What reason would there be for someone to take a 13 year old special needs girl while the adoptive parents kept the checks meant for the child?
NC - Erica Lynn Parsons, 13, Rowan County, 19 Nov 2011 - #4
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What reason would there be for someone to take a 13 year old special needs girl while the adoptive parents kept the checks meant for the child?
Justiceseeker35
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only reasons I could think of are sick and twisted ones. Plus what proof do we have that she was actually specials needs. The only schooling she had was "home schooling" the only socializing she was allowed was with her so called family. Even then I feel she was only allowed to socialize with them when CP could stand to look at her (from her own quote). We are taking the word of the adoptive Mom that she was special needs. Any evidence to back that up, scholastic tests, evaluations, social worker assessments? Perhaps her special needs status would get them more monthly money.... just some thoughts.
I also have a hard time believing in some good hearted person just taking Erica off the adoptive parents' hands.
It's been widely reported that Erica was a special needs child, and I thought that was the reason they were receiving monthly subsidies; to use for Erica's needs. I don't think we have any resource to records which would tell us for sure what type of "special needs" Erica might have.
ArianeEmory
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$600 a month for 2 years is $14,400 that they drew for Erica while she was no longer there.
And does anyone believe they had $14000 in the bank 'waiting for her'?
Not I.
Justiceseeker35
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I have a very hard time believing they had that money sitting there while they were facing eviction and homelessness and not using any of it because it belonged to Erica. That money has been long spent.
I just watched the video that was posted and I don't know if anyone else caught it but at the end of the video the news commentator stated that investigators say that foul play did play a factor in Ericka's disappearance. This was after the news commentator mentioned that JP stated his parents killed and buried Ericka in the backyard.
<modsnip>
Because when I told this forum about this video, I pointed out that the very same video shows the PARSONS being interviewed & the reporter says THAT happened in 2011 ... so then that would mean that the world has known that Erica was missing for 2 years, right ?
So the content quality of the reporting is not the best.
AnjL
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I would think that government agencies do not give away thousands of dollars to anyone that asks for it.
So prior to the commencement of the disability income, Erica must have undergone some kind of evaluation & deemed by some experienced professionals to be deserving of it.
But I think that legally, Erica's medical diagnosis would be subject to the same medical privacy laws
that Jamie's medical diagnosis is & so will not be released for public speculation.
Whether or not she has a disability, she still deserves to be found !
However, if she is still alive, I would not be at all surprised,
if she did NOT want to return to the UNloving home environment she grew up in.
Sexual abuse
Yea unfortunately that is a very real possibility.
One dubious story that Casey told us was that Erica has always been boy crazy, even at
public school when she was 6 years old. I would analyze that as an unloved child seeking
attention & love anywhere she can get it ... because she is not getting any love at home.
And the sad thing is that are many young teenage girls who grow up in what they consider an
unloving environment, who then runaway from home & end up choosing a life of prostitution
& perceive that kind of life has more benefits than the unloving home they escaped from.
Of course we don't know how Erica thinks, so this might not be the case for her ...
but the possibility exists that if she is learning disabled (as has been reported in the media),
then she would not be analyzing the complexities of her situation, but just see the
simple side of thngs ... that she is surrounded by people who are paying her some attention &
seem to like her, as she receives gifts & money that she can buy all the things she wants to.
Sexual abuse
Erica's home life reminded of the the Cinderella fairy tale where the wicked
step-sisters emotionally abuse her & make her do the housework of scrubbing floors
(someone even mentioned that previously in this forum).
But instead of a Prince Charming coming along to save her from that depressing life,
in modern day reality, it is more likely that a pimp will come along
& show her her some small kindness that she has not had regularly ...
& the illusion of a better life with money to get the material things she wants.
Snowbunny, please undersand that I was NOT being disrespectful to you at all.
I was just trying to point out that reporters make mistakes ...
and I had previously warned that this article had a mistake in it.
This was the first story done when Carolyn returned to Louisiana,
so the reporters there were not familiar with the previous stories in North Carolina &
all the details of the case & thus prone to error ... as evidenced in their reporting.
tlcya
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Who says the payments the Parsons were receiving on behalf of Erica were due to disability?
Many children available for adoption are eligible for monthly maintenance payments, medical benefits, and other services. Adoption Assistance is available for all children whose status and special needs meet certain criteria. Children who are considered special needs include children with physical, mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities as well as sibling groups, older children, and children of color. The child's Department of Social Services determines individual eligibility based on specific criteria. The agency then negotiates with adoptive parents to meet needs through an adoption assistance agreement.
The monthly adoption assistance payment in North Carolina is computed on a graduated level based on the age of the child. Most of North Carolina's 100 local county Departments of Social Services have raised their rates to the following payment structure:
$475.00 for children 0-5
$581.00 for children 6-12
$634.00 for children 13-18
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/adoption/
From teh BBM it would seem that the critertia are lose and that DSS can and does "negotionate" with parents regarding the payment (assistance) they may receive for adopting a child. Was it reported that at one point CasP had custody of some of Erica's siblings (half siblings who would be the children of SP's brother on whom CarP cheated?)
Children can qualify for federal adoption assistance or state assistance, depending on the child’s history. Adoption subsidy policies and practices are, for the most part, dependent on the state in which the child was in foster care before the adoption.
Below is information related to definitions of special needs, benefits available, and procedures in North Carolina. Answers to select questions were made available by the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) through the Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov). Profiles for other states’ subsidy programs are available. If you have additional questions, please contact NACAC at 651-644-3036, 800-470-6665, or adoption.assistance@nacac.org. If you have state-specific questions, please call your State Subsidy Contact Person or the NACAC Subsidy Representative (listed above) for more information.
For more information on Title IV-E eligibility, view our fact sheet Eligibility and Benefits for Federal Adoption Assistance.
http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/stateprofiles/northcarolina.html
Special Needs Determination
?To be considered a child with special needs, a child must meet all three of the criteria below:
The state has determined that the child cannot or should not be returned to the birth parents’ home.
The state has found a specific factor or condition, or combination of factors and conditions, that make the child more difficult to place for adoption. Each state sets its own special needs definition, which may include the child’s ethnic background; age; sibling group status; medical condition; or physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
The state has made a reasonable, but unsuccessful, effort to place the child without providing adoption assistance. Making “a reasonable effort” may mean the adoption agency has asked for the assistance of an adoption exchange to help find a family for the child or referred the child to an agency that specializes in placing children with special needs. An exception is made to this requirement if making the effort to locate a family is not in the best interest of the child. For example, if the child has a significant emotional bond with foster parents who want to adopt or a relative is willing to adopt, it is not in that child’s best interest to look for other adoptive parents who could adopt without support.
The agency cannot shop around for a family willing to adopt without support while the child remains in foster care. If the agency has determined that the child is not returning home and has special needs, the agency can then ask any prospective parents whether they are willing to adopt the child without assistance. If the family says they cannot adopt without assistance, the requirement for reasonable efforts is met.
http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/factsheets/title_IV.html much more at link
So based on some of what I am reading - Erica's stipend or assistance may not have anything at all to do with a disability in the way we are thinking. Special needs as defined by the adoption program can mean anything from hard to place to anything else.
I am still not convinced Erica had any disability whatsoever except for maybe having been adopted by the Parsons.
Many children available for adoption are eligible for monthly maintenance payments, medical benefits, and other services. Adoption Assistance is available for all children whose status and special needs meet certain criteria. Children who are considered special needs include children with physical, mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities as well as sibling groups, older children, and children of color. The child's Department of Social Services determines individual eligibility based on specific criteria. The agency then negotiates with adoptive parents to meet needs through an adoption assistance agreement.
The monthly adoption assistance payment in North Carolina is computed on a graduated level based on the age of the child. Most of North Carolina's 100 local county Departments of Social Services have raised their rates to the following payment structure:
$475.00 for children 0-5
$581.00 for children 6-12
$634.00 for children 13-18
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/adoption/
From teh BBM it would seem that the critertia are lose and that DSS can and does "negotionate" with parents regarding the payment (assistance) they may receive for adopting a child. Was it reported that at one point CasP had custody of some of Erica's siblings (half siblings who would be the children of SP's brother on whom CarP cheated?)
Children can qualify for federal adoption assistance or state assistance, depending on the child’s history. Adoption subsidy policies and practices are, for the most part, dependent on the state in which the child was in foster care before the adoption.
Below is information related to definitions of special needs, benefits available, and procedures in North Carolina. Answers to select questions were made available by the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) through the Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov). Profiles for other states’ subsidy programs are available. If you have additional questions, please contact NACAC at 651-644-3036, 800-470-6665, or adoption.assistance@nacac.org. If you have state-specific questions, please call your State Subsidy Contact Person or the NACAC Subsidy Representative (listed above) for more information.
For more information on Title IV-E eligibility, view our fact sheet Eligibility and Benefits for Federal Adoption Assistance.
http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/stateprofiles/northcarolina.html
Special Needs Determination
?To be considered a child with special needs, a child must meet all three of the criteria below:
The state has determined that the child cannot or should not be returned to the birth parents’ home.
The state has found a specific factor or condition, or combination of factors and conditions, that make the child more difficult to place for adoption. Each state sets its own special needs definition, which may include the child’s ethnic background; age; sibling group status; medical condition; or physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
The state has made a reasonable, but unsuccessful, effort to place the child without providing adoption assistance. Making “a reasonable effort” may mean the adoption agency has asked for the assistance of an adoption exchange to help find a family for the child or referred the child to an agency that specializes in placing children with special needs. An exception is made to this requirement if making the effort to locate a family is not in the best interest of the child. For example, if the child has a significant emotional bond with foster parents who want to adopt or a relative is willing to adopt, it is not in that child’s best interest to look for other adoptive parents who could adopt without support.
The agency cannot shop around for a family willing to adopt without support while the child remains in foster care. If the agency has determined that the child is not returning home and has special needs, the agency can then ask any prospective parents whether they are willing to adopt the child without assistance. If the family says they cannot adopt without assistance, the requirement for reasonable efforts is met.
http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/factsheets/title_IV.html much more at link
So based on some of what I am reading - Erica's stipend or assistance may not have anything at all to do with a disability in the way we are thinking. Special needs as defined by the adoption program can mean anything from hard to place to anything else.
I am still not convinced Erica had any disability whatsoever except for maybe having been adopted by the Parsons.
Hi tlcya ... I am continuing from our last pleasant conversation, to exchange ideas with you
If you are referring to my very recent use of the word disability
& it offends you, I apologize as I meant no disrespect to you.
Again, I have no experience with the adoption system ... perhaps it is because of my old age,
that I am more familiar with the common parlance where "disability" is the old term,
that has since been replaced by the newer term "special needs".
The definition you shared, itself, uses the word disabilities ...
I really don't want to argue this point, because I personally do not think it is important ... as I previously stated, a missing child should be found regardless of the existence or lack of a medical status.
But continuing to exchange ideas in a pleasant manner ... just looking at the definition
you provided, by process of elimination, Erica met the criteria due to some kind of disability
because she did not fit into any of the other criteria, those being:
- she was not old
- she was not a person of colour
- she was not part of a sibling group
Carolyn was separated from her PARSONS husband when she got pregnant with Erica.
At 2 weeks old Erica & her 3 half siblings entered into the foster system.
ALL 3 of her half siblings were adopted, but Erica was not ...
so she was left alone in the foster system & was not part of a sibling group.
At 2 years old the PARSONS couple adopted her.
Again I don't really want to argue either side, but will share some existing
media quotes below for your own consideration of their worthiness ...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1308/22/ng.01.html
2013 Aug 22
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/frequently-asked-questions-erica-PARSONS-case/nZZs8/
2013 Aug 23
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-play-suspected-in-missing-girl-case/2813517/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...a-lynn-parsons-missing-case-article-1.1456079
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/1...or-nc-girl-reported-missing-18-months-after/#
http://www.salisburypost.com/articl...akes-erica-parsons-x2019-story-national-again
On 2013 Sep 14 all 4 news outlets above reported this same quote below ...
SCHMAE
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$600 a month for 2 years is $14,400 that they drew for Erica while she was no longer there.
At least , in my opinion. To me , it's unclear exactly WHEN she went missing. Could be plus or minus a month or two.
tlcya
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Hi tlcya ... I am continuing from our last pleasant conversation, to exchange ideas with you
If you are referring to my very recent use of the word disability
& it offends you, I apologize as I meant no disrespect to you.
Again, I have no experience with the adoption system ... perhaps it is because of my old age,
that I am more familiar with the common parlance where "disability" is the old term,
that has since been replaced by the newer term "special needs".
The definition you shared, itself, uses the word disabilities ...
I really don't want to argue this point, because I personally do not think it is important ... as I previously stated, a missing child should be found regardless of the existence or lack of a medical status.
But continuing to exchange ideas in a pleasant manner ... just looking at the definition
you provided, by process of elimination, Erica met the criteria due to some kind of disability
because she did not fit into any of the other criteria, those being:
- she was not old
- she was not a person of colour
- she was not part of a sibling group
Carolyn was separated from her PARSONS husband when she got pregnant with Erica.
At 2 weeks old Erica & her 3 half siblings entered into the foster system.
ALL 3 of her half siblings were adopted, but Erica was not ...
so she was left alone in the foster system & was not part of a sibling group.
At 2 years old the PARSONS couple adopted her.
Again I don't really want to argue either side, but will share some existing
media quotes below for your own consideration of their worthiness ...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1308/22/ng.01.html
2013 Aug 22
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/frequently-asked-questions-erica-PARSONS-case/nZZs8/
2013 Aug 23
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-play-suspected-in-missing-girl-case/2813517/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...a-lynn-parsons-missing-case-article-1.1456079
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/1...or-nc-girl-reported-missing-18-months-after/#
http://www.salisburypost.com/articl...akes-erica-parsons-x2019-story-national-again
On 2013 Sep 14 all 4 news outlets above reported this same quote below ...
I took no offense to the use of the term disability. I just have seen no credible evidence that Erica suffered from a learning disability as CasP has stated. And some are considering the adoption stipend to be evidence that CasP is telling the truth about that. I just wanted to point out that "special needs" label in the adoption world does not necessarily imply a disability per se but is also used to describe children who may be hard to place for one reason or another. And that CPS while working with the foster system can "decide" a child fits the criteria of special needs and can then negotiate with a low income family who express interest in adopting a child that has been given that label in the adoption system.
I am not saying that Erica did not have any disability, I also recall that Erica is said to have hearing issues. THAT alone may have been enough IMO to make her harder to place with an adoptive family. That coupled with actual (by marriage) family members expressing interest in adopting her could have been enough IMO to earn the Parsons that stipend.
Thanks as always for giving me someone to bounce things off of.
Just a little more feedback ... if Casey has ever said that Erica is disabled, I am NOT aware of it.
I just did that search & if I had found any statements of Casey saying that Erica was disabled,
I would have included those quotes for your judging ... but I found none ...
I only found disabled quotes attributed to reporters ... & the last quote about the hearing impaired
was actually an extract they took from the search warrant filled out by an unnamed LE investigator.
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