Child Protection Network
The Sarah Stevens Child Protection Network is a grass roots alliance of parents, educators, health care professionals and concerned citizens with one goal in mind: To ensure that Arizona's Child Protective Services (CPS) reforms include strong direction, guidelines, protocols, empowerment, staffing and training mandates for recognizaing the risk to a child and suffiently protecting that child when a parent or guardian is severely mentally ill.
The seed of concern for our group is borne from the senseless death of a child who was on CPS radar but slipped through the cracks because she did not bear the physical evidence of abuse.
Despite documented concerns from friends, school officials and health care professionals that Sarah's life was in danger, CPS failed to investigate her case. Although CPS finally intervened after Sarah was hospitalized in an alleged suicide attempt, Sarah was returned to her mother's care; a subsequently fatal error for both mother and daughter. On Oct. 9, 2002, Sarah, in a drug-induced stupor and her hands and feet bound, died of asphixiation. Her mother Erica shot herself hours later.
This tragedy could have been prevented. But CPS had neither a guidepost nor expertise for appreciating the threat.
Because Phoenix Police have ruled Sarah's death "undetermined," CPS has conveniently sealed the records that would shed more light on the handling of the case and prove the exact nature of warnings Sarah's doctors made to CPS.
How has Sarah been deprived of justice?
This travesty deprives Sarah of the two-fold justice she deserves:
1. Including Sarah among the statistics of children who perished while under CPS oversight.
2. Failing to reveal the systemic flaws that must be identified and eradicated when it comes to cases of life-threatening mental abuse.
What does the SSCP Network hope to achieve?
1. We want reforms that will ensure CPS has standards, guidelines, protocols, training and staffing to recognize the risk to a child when a parent's mental illness constitutes abuse.
2. We want Phoenix Police to re-classify Sarah's death from "undetermined" to "homicide."
3. We want CPS to fully disclose Sarah's records so that we can understand the errors that resulted in her death and prevent other Arizona children from suffering her same fate.
How You Can Help!
1. OPT-IN to the Sarah Stevens Action Update.
2. Spread the word: The SSCP Network organizes letter writing campaigns, advises members of pertinent legislation and reform efforts, and keeps the memory of Sarah Stevens alive in order that we can better protect Arizona's precious children.
OTHER MYSTERIES!
Phoenix Police deny the existence of any next of kin -- family who might shed light on Erica's mental health history. Despite PD denials, several of Erica's former friends said that Erica spoke often of two brothers from whom she was estranged. Furthermore, Erica and Sarah's bodies were requested by and sent to a New York funeral home.
01-17-91 to 10-09-02
