DC tragedy sparks human services legislation

A team of deputy U.S. marshals arrived on the steps of a two-story row house to do what would be considered a normal routine for them - carrying out an eviction. But soon they realized that what awaited them at 4249 Sixth St. SE was far from normal.The marshals found four girls, Brittany Jacks, 17; Tatianna Jacks, 11; N'Kiah Fogle, 6; and Aja Fogle, 5, dead. Medical authorities determined the girls had been dead for months.

The children's mother, Banita Jacks, was charged with murder. But she denied killing her girls, asserting that the children were possessed by demons.

It happened almost two years ago, but Benita Jacks's story has drawn attention to the crisis of undiagnosed and untreated mental illnesses in the Black community. Her trial for killing the children started in D.C. Superior Court last week.

Earlier this month, Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration introduced the Jacks-Fogle Family Preservation Case Coordination Authorization Act of 2009, with the hopes of never seeing a tragedy of this magnitude happen again.

This legislation will be aimed at improving inter-agency information sharing and building a more efficient and effective District service delivery system that occurs among human services agencies.

"We are making bold improvements to District law in response to this tragedy, which made a lasting impact on our community," Mayor Fenty said in a press release. "The Jacks-Fogle Tragedy is one we never want to repeat, and this legislation is an important step in reforming our system."

Currently, the laws that exist within local health and human services agencies are more limited than those under federal law and this effects what client information is allowed to be shared between local agencies.

It is anticipated that with this new piece of legislation, local agencies will adhere to the federal privacy laws, HIPPA and FERPA.

Officials believe that with the legislation, the system of sharing information will be positively impacted and in return, a better quality of service between local human services agencies will emerge.

"Protecting the District's most vulnerable children, youth and families demands a community-wide response," Roque Gerald, director of Child and Family Services Agency, stated in the press release. "This legislation provides greater insight into multiple public agencies serving the same families, and is a large step forward in improving coordination."

In February the District took the initiative to not only improve youth and family services but to also create more effective communication among government agencies.

The new legislation looks to further enhance the initiatives that include programs such as the State Longitudinal Education Data System (SLED), Truancy Reduction, DC START, Gateway to Services Family Self-Assessment and Children at Risk.

Local citizens seem to be eager about the implementation of the legislation and hopeful for the changes it could bring.

"It's tough that the District has to create legislation like this, but if the District has enough resources to effectively run this program and make the more vulnerable members of our community, the children safer, then I fully support them and their efforts with this new legislation," Northwest DC resident Eddie Holiday said.

Dr. Candace Calloway, a former resident of DC's Ward 7, said she doesn't want to make a sweeping generalization for all the families that are in the "at-risk" cluster. But she is sure that people in that position, who have the added stress of caring for children, might not have the right mindset to function as a traditional member of society.

"Those people need to be watched for - if it's not by their family or local church, then the government should make an effort to supervise them," Dr. Calloway said.