A "Parenting Group" offered by Rainbow Of Hope??

The latest knot in the string of Kevin Cook comedies comes in the form of a letter from Rainbow Of Hope. It seems Cook, who has no children of his own and who has no practical experience whatsoever in parenting, feels qualified to host a "Parenting Group" to better enable us to rear our children.

The contents of this letter is quaintly entertaining. It seems Cook and the Rainbow Of Hope therapist (who incidentally has no children of her own) express confidence in bettering us as parents. Where does this comprehensive knowledge and experience manifest? Certainly not practical experience, so why don't they just do us a favor and give us the call numbers of the library books from which they obtained their "so-called" expertise? Or why not just publish it online to save us all the gas money, time and missed work? There are no means by which two individuals without any hands-on parenting skills can possibly relate to the challenges, difficulties and rewards of parent-child relationships. Perhaps if they were offering a seminar on pet-grooming or nail polishing, we could all benefit from what those two have to offer. Thanks, but we're really not all that interested in your textbook analogies of realistic parenting.

The letter illustrates some very curious features. The first "goal" is to creatively achieve a successful transition of the child-residents to their homes. Does this "creativity" include ludicrous claims by Kevin Cook that the parent(s) are intoxicated and "hitting" their children as in a former documented case? After all, this is a certified case of discharge under current review by attorneys. How can a family reach a successful transition when the Rainbow Of Hope manager lies to his staff about the reasons for discharge? The reason for the early discharge in the case mentioned here is that the parent recognized the failure of the Rainbow Of Hope program. The parent also saw through the blatant and ignorant lies told by Kevin Cook.

Now we move on to the next amusing point of this letter. It seems Rainbow Of Hope wants to help us parents in forming "strategies" for successful visits. Well for starters, how about the Rainbow Of Hope management and staff exercising some form of consistency in the plan? There is no consistency with Rainbow Of Hope staff and management. We're told one thing and can always expect something else. And we don't need "strategies". We EXPECT solid guidelines and formats. YOU'RE "supposed" to be the professionals here but you want US to help you with strategies?? Why can't you perform your professional duties and come up with something solid on your own? Obviously because nobody at Rainbow Of Hope has any idea of how to operate in a decisive and effective manner. What are the lyrics to the old song?? "Where are the clowns? Send in the clowns...."

The third point of this letter is the most abrasive suggestion. Rainbow Of Hope claims they want to "help parents". Help yourselves first! You certainly can't help anyone else before you learn how to blow your own noses and tie your own shoes! You want to help US?? Show us a budget analysis of working full time, having kids, dealing with expenses, providing for a family, meeting medical needs, paying property, school and income taxes and meeting the needs of a family. What in God's name do either one of you practically KNOW about this besides what you read in a pamphlet? You absolutely disgust us. You're laughing stocks. How can you PRESUME to know the first thing about our daily challenges? We've talked with other managers from professional residential facilities. Do you know what THEY do?? They hire experts and people WITH practical experience to host these groups. All of us know that neither one of you are qualified to host such a group. Yet your arrogance overrides your common sense. The time for all your self-adulation is over. Good Lord, Kevin Cook has been "busted" lying about his age to us. Mr. Cook, you've given different answers to us when we've asked about your age! You feel so insecure about your limited experience in the field of child psychology that you LIED to us! That's just pathetic, sad and embarrassing for you.

Now let's move on to "goal" Number 4 of this charming little letter. This is where Rainbow Of Hope invites parents to give suggestions to improve the Rainbow Of Hope program. God, this one made us laugh out loud! Here are a few suggestions to start with:

• Kevin Cook: Stop LYING!
• Kevin Cook: Educate yourself in this field.
• Kevin Cook: Return our phone calls.
• Kevin Cook: Stop disrespecting us.
• Kevin Cook: Hire responsible, professional, courteous staff.
• Kevin Cook: Stop wasting our time with your BS "proactive" talking and actually "do" something you claim you're going to do!
• Kevin Cook: Take a professional course on management and how to delegate authority and responsibility.
• Kevin Cook: Realize that we as parents know and understand that you're virtually an amateur in this field and that we'd be willing to work with you, help you and move forward if you'd only stop trying to "pretend" that you have everything under control. You have NOTHING under control! The Rainbow Of Hope program is out of control and is below standards on a national level. We could help you improve your program and save yourself and your career if you'd be willing to admit to your many failures thus far.
• Kevin Cook: Grow up and act like a professional manager instead of lying like a little school-boy who constantly gets caught in the many falsehoods you spin. Lying to us has been the biggest disadvantage to you. If you only had the fortitude to tell us you didn't readily have an answer to our questions, and - if you had shown us a genuine concerted effort to work with us, we'd be in an open dialogue. But you chose to operate with deception and amateur style. This is what now calls you, Lisa Polite, Sam Totora and several counselors to a public courtroom.
  

There are federal mandates and directives that oversee businesses of all genre. Kevin Cook, we honestly don't know if you may have lied on your job application to Cape Counseling Services or if you genuinely don't have the proper knowledge of how to manage a Residential Youth Facility in the State of New Jersey. What we DO know is that there are State and Federal guidelines that must be adhered to. We now know these statutes better than you do. You can rest assured that we, the parents of the child-residents, are in full communication. Some children will be discharged soon but that doesn't mean that the parents of the newly admitted children are going to be duped by your inexperience and lies, Mr. Cook. And that goes to you too, Polite and Totora. We're all on the same page. We'll play along with your "Parent Groups", etc, but just realize we're attending in our own interests. We're collecting details of every single thing you suggest and offer and we're presenting your crap to the State of New Jersey and other agencies. The CMO, DYFS, and DHS (not to mention other agencies) are extremely wary of your program right now. We look forward to attending your little "Parents Group". In fact, we look forward to every piece of correspondence and interaction with you. From what we've learned and established, it's all to OUR benefit. Under your direct supervision Cook, Totora and Polite, the children-residents at Rainbow Of Hope have been abused and neglected. Are you even remotely familiar with the LAWS that govern your positions of obligation and responsibility?? WE ARE. We view them here (click here).

Once again, Rainbow Of Hope thinks it knows best. Well thanks to information from our attorneys, it doesn't. Kevin and Cre might think they have the end-all solution with their amusing little "Parents Group" but what they are blatantly overlooking is.... the law! You see, in the State of New Jersey, Children have legal rights. Sam Totora, Kevin Cook and Lisa Polite would prefer we don't know this and they'd prefer we let them play God with our kids and our lives. A review of these judiciary statutes can be seen here. When you assume the position of a "manager" or "supervisor" you are obligated to educate yourself with the parameters in which you may legally operate. There are violations across the board here.

People and agencies are outraged by Rainbow Of Hope's blatant disregard for state and federal guidelines. The New Jersey Alliance for Children, Youth and Familes has taken a great interest in the documentation and evidence against Rainbow Of Hope.

Our attorneys have also revealed numerous violations on behalf of Rainbow Of Hope of the "Group Homes Manual of Policies" dictated by state, federal and local law enforcement. You need to carefully search this site for the specific information but it can be viewed by clicking here.

Our complaints have also been validated by the Office of the Child Adovcate. We encourage the parents of the newly admitted child-reisdents of Rainbow Of Hope to file your complaints here: Office of the Child Advocate. From our experience, Kevin Cook is adept at skirting investigations by Institutional Abuse by simply writing up a "corrective action" plan and handing it to the investigator. The Office of the Child Advocate probes much deeper. Our children have been neglected and abused at Rainbow Of Hope. Cook, Totora and Polite have skated around this long enough. Contact the Office of the Child Advocate for more promising results to your complaints. Our suggestion is - get your kids out of Rainbow Of Hope and have them placed at the Robin's Nest, Ranch Hope or The Children's Home in Brick Township. Each of these agencies acknowledge that Rainbow Of Hope has lacked professional care and standards since approximately July of 2008, conveniently; about the same time Kevin Cook became the "manager" of Rainbow Of Hope. Additionally, they have nothing positive to say about Lisa Polite and interestingly, they have never heard of Sam Totora. Contact them yourselves for open confirmation of this.

But in the meantime Kevin, please continue to call your meetings, sessions and groups. Mr. Cook, everything you do is a dark stain on the once noble integrity of the Rainbow Of Hope program. You're an amateur who presents as a clown. We perceive you as a windbag who is afraid to make competent decisions. And we have State Police records that prove you were on-site during crisis situations wherein you deferred to subordinates for decisions. It's obvious you have no idea of how to run the Rainbow Of Hope program. We'll give you a heads-up and offer you a few questions you can be expected to be asked by a prosecutor in due time... We're curious to see if you'll provide "textbook" answers or if you can cite specific agency protocol that pre-dates the issuance of this logged blog post.

• Prior to recommending issuance of a license, permit, or expedited permit, the site of a proposed secure residential youth care facility shall be inspected by which licensing representatives?

• In order to determine continuing compliance with applicable statutes and rules, a licensee's secure residential youth care facility may, without prior notice, be visited periodically by authorized representatives of six respective agencies. Name them??

Section 801.90 Background Investigations

a) No secure residential youth care facility license applicant may receive a license, permit, or an expedited permit from the Department, and no person may be employed by a licensed facility unless he or she provides written authorization for a background check which may include, but not be limited to:

1) A search of the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) maintained by the State Central Register to determine whether the person has been indicated as a perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect;

2) A check of the criminal justice information systems, including, but not limited to, those maintained by the Illinois Department of State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Department of Justice, to determine whether the person has been charged with a crime, and if so, the disposition of the charges; and

3) A pre-employment drug test and an agreement to drug testing when the Department or the secure residential youth care facility has reasonable suspicion of abuse.

Mr. Cook, what is the current status of the pre-employment drug tests of the Rainbow Of Hope staff? We know for a fact that drug-tests weren't conducted. ZAP!!! BIG violation of federal and state laws!

Okay, you can chalk that one up to Human Resources or whoever you want to blame... We all know you're good at passing the buck... however, we KNOW you can't answer these questions on sight. Sure, you can get the answers from co-workers or whatever... but these are MILD compared to what you'll be asked in court. We just wanted to give you a taste.... oh... see you at the "Parents Group"...... we can't wait.