Georgia

Ossoff’s report could leave Georgia with the same lousy child welfare system – only bigger • Georgia Recorder

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Ossoff’s report could leave Georgia with the same lousy child welfare system – only bigger • Georgia Recorder

As soon as Sen. Jon Ossoff released his report on massive failures at the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, DFCS fired back, accusing Ossoff of “political gamesmanship.”

Actually, it’s worse.

There is every indication that Ossoff is sincere and genuinely wants to help vulnerable children. But that will only make it harder to persuade him that, because of a critical error in his analysis, his report may trigger a response that makes everything even worse. The report is likely to kick into overdrive the foster-care panic – the sharp sudden spike in needless removals of children – that started in the wake of high-profile news coverage of child abuse deaths in 2022. That year, nationwide, the number of children torn from their families declined by 11%. But in Georgia it increased by the same amount.

A foster-care panic makes everything worse because every problem the report identifies has the same counterintuitive root cause that Ossoff ignored: needless removal of children from homes that are safe or could be made safe if families received the right kinds of help. Often it happens when family poverty is confused with “neglect.”

In 2022, the most recent year for which data are available, 87% of the time Georgia children were placed in foster care in cases where there was not even an allegation of sexual abuse or any form of physical abuse. In 57% of cases there was not even an allegation of substance abuse. In contrast, 47% involved “neglect” which often means poverty. Indeed, in 20% of cases DFCS admits they took away the children because the family lacked housing – a tragedy exposed just weeks ago by WABE Public Radio and ProPublica.

The problem is compounded by the fact that Georgia uses the least harmful form of foster care – placement with relatives instead of strangers – at a rate 40% below the national average.

This does enormous harm to the children needlessly separated – and not just the inherent emotional devastation. Study after study finds abuse in one-quarter to one-third of family foster homes, and the rate of abuse in group homes and institutions is even worse. Ossoff’s own report cites the death of a child killed by his foster parents and the rape of a child in a group home. So it’s no wonder multiple studies find that in typical cases children left in their own homes typically fare better even than comparably-maltreated children forced into foster care.

All the time, money and effort spent harassing impoverished families and taking away their children is, in effect, stolen from finding the relatively few children in real danger. Yet in Ossoff’s entire 64-page report the word “poverty” does not appear even once. Perhaps that’s because birth parents and their lawyers were largely shut out of Ossoff’s investigation.

Consider the other failures Ossoff cites: Runaways? If you take children from poor but loving homes and consign them to the chaos of foster care with strangers, of course they’re more likely to run away. Sex trafficking? Group homes and institutions are magnets for sex traffickers – predators go where the prey is.

But because Ossoff ignored wrongful removal, his report is likely to generate another knee-jerk rush to take away even more children. As entries into foster care escalate, everyone will be even more overwhelmed and even more children in real danger will be missed.

Then DCFS will announce another tired “recruitment campaign” for foster parents and the Legislature might fund a caseworker hiring binge. That never works. All the new caseworkers wind up chasing all the new cases, and all you get is the same lousy system only bigger. Indeed, the last time this was tried, as a result of a class-action lawsuit settlement, DFCS actually took money away from poor people to finance making the family policing system even bigger.

And make no mistake – it is a policing system. It’s hard to imagine any of my fellow progressives issuing a report on policing without mentioning issues like racism and racial bias. But that, too, is entirely missing from Ossoff’s report. Like many other progressives, Ossoff seems to forget everything he believes in about civil liberties and due process as soon as someone whispers the words “child abuse” in his ear.

DFCS is every bit as bad as Ossoff says it is. But fixing it requires taking all the new money that might go to hiring caseworkers and plowing it instead into ameliorating the worst effects of poverty. New hires should work for community-based anti-poverty agencies not connected to the family police. It takes only a little financial help to make a big difference. Georgia also needs to bolster legal representation for families – not to get “bad parents” off, but to craft alternatives to the cookie-cutter “service plans” churned out by DFCS.

If, as I believe, Ossoff really wants to protect our most vulnerable children, he should go back to the drawing board and embrace real solutions.

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Georgia

Zuckerman eyes MLB Draft after superb baseball season at Georgia Tech

Published

7 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

Zuckerman eyes MLB Draft after superb baseball season at Georgia Tech

Ryan Zuckerman is last on the alphabetical list of the 335 college and high school baseball players attending the June 22-27 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix.

What the 2023 Pennsbury graduate did in his lone season at Georgia Tech has garnered him plenty of attention from MLB scouts regardless of where his name is on a list that includes Holy Ghost Prep grad Aiden Robbins, a Texas outfield standout who is expected to go as early as late in the first round, fellow Pennsbury graduate Joe Tiroly, an infielder from Virginia, and Pennsbury senior right-handed pitcher Keller Bradley.

MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament for the conference champion Yellow Jackets, second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and leader in home runs (23) and RBIs (79, tied for eighth in the country) for the high-powered Georgia Tech offense are just a few of Zuckerman’s notable accomplishments heading into the July 11-13 draft. He is projected to go toward the middle of the 20 rounds.

“It’s pretty surreal for sure,” said Zuckerman, 21. “It’s something I dreamed of my whole life.”

In a season filled with memorable moments, perhaps most impressive was Zuckerman being named ACC Tournament MVP after hitting three home runs with six RBIs and batting .571 (8 for 14), culminating in a 13-6 championship game win over North Carolina in Charlotte. He also was a first-team All-ACC selection at third base.

Zuckerman and Georgia Tech went into the NCAA Atlanta regional as the nation’s No. 2 seed. Though the 50-11 Yellow Jackets ended up being eliminated by losing twice to Oklahoma, including 8-7 in 10 innings for the regional title, Zuckerman can only rave about his experience at Georgia Tech.

“If you would have told me that’s how the season for me and each of us on the team would’ve gone, I would’ve been extremely happy,” Zuckerman said. “It was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”

After a solid sophomore season at Pitt in which he hit .295 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 48 runs scored, Zuckerman believed transferring would help him develop into a more pro-ready player and allow him to win more games. And Georgia Tech checked all the boxes

In addition to his career-best home run and RBI numbers, Zuckerman led Georgia Tech in 2026 with 24 multi-RBI games while establishing career-highs in batting average (.345), runs (71), hits (80), walks (37), slugging percentage (.720) and on-base percentage (.438). He batted fifth in the order.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Zuckerman, who always had a strong arm, also worked hard to improve his defense at third base, resulting in 15.99 defensive runs saved for the season, which was the 13th-highest total in college baseball.

“I like to say I’m arguably the best third baseman in the country,” he said.

As a senior playing third at Pennsbury, Zuckerman hit .465 with an on-base percentage of .563, plus six doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 26 runs.

“In high school, he was incredible for us,” said Pennsbury head coach Joe Pesci. “(A year ago), he decided to go from a mid- to low ACC team to the best team in the ACC. Surrounding himself with amazing players at Georgia Tech, he’s kind of elevated his game.”

Since the conclusion of the collegiate season, Zuckerman has been working out in preparation for the MLB Draft Combine and, ultimately, the draft. He’s been splitting his time between Yardley and Atlanta.

MLB teams have indicated Zuckerman’s power bat and defense are two of his strengths, while he’s focusing on improving his swing selection and making more contact at the plate.

Zuckerman is looking forward to hearing his name called by one of the 30 major league clubs. Whether a team views him as a third baseman, first baseman, corner outfielder or even second baseman doesn’t really matter to him.

“I think right now I’m in a great position to go and play professional baseball and start my journey up to the big leagues,” Zuckerman said. “The goal is not to get drafted – it’s to play MLB.”

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

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Georgia

Georgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta

Published

17 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

Georgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta

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A Georgia pair have been charged with murder after allegedly slaughtering a bartender and dumping his dismembered remains in a lake, according to authorities.

Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, were arrested on Monday for allegedly murdering Jamal Rashad Parker, 37, in a home outside of Atlanta, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Investigators discovered Parker’s remains in May in the Dog River Reservoir, located about 30 miles outside Atlanta.

Parker’s identity was confirmed using DNA comparison technology after his father contacted authorities to report that the victim’s tattoos matched his son’s ink, local station WSB-TV reported.

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Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, are charged with murder. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Investigators believe the two suspects killed Parker inside a home in Douglasville where Baker lived.

Late last month, investigators were observed leaving the home with a reciprocating saw and cleaning supplies, according to WSB-TV.

Police have not disclosed if Parker knew his alleged killers. However, a GoFundMe created by a family member described the pair as “people he knew and trusted.”

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A family member described Jamal Rashad Parker as a bartender, musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit.” (GoFundMe)

The suspects pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday and are being held without bond. Both have lengthy criminal records, according to reports.

“I want them to be punished. And I don’t even think a life sentence is good enough,” Parker’s dad, Charles Parker, told WSB-TV outside the courthouse.

“It’s the kind of stuff you see on TV, but I mean … they had no remorse,” he added.

In addition to bartending at Ms. Icey’s Kitchen & Bar in Atlanta, the victim was a musician and artist with “a beautiful soul and spirit,” according to the GoFundMe page created to cover burial costs.

Investigators believe the two suspects killed the victim inside a home in Douglasville. (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

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“He loved life and the people he met along his journey in life. He was a musical artist, visual artist, and a professional bartender who enjoyed creating new drinks. This has totally devastated our family and friends and has left us heartbroken,” the fundraiser reads.

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Georgia

Georgia football trying to flip Grayson CB recruit

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

Georgia football trying to flip Grayson CB recruit

The Georgia Bulldogs are trying to flip cornerback recruit Preston Glasco just over a week after he committed to the Connecticut Huskies.

Glasco, a member of the class of 2027, announced his commitment to UConn on June 10. Since committing to UCONN, Georgia has hosted Glasco on an official visit and offered him a scholarship (back on June 18).

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound cornerback has excellent length and size. Glasco has impressive athleticism and ran a 4.47-4.57 second 40-yard dash (hand timed) during a recent workout with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Glasco plays high school football for Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. He’s unranked as a recruit, but that’s bound to change soon. The unranked cornerback plays against a stout level of competition at Grayson, who is a Georgia high school powerhouse.

Glasco has scholarship offers from Army, Yale, Boston College, Penn and more. He’s a great student and appears to be healthy after he was recovering from a surgery around this time last year. The talented Grayson cornerback has also gone on recent visits to South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Coach Kirby Smart and Georgia currently don’t have any cornerback commitments in the class of 2027.