A Culture of Fear: An Inside Look at Los Angeles County's Department of Children & Family Services

This book is unique and revealing in that it shows the good, bad and plain evil in CPS as an agency (based upon California DCFS). It clearly demonstrates on the evidence the need for systemic reform to protect children and their parents (clients) and service providers (social workers). I applaud the authors for their level headed views one of the most misunderstood and damaging mechanisms on planet earth - punishment without crime and an agency, with its role of informant to the lower courts, which is clearly built on perjury, fails to accord its clients with the presumption of innocence and natural justice, bypasses constitutional protections in practice. This agency not only avoids sufficient punishment for its authorised agents crimes, it has a culture that promotes criminal practice a the higher levels. Should be read by every attorney general, judge, politician, police officer, social worker, teacher, doctor and nurse for situational awareness and risk management for families. You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. I applaud the authors for their courage, objectivity and examples as to what appears to work, and what clearly does not. Failing to act on the information contained in this book Will mean innocent families will continue to be punished and destroyed at the behest of governments holding out to protect them. It also shows the grief that good and honest social workers with a conscience are subject to in an organisation that is reminiscent of the East German Stasi with little belief in the legal principles around duty of care / Donahue and Stephenson et al. Unchecked power which is psychopathic like no other, with almost zero taxpayer and society accountability. Senator Nancy Schaefer was correct in my view when she declared the agency in Georgia a criminal enterprise, which ironically is one of reasons one cannot incorporate, yet most of these are government corporations and regulated by company regulators. There is a growing body of medical evidence that shows the horrendous physical damage done to children, parents and social workers caused as a direct affect of these agencies. It’s time for citizens to take their civil obligations seriously- so many of us have children and they are the future of society. The United Nations appears to have said little in regard to the effect of its Convention of the rights of the child (CRC) on sovereign countries when incorporated into domestic legislation and the massively negative impacts of foregoing the general legal principle of the presumption of evidence instead taking a low / no evidence based approach on legal’ best interests’ of the child. The only criticisms I have got this book relate to the use of acronyms some without explanation and there could be so much more information and case studies put into a reference version of this book. Would be good to see professional staff in other states with CPS agencies write their candid opinion of the process. CPS exists as unholy alliance with the lower courts as a perjurious informant and this needs immediate structural examination. It’s my belief we will prosecute senior members of CPS like we did war criminals at Nuremberg.

Because of Mr. Dominguez & Ms.Murphy's courage and level of concern for children and their families, they should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The issues addressed in their book are a national scandal that we as a society can not tolerate. They not only pin point serious practices that negatively impact families, they provide proven solution. I encourage everybody who has ever been victimized by this badly flawed system to 1. Buy & read the book and encourage others to do the same. 2. Form a coalition in your area to work with supervisors, legislators, grand jury, advocates and civil rights organizations to provide oversight and reform how cps is allowed to function. 3. Document and share your stories with both state and federal representatives and the media. Cps can continue to abuse its power and hurt children and families under the cover of darkness (called confidentiality) as long as "We The People" remain silent. "A Culture of Fear..." is the first bright light of truth exposing cps for who they really are and how they operate. Hardworking, caring, honest caseworkers need our help also. Julian & Melinda were two of those caseworkers who now provide us, on the outside, with a perspective of what they suffered through on the inside. Having walked the fires of cps hell for over a year, I can honestly say that without Julian & Melinda's book, I would not have survived the ordeal. They not only validated our family's story, page after page, they gave our family hope and direction on how to find our way out of that bureaucratic cesspool that is cps. This book provides needed understanding and options that are available to us all. Best of all the authors are available to help you, come hold workshops, and interface with cps in your area. I and others who have read this valuable book can give it only the highest recommendation, a MUST READ! Many Blessings to all...Fox Sloan

As a current CSW for LA County DCFS I can attest to all that was written in the book and so much more. I entered this field to do good and help families only to find that LA County DCFS is only out to harm. The book references that DCFS will do anything to build a case against a family and that includes lying on reports, omitting evidence or proof that a parent is following orders and making up things. I have personally gone to management over court reports missing information only to have my job threatened. When workers find that they are wrong they will go above and beyond to hide the truth and do whatever they can to make the parent look GUILTY. This book only cracks the surface of the problems within the system. This book should be required reading by the LA County Board of Supervisors, Phillip Browning current DCFS Director and anyone who in the training academy. Like the book references, there are some very good, ethical workers but that is far and in between. Think of this book exposure like the LA Police Rampart Division exposure. The bad has more power and will drown out the words of the good workers with internal promotions and the ability to target those who are considered trouble makers. Thank you writing this book.

The "child services" system is highly invested in itself and is therefore unlikely to change in any meaningful way, and therefore it is essential for anyone who has to work with, or is caught up in, the system to understand what really goes on inside. That is why this is a very important book for professionals as well as parents, and though the material may be difficult for non-professionals to get through it will be of great help to them as well.

Much needed information that is Engrossing and appalling. More people need to know about DCFS and how it has lost sight of social work ethics and values. Many times DCFS is the reason people hate social workers when social workers are supposed to be the helpers and advocates. DCFS appears to be doing the antithesis of this work. Shameful!