Best Interests of the Children by Robert and Miriam Fertig Delves into America's Child Dependency System as Seen Through the Eyes of Guardians

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Oct 23, 2014, 08:45 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new book based on years of research by former Guardian ad Litem volunteers, Robert and Miriam Fertig, answers key questions that state governments, social workers, parents and taxpayers have been asking:

Why do parents abuse and neglect their children? Why are there so many repeat parental offenders?
Why must children be "damaged" before effective action is taken?
What causes so many caseworkers and good managers to quit?
How can we correct these serious "systemic" problems?

Best Interests of the Children by Robert and Miriam Fertig

"The Florida caseload has not declined in over five years that we were Guardians. There were about 53,000 Florida cases of abuse and neglect in 2011-12. We found that some judges, who reunite parents with their children too early, are one of the causes of recurrent cases."

One of the many authors' conclusions, "If the state can detect serious family issues earlier, by being 'proactive,' they can save many innocent lives, and taxpayer money. (Profiles of families with prior serious issues are well known)."

The authors received two "Five Star" Ratings by Readers' Favorite.

Reviewed by Ashley Tetzlaff
"Best Interests of the Children is a very helpful and informative book, especially for those who are thinking about adopting, becoming foster parents or child advocates. The [authors] draw on years of experience and multiple cases to give their readers an inside view of America's dependency system. They give lessons learned in individual cases and offer recommendations on how different departments could improve. Near the end of the book, they share their philosophy of life and possible solutions for America's social and family problems.

"I picked up [the book] with practically no knowledge of how things work in the dependency system in America. I walked away with a good overview of how kids are processed, from the time a call is received about their situation until it is resolved. I feel that I not only have grown in understanding on this subject, but I have come to deeply appreciate those who fight for the well being of endangered children. Robert and Miriam Fertig did an awesome job of giving details on cases while protecting privacy, and criticizing the failures of the system in certain areas without downplaying the ways in which it works. I appreciated their solution to America's social and family problems. … This book has definitely joined my top ten list of non-fiction works! I would recommend it to everyone.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan.

" … The book is the result of direct experiences with children below ten years old and the key issues that are common with childcare decisions. [It] exposes the harsh truths about child abuse and maltreatment deaths and it will help in providing more insight and motivation for those who are caretakers and volunteers. … It is a very useful book that works as a handy guide to parents, counselors, caretakers and those who work with young children. The case files shared by the author[s] throw light on the realities of society and it is very scary to see the trauma we put our children through because of personal issues."

"Nationally, 29% of African-American children were in foster care—yet they only represented 14% of the child population. That is unacceptable! Our research indicates that these "systemic problems," are widespread. One cannot find solutions by ignoring weaknesses or masking problems."

All book royalties go into a trust fund to support Children's Charities. Available from: iUniverse.com or Amazon.com, and major bookstores.

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SOURCE Robert Fertig