State Rep. Mike Cierpiot of Lee’s Summit has introduced legislation to reduce the power of hospitals, such as Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, over the fate of Missouri families.
In the Kansas City area, it is common for parents who choose to take their children to Children’s Mercy to have them ultimately taken out of their home, according to Cierpiot, calling it “abducted by Children’s Mercy Hospital.”
He is championing SB 1216, a bill that aims to protect families from “overreach” by the state’s Children’s Division. The legislation would seek to define what an investigation by the Children’s Division consists of and would require the division to have the responsibility of greater evidence gathering in its initial 45-day report. Further, it would provide lawyers for low-income families from the beginning of the process, not after it already is underway as is now the case.
Cierpiot, a Republican, recounted how after a day of shopping last year, a new mother took her baby out for the first time. While adjusting the car seat straps, the newborn developed a bruise on its side and the parents took the child to the hospital just to be safe.
It was then that Children’s Mercy got a SAFE-CARE provider involved. After viewing some photographs of the child’s bruise, a doctor diagnosed that she suspected signs of child abuse. After two days of bringing both of their children in for X-rays and exams, doctors found only one bruise on the one child and no abuse on the other child. The next day, child welfare services showed up with law enforcement officials to take the newborn from his mother’s arms.
There was a hearing the following week where the parents explained the bruise was caused by a seatbelt, a common occurrence according to car safety experts. But also at the hearing, Dr. Jennifer Hanson with Children’s Mercy testified that these parents were abusing their newborn baby. The case was in Cass County, and Judge Jason Howell explained of his ruling: “I have a judge’s heart and a judge’s brain. My heart tells me these parents did nothing wrong, but my brain tells me I have to follow the law, and the law is clear.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice