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Walton County DFCS (Division of Family and Children Services)

Walton County DFCS (Division of Family and Children Services) review: mistreating people & misconduct 8

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10:44 am EDT
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Warrants were issued for Phyllis Mitchell, an intake supervisor, and Deborah Cobb, a former acting director of DFCS for 18 months. Both are charged with one count ...Fraud, misconduct, and mistreat DFAC clients; are just some of the many charges that have been filed against this DFACS /augusta agency & it's administrators/employees, including corruption: falsifying records to help single mothers who are scamming Welfare benefits; Negligence on the behalf of people like; Whitlock, Thomas, and mistreating good prospective parents by their Adoption Dept., harasing black couples, and protecting associates who are criminally negligent!
chronicle.augusta.com/.../georgia-dfcs-office-raided

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Nikki Thomas
, US
Jan 20, 2017 12:59 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My name is nikki thomas and i have lived in augusta, ga for over 20 years. It is very appalling how your own people treat you in a public place whether it is DFCS, shopping store, grocery store. You shouldn't be directed to a website to apply for medicaid, tanf, food stamps etc. The amount of time for an appointment should be 30 minutes to an a hour and a half at the most, 2 to four hours. By the time you are finished, kids are out of school. They really need more workers at the DFCS building and watch their attitude towards their clients. If it wasn't for us coming to them for help, they wouldn't have a job to help their family. It is time for everyone to start showing kindness and a good attitude towards each other.

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BellaRichmond
, US
Jan 05, 2018 8:04 am EST

They don't need MORE workers, they need COMPETENT workers. Half these employees are receiving benefits themselves. How? you can't barely make above min wage before you are cut off. It is impossible to support a small family on that income. And for the naysayers, each one of you is a paycheck or two away from foodstamps yourself and you know that. Stop being so judgemental. These programs cost taxpayers so much do to the incompetence of the people who are put in charge. People with no experience some times. I no longer receive benefits but when I need they were literally the only way I had to feed my kids. We were in that situation due to their father's death. The workers were beyond rude and had no respect for anyone. Why do people act a fool at these offices? It is directly related to how were are being treated. Clean house and replace EVERY SINGLE ONE of these worthless people. I have always been against privatizing govt agencies but this agency is a mess.

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DisgruntledDFACSClient
, US
Aug 25, 2015 3:24 pm EDT

I have been having problems dealing with the DFACS in Richmond County since the first day I applied for help. The phone line is a joke, you call and are put on hold for hours and hours and never get to speak to anyone. Sometimes after being on hold for hours it just disconnects you and you have to call back and start over again. When you do get someone on the phone they are typically rude and unhelpful. The new please press 1 if you would like to take a customer satisfaction survey option is an even bigger joke as after you finish your call you don't get the survey, if you can even get a call through! I went to the office to get help with my application which since July has been so massively screwed that my SNAP benefits were cancelled over my 17 child's seasonal employment he had from a year ago. I was also sent a letter stating that I had to do an alternate review on my Medicaid and have been unable to complete it online! The people in the office ushered me around the waiting room in front of about 30 people asking me questions about my case and sending me all over to explain it, re-explain it, and explain it again and not one actually helped me. I felt like I was used, abused, degraded, and angry by the time I left! Even after coming home and waiting for more than an hour on the phone and finally getting to speak to someone I am still no further towards fixing my benefits!
It is ridiculous that as a full time college student receiving funds from my student education benefits that I am still required to work for me to qualify for benefits (though my children do). I was told that while taking a full class load and raising two children that I should also maintain at least 20 hours of work or I would be ineligible to receive help so that I can better myself and my standard of living and NEVER HAVE TO USE THE PROGRAM AGAIN! Obviously the article written in 2012 about the fraud and misconduct of employees has not done anything to improve the facilities in Richmond County!

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Ispeaklife
, US
Aug 04, 2015 4:10 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I'm disabled and applied for Medicaid for me and my children four months ago. I'm ready to go against this office. I'm contacting state offices, state senator Harold Jones. Who wants to go in with me

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Ispeaklife
, US
May 26, 2017 2:22 pm EDT
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Replying to comment of Ispeaklife

I contacted Harold Jones also and he turned a blind eye to dfacs

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Michelle Cranmer
, US
Aug 04, 2017 11:19 pm EDT
Replying to comment of Ispeaklife

Back in the late 90's early 200's several caseworkers phyllis Thompson and Debra berry were sent to prison for removing children from foster homes when they were about to be adopted. I was also a foster child who was excessively rehomed by this agency but my case was never reviewed or looked into, even though I complained for years they were removing me for no reason for years before the case was brought against them. Then when my first son was born, they had detained him before I had even gotten to see him, saying they took him because I was not properly loved and nurtured as a child and therefore I can't possibly know how to love and nurture my child properly and therefore I am unfit. After being harassed and threatened by caseworkers and foster parents I signed my rights away so the foster parents who had him since birth could adopt him since I believed that I could never get him back or win fighting against the state. Judge khernaghen was my mom's judge for me and again my judge for my son. I wish I had known then what I know now. Augusta Georgia DFCS is the most corrupt agency ever. They take kids without legitimate reason to do so, as well as many other fraudulent crimes they commit and get away with. They have for MANY years and will continue to do so simply because no one will step in and put a stop to it

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sammie1708
, US
Apr 24, 2013 10:13 am EDT

I agree, my sister was told that she could not recieve medcaid for her five year old. Seven months after she had appilied she recieved a letter saying that her childs medcaid has been canceled due to no response to reveiw . my sister never recieved any medcaid cards or nothing in that matter . I have seen a bunch of woman be turned down because of their race if your not a certain color in richmond county they purposly do this for they will lose the medcaid and at first they say you make to much when i have a friend thats on it and she makes more then my sister ! this department needs to be investigated!

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Mrs. Lewis9408
Augusta, US
Dec 06, 2012 12:32 pm EST

Augusta County DFACS office has been treating clients with disreGArds, clients are told they cannot speak with case workers, and transferred to customer service which is a voicemail service which will never return their calls. clients are having their government assistance turned off without reasoning as to why, and when they call to ask they are told to contact the GA.compass website which doesn't explain why. Richmond county needs to do better with assisting needy families.