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| Are you a former foster parent of NECCO, LLC and were done wrong by their company? We want to hear about it! Please file a NECCO Grievance by clicking the link to the right. Thank You! |
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Kourtney's Voice
WILL BE HEARD!
This is her story of how NECCO, a
privatized foster care agency, Hardin County
DCBS, and the state of Kentucky FAILED HER... Kourtney Gump is a 16 year old ward of the state of Kentucky. On December 4th, 2018 Hardin County DCBS removed Kourtney from her biological home due to physical abuse. Kourtney was placed in the foster care system and assigned to a privatized foster care agency, NECCO of Lexington. On December 6th, 2018 NECCO of Lexington assigned Kourtney to the foster home of Bradley and Tiffany Wiseman, where Kourtney spent 7 1/2 months. During her time with The Wiseman's Kourtney grew extremely attached to The Wiseman family and denied biological family fostering or placement. Many months of court battles ensued to get family fostering ruled against as Kourtney did not want to live with any one else other than The Wisemans. |
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Kourtney even had to appear
before a court ordered board to testify and prepare a written statement
to the judge in her case, indicating her wishes for her biological
parents rights to be terminated, and her wishes to stay permanently, and
be adopted by The Wisemans. Early June 2019, The Wiseman's began researching the differences between foster care agencies. The information they discovered was astonishing and by early July 2019 they had made a life altering decision, they just didn't realize how life altering it would become, not just for themselves but for the four foster children assigned to their home by NECCO of Lexington. |
| It is important for you to
understand how money is exchanged through the foster care program.
Foster care agencies bill the federal government a daily
rate of $44.82-$136.96 per
day, per kid. Kentucky
statistics published on January 5th, 2020 state the average daily rate
they pay out to foster agencies is $75 per kid, per day and as of that date Kentucky had 9,747
children in foster care. Let's say
NECCO of Lexington's average daily billed rate for Kourtney was that
Kentucky statistic of $75 per day. $75
per day times 30 days is $2,250 estimate NECCO may have been billing
for Kourtney. The Wiseman's were ONLY paid $40 a day on Kourtney to pay for her food, clothes (she only came to their home with 5 t-shirts, 3 pairs of pants, 7 pairs of underwear, a handful of socks, 1 worn out pair of Converse shoes and 8 hoodies and they spent over $600 in clothes and $120 in school supplies for her to start school.), feminine products, shampoo, toothpaste, and soaps, after school activities, school projects requiring funds from parents, any items she wanted at home like books to read, bedding for her room, personal items she requested, etc. |
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Now with NECCO, a Level 0, which is technically considered non leveled like
a new born baby for example or a toddler (typically a child with no
known behavioral issues or mental illness) is paid at $20 a day. $20 a
day to cover formula, clothes, diapers, baby wipes, baby gear, daycare
if you need it, gas to and from doctors visits and to the foster care
agency for therapy sessions, etc. Level
1only pays foster parents $25 a day. A Level 2 pays foster parents $30 a
day. Level 3 (which is
classified as children with behavioral outbursts but not medicated for
any mental illness) pays foster parents $35 a day
and a Level 4 (which is children with severe behavioral issues and who
have often been previously diagnosed and/or institutionalized and are on
mental illness medication) only pays $40 a day to the foster families. Let's say NECCO was billing that $75 daily average and only paying The Wiseman's $40 a day, that means NECCO, LLC would have been keeping $35 per day for themselves times 30 days. That is $1,125 times 12 months, which equates to $13,500 per year estimate NECCO would have KEPT for themselves on Kourtney for simply being her privatized foster care agency. Many agents working in the privatized foster care agencies have upwards of 30 kids each agent and the range of agents can be upward of 6-15 agents per foster care agency location. So for example Kourtney's foster care agency, NECCO of Lexington, had an estimate of 6 foster care agents with 20-30 kids each. That's 120 - 240 kids one single agency location has, and NECCO, LLC individually has over 30 locations across 4 states, billing hundreds of dollars per day to the government on the kids assigned to them. Let's say we go with the low end numbers for estimation purposes and say NECCO of Lexington had only 6 agents who all had only 20 kids each. That would be 120 estimated kids just at this location. Now let's say they paid out the maximum of $40 per day, per child to the foster parents (Daily rate payments with NECCO can be as low as $20 per day, per child, so saying $40 for all the children is an extremely high estimation) and billed that $75 Kentucky average. That would mean NECCO of Lexington would be KEEPING $35 per day, per child times the estimate of 120 kids equivalents to $4,200 per day. Times that by 30 days and that would be an estimate of $126,000 per month NECCO of Lexington would be keeping and it's all based on the amount of innocent children being passed into foster homes. I suppose that's why they can pay for all those "Become a Foster Parent Today!" signs you see everywhere. |
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| Supposedly 15 hours of "training" are done to become a licensed foster parent, but the training The Wiseman's did consisted of maybe 5-6 actual hours. This "training" is pre-made videos that count as a 4 hour block of training, but often foster parents are actually only there for maybe 30 minutes to 1 hour, at least in The Wiseman's case. There was only staff there to start and end the video and during the foster parents "testing" about what they learned in the video, which a simultaneous power point was being given by the staff that gave The Wiseman's the direct answers to the test they were taking. You do have a "home inspection" by the foster care agency, but that is just to make sure you have available bedrooms and beds in your home. You do have to be CPR and First Aid trained but that's a 2-3 hour course each, and it's given by representatives the foster care agency hire to come in and teach it. There is no monitoring or interview process by DCBS themselves. So people being passed as "eligible" foster care parents are solely based on a COMPANY who is retaining part of the daily rates they are billing, who essentially need as many families, and as many empty beds as they can get. | |||||||
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Now the privatized
foster care agencies such as NECCO, will claim they keep the larger
portion of the daily per dium to pay their employees to find foster
homes, pay for training of foster parents, pay for therapy for the kids
and processing of paperwork to the DCBS. However this "training" the
foster care agencies say they do, is the same training "videos", "aids"
and "questionnaire paperwork" the agency uses year in and year out that
has been paid for 100 times over. As far as paperwork being sent over to DCBS, maybe there is SOME paperwork, but how much really to justify that estimated $126,000 a month portion the foster agency is keeping, especially when the foster parents are the ones required to sit down every night and fill out a behavioral log for each foster kid in their home and those are simply forwarded to the DCBS offices? |
| The Wisemans were once told by a higher
up at NECCO
that "Foster Parents never have to worry about not being paid with our
company if the state delays foster care payments, because we already have money in the accounts to cover the foster
parent payments." Now that's all fine and dandy for foster parents not to miss out on
payment, but why in the hell does a foster company with innocent
children's lives at stake have so much money in account that they can
cover foster parent payments on their own? Well the answer is simple. It's all about the money. Another previous employee of NECCO once told The Wisemans that "NECCO is actually eligible for government grants if we place a certain amount of children in foster homes from more impoverished counties, and so our corporate office actually offers individual locations bonuses if we place more kids from these particular counties". If this isn't the purest form of "legalized" human trafficking I don't know what is. |
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Now when a foster child is in need of medication, privatized foster agencies have to hire a psychologist to prescribe that medication. With Kourtney's agency, NECCO of Lexington, the Wisemans would bring their foster children in and they would do a 15 minute video call to a psychologist with The Brook. Fifteen minutes, once a month, and that is who was trusted to medicate, often times over prescribing and over diagnosing these innocent kids. Who the hell can know a child's psychological issues in a 15 minute VIDEO call, not even sitting in the room with the child? The Wisemans once had a foster child diagnosed as bi-polar in one of these video calls because she was sad over being grounded from the car and her cell phone. The psychologist actually prescribed bi-polar medication to this child, via VIDEO CALL for 15 minutes.
That's disgusting.
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This was a major issue for Kourtney, over diagnosing and over medicating. Kourtney begged NECCO of Lexington's staff and the different psychologists she was on the video calls with to lower her Wellbutrin (anti-depressant) medication. A maximum dose for an adult male is 450mg and Kourtney at 5'1 and 105 lbs, was taking 250mg a day, what once was told to us at a doctors visit, would be enough to make anyone an emotionless robot. What's even worse is some of these privatized foster care companies actually bill the child's Medicaid for the therapy sessions (even though it's in-house and they already bill a daily rate to help take care of the child and provide services like therapy) and some agencies even bill the child's Medicaid for those 15 minute psychologist appointments as well. The child's BP stat's for their medical records were taken by the front desk receptionist in the Wiseman's case with their foster children. A receptionist is qualified to take medical statistics and enter it into their medical file? |
failed Kourtney Elizabeth Gump.
On July 8th, 2019, NECCO of Lexington was officially notified by a another foster care agency of The Wiseman's intent to leave NECCO, and asked for The Wiseman's fostering license, training information, and four foster children's files to be faxed to them. This means that the four foster children under the NECCO agency were going to be transferred out of NECCO completely, and now be placed under this other foster care agency, and that NECCO would no longer be able to bill the state a daily rate for all four of these kids.
On July 10th, 2019, Kourtney, her CASA (court appointed special advocate) and her court appointed attorney had reached a voluntary agreement with Kourtney's biological parents to voluntarily terminate their parental rights. This would allow Kourtney to pursue adoption with The Wisemans as she desired.
On July 11th, 2019, just one day after Kourtney's hearing, and only 4 days after NECCO of Lexington was notified by another foster care agency of The Wiseman's intent to leave NECCO's company, Hardin County DCBS worker Stephanie Polite removed Kourtney from The Wiseman's home based on vicious, heinous lies spread by Jason Jackson and Hannah Phillips representing NECCO of Lexington, regarding The Wiseman's home and their foster license for the sole reason of monetary protection for their company.
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No legal reasoning was given for the removal or ever provided. No court hearing was heard for the removal and no appeal process was allotted for the removal of Kourtney. A fake report against the Wisemans was "said" to have been made with Nelson County DCBS, stating that the Wiseman's refused to adhere to medical advice on one of the foster children, but that accusation was never filed with DCBS and no investigation ever occurred. In fact NECCO of Lexington didn't even revoke The Wisemans foster license until November 2019, 4 months AFTER Kourtney and the other 3 foster kids were removed from The Wisemans home without merit. It took NECCO of Lexington 4 more additional months to even revoke The Wiseman's license, this after Hannah Phillips and Jason Jackson stated directly to DCBS agents that "We need to relocate the children to different NECCO foster homes immediately because were going to revoke The Wisemans foster care license", again just 4 days after being notified by another agency The Wiseman's were officially VOLUNTARILY leaving NECCO. |
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Now Necco as a company will more then likely release a press statement saying how NECCO will stand behind the fact that they as a COMPANY, have the right to deny any foster family from fostering under their name and that at any time for any reason can pull a foster parents license. They are also going to tell you that The Wisemans had "multiple" investigations with DCBS, and that is a true statement. The Wisemans refuse to lie or hide anything and in fact they have disclosed here for the eyes of the entire public nation these CLOSED investigations and their outcomes. |
She was denied entrance to The Wisemans local elementary because her record indicated multiple school suspensions for violence to the point one teacher even suffered a broken finger, so she had to be enrolled in a alternative learning school. For the month leading up to the investigation being opened, The Wisemans had received several calls from the school about the child's outbursts to include cursing teachers out, threatening them and picking up a desk chair and throwing it at a teacher. They had also been contacted by the principal because the child told the bus driver The Wisemans refused to provide her with a winter coat and the bus driver, out of the goodness of her heart, purchased the child a winter coat. Upon house inspection The Wisemans found the child's coat lodged under her bed in hiding.
At a biological parent visitation the child stated that Mr. Wiseman was spitting in her younger brothers face, yelling in his face, chest bumping him and pushing him. A full investigation was opened that lasted 3 months. Nelson County DCBS investigators had to pull every child in the homes school records and medical records (7 foster children and 2 biological children at the time). They had to get statements from teachers and counselors at the schools. Statements from Necco of Lexington and the children's therapist at Necco. They had to do in depth interviews with not only every child in the home, but with any past foster children that were no longer placed in the home as well.
After a long 2 month investigation the conclusion was full dismissal and the claim had been found as unsubstantiated. The 8 year old boy and 10 year old girl were voluntarily removed from The Wisemans foster home the day the child made the accusations at The Wisemans request. Below is a letter from DCBS of Nelson County showing the investigations dismissal.
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On April 2nd, 2019 a second investigation with Nelson County DCBS was
opened by another foster child in the home. This child had just turned
18 on April 2nd, 2019 and was a Level 3 (meaning intense behavioral
issues). This child had also been institutionalized and previously
enrolled in a behavioral boot camp at one time. She was warded to the
state because custody from her mother was taken over alleged drug
charges and she was placed with her grandmother, however her grandmother went before the judge
and requested removal based on that fact she could not control the
child. The child also had a history of skipping school and compulsive
lying about medical conditions. When the child was placed with The Wisemans she claimed a broken ankle (through x-rays and MRI at Norton, it was assessed there was no injury on the child's ankle at all.) The child also claimed she was pregnant. A pregnancy test came up negative and it was later learned the child had a IVF in her arm. The child claimed she had turrets which lasted about 3 days and then suddenly stopped and the child claimed she was borderline diabetic which also testing came back negative for. On April 1st, 2019 the child asked to have a few friends over for her birthday in which questionable actions and behavior took place and the child was disciplined by being grounded for 2 weeks and handing over her cell phone. The child stated "I am 18 and you can't tell me what to do anymore and I'm leaving." The Wisemans contacted NECCO of Lexington to come and pick the child up, as they stated they were now going to place her in a program they called independent living. Independent living is another government billed program by NECCO, where they convince wards of the state (foster children) to re-sign up as wards of the state from ages 18-21, and then they bill the government hundreds of dollars a day and place the child in an apartment located close to their local NECCO office. The supposed goal is for the child to achieve their diploma if they need it and to attend college classes and live independently. However, NECCO pays all the bills based off the money they bill the government and the child doesn't even learn how to manage money or pay bills independently, when someone else is doing that for you. So to say it's an independent living program, really is masking a organized, well oiled, way for NECCO to continue to bill the government off of what is now a legal adult. When the child was picked up by NECCO of Lexington, she of course was angry at The Wisemans for disciplining her and she made accusations that "The Wisemans are drug users and doing drugs with their foster children". The Wisemans were ordered to take a drug test by Nelson County DCBS, of which they tested negative for anything illegal. After The Wisemans went through another excruciating investigation that lasted several months that accusation was also found to be unsubstantiated. Below are the official DCBS letters stating this fact.
When Hannah Phillips and Jason Jackson on behalf of NECCO of Lexington got involved and contacted the Hardin County DCBS worker of Kourtney and told her they were removing The Wisemans license "because of too many allegations" and a "new allegation being placed for failure to adhere to medical advice" that was NEVER opened or investigated, not only was this gross negligence for an alternative matter (monetary protection so The Wisemans didn't transfer out the foster children from their company), but it was also defamation of character with malice intent to harm and inflict damage to reputation, but also breach of fiduciary responsibility on NECCO's part. |
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NECCO of Lexington, and Kourtney's direct NECCO worker Jason Jackson,
then placed Kourtney into a dangerous foster home in Bonnieville,
Kentucky where Kourtney states that "There was a 27 year old man
in my second foster care home, who had been previously mentally
institutionalized, that kept coming into my room at night and the
bathroom while I changed and touching me and it freaked me out and made
me scared he was gonna assault me next". On July 14th, 2018, after
only a few days
in the foster home in Bonnieville, Kentucky, and after Kourtney stated
that "The foster mom said that Stephanie (Hardin County DCBS worker
Stephanie Polite) asked her if they would be open to adopting me because
my parents
signed over their parental rights two days ago (July 12th, 2019), and I
am NOT staying permanently in that home with that creepy guy coming on
to me!",
Kourtney grew extremely scared of being stuck in the home permanently
and ran away. |
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On January 8th, 2020 Kourtney was picked up by the police and taken into custody where she spent 5 days and 5 nights in
the County
Juvenile Detention Center with criminal juveniles for simply running
away to protect herself. She was issued a non jurisdiction for
the state on January 10th, 2020 and has now been
released back to the custody of Hardin County DCBS where she is now be labeled as a Level 6 juvenile ward of the state. A level six is a level associated to un-placable children in the state's system, often reserved for children who have acted out sexually and molested or raped children in their own homes prior to states removal or children in a previous foster care home, children who are too violent or mentally unstable to be placed in foster homes, or children who are labeled as high risk like runaways or potential runaways. |
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Kourtney's foster parents The Wisemans have contacted numerous attorneys to hire to represent Kourtney and her wishes and have been advised that the state of Kentucky has no statutes for emancipation and Kourtney has no hope for emancipation. Kourtney will turn 18 on April 1st 2021, but Kourtney will spend the rest of her childhood in a guarded, locked down, children's group home (much like a juvenile detention center) until she reaches the age of 18. They are attempting to hide and lock away Kourtney and her story of gross negligence of NECCO of Lexington. The public should be outraged at the treatment of minors in the foster care system as well as the gross negligence of privatized foster care agencies in general, but this case, Kourtney Gump's case and handling of it especially. |
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Kourtney needs
YOUR help, yes YOUR HELP! |
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HOW YOU CAN HELP KOURTNEY |
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| 6. | If you or anyone you know is currently a foster parent or researching to become a foster parent LINK them to this website and help EDUCATE them on foster care agencies and help spread awareness of the money agencies are billing off innocent children in the system. With out foster families signing up to foster under these agencies, these foster agencies can not survive. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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You can donate to Kourtney's cause by clicking the red Donate Now button to the left. All proceeds will go to help spread awareness of her case and situation, to pay for any attorney's fees she may inquire fighting for her freedom, and the rest will be placed in a secured trust for when she turns 18 to help get her set up for life after her misery. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kourtney is NOT the
first victim of monetary protection
and she will NOT BE THE LAST.
We NEED
Privatized foster care REFORM today!!!