk to the kids, if fact care about the kids they too are supposed to see the kids once per month I have had a child for over 9 months and they have never seen the child, never called, never emailed back, Nothing, they don’t care about cases and yet they volunteer to do this or if they are one of the few paid by the state they are even worse, again along with there director too, DSS caseworkers themselves try to be heard but are silenced by the Kohler and company out of Columbia who just wants to outsource there jobs and give them somewhat of a voice so they just tuck there tail and do a 1/2 ass job and pass along there hatred to us, If you think a Foster parent is paid NOT, we get $11 a day we pay for field trips, food, clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, extras, etc. etc. When DSS does not pay the medical bills, guess who they call and threaten? When you want to go out of town or need to better make sure you have sent them emails and called Congress cause it will take you a LONG time to get paperwork to do that if you want or need the children to go with if you plan on not doing this then they have to find you a home that can take the child for up to 7 days, by the way you pay the other family to do this whatever they ask, DSS does NOT Compensate you for this if its more than 7 days they will then ask you to cut your trip shorter or they will possibly remove the child from your home, if you file a complaint about anyone they will take out aggression on you and Extra Surprise White Glove Visits, & would rather put a child in a Shelter Yes a Shelter than provide a stable secure home, I personally voted for Halley but she needs to change directions Immediately and clean house or the voters of this state will the problems that Kohler and company are creating is Unbelievable, they are loosing more families, yet while more and more children are coming into the system, Do you know they are now paying a Finders Fee (our tax money) to help find, train, license, new Foster Families? $200 per newly licensed family doubt me contact YAP ask them I could go on and on about stories and issues but its long enough already
Where is Ms. Blanco now?