Thanks to all those Oklahomans who contacted House members! And thanks to Reps Sherrer, Walker, McDaniel, and Hoskin for their terrific support. We're half-way home!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Oklahoma: HB 2634 passes House 93-0
Thanks to all those Oklahomans who contacted House members! And thanks to Reps Sherrer, Walker, McDaniel, and Hoskin for their terrific support. We're half-way home!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Oklahoma: HB 2634--Geographically limited Action Alert
Important: please read the guidelines before you write . This is a limited action alert for those born in Oklahoma or current residents. From Pat Marler:
Great news! HB2634 was placed on the House of Representatives Floor Calendar today! It will be heard between the 12th and the last day to be heard, the 15th.
This is a clean bill with no restrictions; only a contact Preference Form which does not affect the release of the OBC.
The following are e-mail addresses for the Representatives and we want all those who were born or live in Oklahoma to please write these Representatives and tell them why passing this legislation is important to all adult adoptees born before 1997. It is a sensitive way to let a birth parent to let the adoptee know how or if she/hewants to be contacted. Also, if there is no contact wanted, the birth parent will be asked to fill out a medical and social history to be given along with the Contact Preference form to the original birth certificate.
IMPORTANT: HB 2634 sponsor Rep. Ben Scherrer requests that emails not be sent until Monday morning March 12. He wants them to be fresh in the legislators' minds. He also wants them short and to the point.
Read the bill here and then write:
IMPORTANT: HB 2634 sponsor Rep. Ben Scherrer requests that emails not be sent until Monday morning March 12. He wants them to be fresh in the legislators' minds. He also wants them short and to the point.
Read the bill here and then write:
International Women's Day: The Women of the IWW
I owe much to those wonderful women of the Industrial Workers of the World-- those I knew in person and others only historically who inspired me to fight state oppression: Sophie Cohen, Esther Dolgoff, Gurley Flynn, Lucy Parsons, Nina Spies and so many more. (I'll save the men for another day)
Sunday, March 04, 2012
More Information, More Questions in Troy Adopta Child Sex Assault Cases
Congratulations to the Dayton Daily News for the bang-up reporting it's doing in the Kenneth Brandt child rape investigation. I was concerned that coverage would be superficial, but he Daily News has has stayed on top of things. (I've long been a fan of the Daily News's dedication to actual journalism). Today's Child-rape case shows safeguards failed. is an important read. The long feature contains new information on ACTION, Inc., child shuffling between Texas and Dayton, and Brandt himself. It brings up the yet-to-be-answered question of whether Brandt was living off foster/adoption subsidies. (I'd love to know how the unlicensed insurance agent Brandt convinced ACTION, Inc that he actually had a job.)
I'm writing another project today that was due last week, and don't' have time today to comment much, but I wanted to get something up with a couple comments.
There's one disturbing piece from the piece I'll point out here before I go for the day. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, in the last seven years "28 adopted children from the state (Texas) have been placed in homes thorough Dayton-based ACTION." In 2006, 12% of ACTION's placements came from Texas.
I believe this child relocation is common, but I've never understood why. I'm no doubt naive, but outside of an occasional special circumstance (excluding kinship placement), why are foster children shipped across state lines? Interstate newborn placement is bad enough, but the outsourcing of foster children is ripe for sex abuse not to mention government and individual financial shenanigans.
We've certainly seen enough rot in Ohio to have a good idea what goes on here, most of it protected by "professional secrecy" promoted by the self-serving child welfare industry: "confidentiality" "privacy" and "child's best interest."
As I wrote yesterday, I don't have any sense that ACTION Inc was involved in any illegal activities, and I'd be highly surprised if they are. Nonetheless, the agency's involvement in the placement of at least three boys who were repeatedly raped by their forever father and his friends needs exposed and investigated.
The Daily News also mentions a series of ACTION, Inc videos. (ACTION's YouTube channel is here.) I found them this morning before I read the article which also references them. I had originally planned to post a couple today. I've now posted three below, introductions by Patricia A. Hill and two staff members. They are very short. I was quite taken aback when ACTION, Inc director Patricia A Smith introduces herself as the adoptive mother of 22. A Kid Kollector to boot!
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Where the Action Is: ACTION, Inc idenfified as adoption agency in sex assault cases
I won't be posting all of my blogs on the sexual assault cases against the adopted boys in Troy, Ohio, but I'm including this one here. Go to Ohio Adoptee Searches for the whole collection.
Well, it's official! The name of the Dayton, Ohio agency that handled the adoption of four children by accused adopta pedophile and trafficker Kenneth Brant has been published--ACTION, Inc; full name: Adopting Children Today Information/Option Network with the tagline. "dreams can come true,"
A few days ago I heard that ACTION, Inc was involved in the adoptions but had no documentation and held back until there was verification.. It has now been reported by the Dayton Daily News.(Man used private Dayton adoption agency in alleged child rape, prostitution case)
The Ohio Secretary of State's business services section verifies that ACTION, Inc. is incorporated as a non-profit child placing agency in Ohio. It's director is identified as Patricia A. Hill from New Lebanon, a Dayton suburb. The agency itself is located in a single family home at 6000 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton. Hill's name and home address in SOS documents matches a list of Ohio independent licensed social workers. (I am researching Hill and the agency's staff and board which I'll post when completed, probably in a couple days.)
According to the ACTION, Inc. website, the agency
...began in 1994 as an adoptive parent support group. In 1997, members of the group began the licensing process to open an adoption agency. ACTION continues to proved pre- and post-adoptive services to families as a 501 (c)(3)non-profit corporation.
Our Adoption Services Include:
A few days ago I heard that ACTION, Inc was involved in the adoptions but had no documentation and held back until there was verification.. It has now been reported by the Dayton Daily News.(Man used private Dayton adoption agency in alleged child rape, prostitution case)
The Ohio Secretary of State's business services section verifies that ACTION, Inc. is incorporated as a non-profit child placing agency in Ohio. It's director is identified as Patricia A. Hill from New Lebanon, a Dayton suburb. The agency itself is located in a single family home at 6000 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton. Hill's name and home address in SOS documents matches a list of Ohio independent licensed social workers. (I am researching Hill and the agency's staff and board which I'll post when completed, probably in a couple days.)
According to the ACTION, Inc. website, the agency
...began in 1994 as an adoptive parent support group. In 1997, members of the group began the licensing process to open an adoption agency. ACTION continues to proved pre- and post-adoptive services to families as a 501 (c)(3)non-profit corporation.
Our Adoption Services Include:
- Weekly adoptive parent support group
- Infant, child and sibling placements
- Birth parent adoption plans
- Assistance with locating family resources and services
- Specialized educational courses for adoptive families
The page gives no information about the agency's qualifications as child placing entity, nor does it list the names and qualifications of the owner/operator and staff. (older links with that possible information I found on Googledon't work) Outside of saying ACTION.Inc is a 501(c)(3), the page offers no accreditation or licensing information, although the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services says that it is licensed. An older ODJFS page contained a directory of Ohio accredited agencies, but the new page doesn't.
The Action, Inc.page features two pictures, one of a churchy-looking group of women (the staff? ) and another of a woman ( also in the group picture; Ms Hill?)) with two spiffy-dressed little African-American boys taken in what appears to be a courtroom.
.
"For more information" about ACTION, Inc.we are directed to its "full website." At the top of that page we are informed Actionadoption.org is COMING SOON to REGISTER.COM which links to register.com for for us to set up our own register.com domain..
While we wait for ACTON, Inc's full-blown webpage to hatch, we find in its place a cheap list of adoption "topics" with links to other adoption topics and sites that are attached sometimes to the spam marketing pest ztomy.-- but nothing about ACTION, Inc. Perhaps this is filler. Bad filler. In fact, when I went to the "full website" yesterday I got filler for video games! I regret not taking a screen shot to post here.
When I began to write this piece this morning, one of the headers, now gone, was called "Hot Deals," an unfortunate choice of words under the circumstances. That's disappeared, and we now have the equally unfortunate "Hot Favorites" which links to among other topics, "Adoption Child Photolisting" and "Available Child for Adoption." that connects to more links which connect to more links. which connect to who knows how many more links deep into the cyber. hole. Occasionally, there's a link to a real webpage, which I assume pays to be linked
.
The curious "full website" contains a search engine, too Just for fun I typed "ACTION, Inc" into it, and this is what popped up:
Back at the Dayton Daily News we learn some new information about the investigation:
---the four children are now in the care of Kenneth Brandt's mother; the girl who has not been finalized, will probably be returned to Texas for redistribution
--Brant, following the pattern of many adoption./fostercare abusers, was beginning to socially isolate his victims, through alleged home schooling.
I say "alleged" because we don't know if he actually bothered to. Brandt's qualification for Ohio schooling under Ohio: evidence that he had a high school diploma and the submission of "proper curriculum."
Whatever went on, one boy was enrolled in Troy schools from August 18, 2011-January 2, 2012; another from August 13, 2010-Feb 13, 2012; and the third from Dec 17, 2010-February 13, 2112. .Reports so far don't indicate when Brandt started to hand off the boys to his Internet acquaintances, but I wonder if that's around the time he began to pull them out of school. That is, when his hobby became a money-making deal.
Three is no word yet on what Texas adoption agency, if any, worked the other end. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services says they "will review the case." ODJFS, of course, is horrified, by the sexual assaults, especially since it licensed the agency that handled the adoptions, It;s investigating "how the adoption took place."
Finally, on March 1, the Dayton Daily News published an article, .Man accused of child rape, describing a little of his personal life and the reaction of his neighbors to his arrest. A couple interesting points are made:
---Brandt, although he did not hold an insurance agent license in Ohio, owned Brant Insurance Services. There is no webpage for the business, but the incorporation can be found o the Ohio SOS page. How he supported himself, unless illegally, hasn't been revealed and I haven't found anything yet.
---Neighbors report Brandt was selling his house. Then, shortly after his arrest, a man and woman were spotted moving out furniture and household items. The man reportedly told someone (no source of the quote): " “I’m so ashamed. I don’t have anything to say. ”
---The children were only occasionally seen outside; neighbors reported that Brandt watched them carefully. One of the boys was never seen by neighbors..
More later.
"For more information" about ACTION, Inc.we are directed to its "full website." At the top of that page we are informed Actionadoption.org is COMING SOON to REGISTER.COM which links to register.com for for us to set up our own register.com domain..
While we wait for ACTON, Inc's full-blown webpage to hatch, we find in its place a cheap list of adoption "topics" with links to other adoption topics and sites that are attached sometimes to the spam marketing pest ztomy.-- but nothing about ACTION, Inc. Perhaps this is filler. Bad filler. In fact, when I went to the "full website" yesterday I got filler for video games! I regret not taking a screen shot to post here.
When I began to write this piece this morning, one of the headers, now gone, was called "Hot Deals," an unfortunate choice of words under the circumstances. That's disappeared, and we now have the equally unfortunate "Hot Favorites" which links to among other topics, "Adoption Child Photolisting" and "Available Child for Adoption." that connects to more links which connect to more links. which connect to who knows how many more links deep into the cyber. hole. Occasionally, there's a link to a real webpage, which I assume pays to be linked
.
The curious "full website" contains a search engine, too Just for fun I typed "ACTION, Inc" into it, and this is what popped up:
Action A Inc: Cheap
www.NexTag.com
So far I have no sense that the folks at ACTION, Inc are part of a pedophile or trafficking ring They're just stupid.
So far I have no sense that the folks at ACTION, Inc are part of a pedophile or trafficking ring They're just stupid.
******
---the four children are now in the care of Kenneth Brandt's mother; the girl who has not been finalized, will probably be returned to Texas for redistribution
--Brant, following the pattern of many adoption./fostercare abusers, was beginning to socially isolate his victims, through alleged home schooling.
I say "alleged" because we don't know if he actually bothered to. Brandt's qualification for Ohio schooling under Ohio: evidence that he had a high school diploma and the submission of "proper curriculum."
Whatever went on, one boy was enrolled in Troy schools from August 18, 2011-January 2, 2012; another from August 13, 2010-Feb 13, 2012; and the third from Dec 17, 2010-February 13, 2112. .Reports so far don't indicate when Brandt started to hand off the boys to his Internet acquaintances, but I wonder if that's around the time he began to pull them out of school. That is, when his hobby became a money-making deal.
Three is no word yet on what Texas adoption agency, if any, worked the other end. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services says they "will review the case." ODJFS, of course, is horrified, by the sexual assaults, especially since it licensed the agency that handled the adoptions, It;s investigating "how the adoption took place."
Finally, on March 1, the Dayton Daily News published an article, .Man accused of child rape, describing a little of his personal life and the reaction of his neighbors to his arrest. A couple interesting points are made:
---Brandt, although he did not hold an insurance agent license in Ohio, owned Brant Insurance Services. There is no webpage for the business, but the incorporation can be found o the Ohio SOS page. How he supported himself, unless illegally, hasn't been revealed and I haven't found anything yet.
---Neighbors report Brandt was selling his house. Then, shortly after his arrest, a man and woman were spotted moving out furniture and household items. The man reportedly told someone (no source of the quote): " “I’m so ashamed. I don’t have anything to say. ”
---The children were only occasionally seen outside; neighbors reported that Brandt watched them carefully. One of the boys was never seen by neighbors..
More later.
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