Jessica Scovil’s maternal grandmother, Tina Swatkowski, said it all with class (if that is the correct word under the circumstances): the system failed both her daughter Evelyn Carter who “temporarily” lost Jessica to child welfare Grundys and Wendy Osborne, the foster mother who accidentally left Jessica in a hot car to die of heat stroke. (see previous blog)
In a statement released Monday, Swatkowski said:
Evelyn needed supports put into place and not to have her daughter taken from her. The foster mother must have been overwhelmed to have left Baby Jessica in the van like she did. So I guess the system not only doesn’t support birth parents, they don’t even give foster parents the support they need.
“The system is broke and needs to be fixed,” Don’t let Jessica die in vain, let’s get justice for Jessica, let’s change the system.”
Swatkowski said that Jessica was removed temporarily from Evelyn after she asked for help in dealing with her bi-polar disorder.
I guess that’ll teach her to think the state cares! Evelyn and Jessica’s father, Robert Scovil played by the rules and all they got for it is a dead baby.
A woman going by the name of “Amanda” who says she is Evelyn Carter’s best friend comments on the blog I Perceive:
jessica the 9 mo old who died was my best friends baby these parents were good parents they had done everything to get jessica back . we now find that she should have been returned 2 weeks ago. these parents were not told anything till wenesday am and then not what happened .the parents need to tell their story . this baby should have been home with the family who has fought to get her back . please help us dont let this happen to another child .
Not much to inspire confidence in the Georgia Division of Family and Children’s Services.
To no one’s surprise, DFCS has dummied up. The only statement I can find from any state official comes out of Tom Rawlings, the state’s Child Advocate (whatever that is)
I usually look at these kinds of situations as there but for the grace of God go I.
In other words, shit happens. especially when DFCS is involved.
We can only assume by the silence that DFCS is cooking up a story to extricate itself from its hubris and liability.
It seems a little ironic that although the medication taken by Evelyn Carter allows her to lead a normal life, that wasn’t enough to prevent DYFS from removing her child from her.
Yet the medicine taken by Wendy Osborne is being touted as a reason she shouldn’t be held responsible for ‘forgetting’ Jessica.
Tom Rawlings’ office is here.
Oh, and for some real classless statements, read comments on my previous Jessica blog. Bastardette was visited by (as of this writing) two of Mrs. Osborne’s churchy friends who think we’re all idiots. Ater all, Osborne and her husband have given Bibles to every foster child in Jackson County.
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Sorry, but that first try was a bit fractured.
I think Jessica’s grandmother showed a great deal of class. It’s not what you have or how well you speak the language (or write it), but whether or nor you speak up for what is right and do so with dignity that gives a person “class.”
For instance, those people who came on this blog and called those of us who speak out against the legalized crimes of the adoption and foster care system “idiots” showed no class at all. So much for Christian love and tolerance.
She is so right about the system needing a fix. It needs to be scrapped, a few self-entitled egos toppled and something more child-centered rebuilt in its place. I would love to see that happen before I die but I’m not counting on that. Our so-called child care “experts” are not singing “Rockabye Baby,” but are shouting “Show me the Money!”
Class says it all.
I’m so impressed by Tina Swatkowski’s dignity, decency and restraint. Grace under pressure.
Of course she’s right. It’s not possible to right the wrongs of the past, but it is possible to honor the victims by changing the system so that others will be protected from the same kind of injustices in the future
Any real parent would be hung out to dry if such a thing happened.
Marley….saw your comments at iperceive. Thanks for showing this little baby the love that CPS deprived her of her entire little life, and thank you for caring enough to help put heat on law enforcement and CPS.
Wendy Osborne belongs in jail. It is my mission to see to it that she is prosecuted for killing Jessica.
I don’t know Jessica or her family. I am a resident of Georgia and I am absolutely OUTRAGED at what my state did to this little baby, and further outraged that my State seems to have NO interest in prosecuting the woman who killed this innocent little baby by leaving her trapped in a car that was as hot as an oven for over two hours, while she napped in air-conditioned comfort and a drugged up stupor.
She is negligent in Jessica’s case–but also in the case of the 3 year olds.
I say this as the mother of 13 year old twins. When my kids were 3, I would have NEVER taken a nap “while they played”. With them it wasn’t the “terrible twos”, it was the “terrible threes”. What one toddler can think up by themself at age 3, you can’t even comprehend what TWO 3 year olds can dream up!!!
NO WAY would I have napped while they “played”.
Anyway…I look forward to joining your community here and working hard to hold our government “servants” accountable for their behavior.
Especially in Jessica’s case!
Hugs and love,
Jeny
I would like to tell you about a recent happening in my 12 yr old great-nephew’s life. This may be a little long, but to show the difference of true caring/love and neglect.
We had to mandatorily evacuate week-end before last. My 12 yr old great-nephew would lose his father to a terrible fight with cancer last October. His mother and father had been divorced for more than a few years, but remained ‘friends’ and the Dad was very much involved in his son’s life. During the evacuation, the 12 yr old boy, decided that the urn that carried the ashes of his father, could not be left behind and he referred to the urn as his ‘dad’. So ‘dad’ evacuated with his son and his ex-wife. When they would arrive at a hotel in Austin and unloading their baggage, my niece shut the trunk door, leaving ‘dad’ in the trunk. The son of ‘dad’ was beside himself, exclaiming loudly to his mother..that they could not leave ‘dad’ in the trunk, because it would get too hot! ‘Dad’ went into the hotel with the rest of the family.
My point…if a 12 yr old boy can be that concerned (remember) about an urn carrying the ashes of his father…that the car would get too hot…then someone please tell me how an adult can ‘forget’ to remember a real live little human being in a hot car??!! Surely if a 12 yr old can ‘remember’ and care, why not an adult?? Logan is a fine boy..and a wonderful, loving son to the father he lost in his young life. Many an adult can take a cue from this 12 yr old boy.
To the friends who say she has given bibles – exactly how many bibles make up for the death of a child? I forgot that from Sunday School.
This woman should be arrested, put in front of her peers and let justice prevail. However, she will be tried again before a higher calling as well. As for the grandmother, she is a saint. I don’t think I could be that calm.
Perhaps Osborne’s friends should just go ahead and go as far as calling the parents of Jessica Scovil idiots.
That’s a wonderful story, Chris. Thanks for sharing it with us. It would have been so easy to leave Dad behind. This is a stunning lesson in love that a lot of adults could heed. Logan is great son who will gorw into a great adult.
Very classy grandma in a tragic situation. Good for her for speaking out against a lousy system.
Too many kids is too many…I often wonder if those who foster or adopt large numbers of kids are not like those who take in more pets than they can care for, and then the animals end up sick and neglected? I do not think we should make heroes of these people. Kids whose natural families really can’t care for them (not like Jessica who should have been with her grandma or father)might be better off in supervised professionally run group homes with enought staff to really care for them and keep them safe, rather than any dubious foster family that will take one more whether they can handle that or not.
“”I often wonder if those who foster or adopt large numbers of kids are not like those who take in more pets than they can care for, and then the animals end up sick and neglected?””
And I wonder about the size of the foster/adoption welfare checks one receives whilst ‘collecting’ children?
Didn’t the grandmother Tina Swatkowski have a website? Anyone know what it was/is? I suppose most of you know about the website AFRA(American Family Rights Association); if not, Jessica’s story needs to be told there.
I’m not sure if anyone still reads this but I’m Evelyn’s baby sister and for what I’m able to stay Evelyn has remarried has two very beautiful girls. We release balloons on her birthday every year. My mother and sister have a pink rose Bush in there yard for Jessica wr meet up on death date and talk about what could happen been.
Thanks for the update. I’m not sure how many people are still reading this either, but updates are always welcome. These victims should not be forgotten. The state, I’m sure, however, has forgotten. It was complicit in Jessica’s death, and as far as I know, has ever been held accountable–as is the case of so much foster and adoptee abuse throughout the country. I suppose some caseworker someplace has gotten in trouble, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard of it. It’s all a racket. I am glad that Evelyn has continued on and that you and her daughters carry Jessica in their hearts.
On a technical note, I’m sorry the formatting isn’t better here. When I transferred from Blogger to Word Press things sorta went haywire.