CPS promotions after Valva murder generate outrage

I am horrified and outraged to read about the Suffolk County Child Protective Services workers in this case “CPS promotes 3 in Valva case, records show,” News, April 30].

Thomas Valva was an innocent, beautiful boy who now lies in his grave, due in part to the incompetence of CPS workers who were called in countless times to rescue him from his abusers, yet did not do enough to protect him.

And now we learn that these same people have been rewarded with promotions rather than disciplined, terminated and/or brought up on criminal charges for their negligence.

How was there no investigation and follow-through after such a tragedy that went on for years with documented abuse? Think of the other children in similar situations right now with no one to help them.

Sadly, with no repercussions, this will happen again to defenseless children who deserve agencies and adults to protect them. How many more children will die before CPS employees are held accountable?

— Barbara Gilman, Old Bethpage

CPS caseworkers and supervisors do an incredibly difficult and emotionally taxing job because they are driven by a sense of mission to protect our most vulnerable residents. No one becomes a CPS caseworker for the money. CPS is put in the middle of family disputes, which make it difficult to get an accurate story.

Sadly, there are cases like the murder of Thomas Valva where the system fails to tragic effect. The Valva case weighs heavily on our members, who are eager to improve processes to make sure this never happens again.

On behalf of members of the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees, I was disappointed by Newsday’s front-page story about the involved CPS workers. I see it as an attack on women and men who have spent careers fighting for Suffolk children, placing themselves in hazardous situations and working through staffing shortages for relatively little pay.

Our dedicated AME workforce has been advocating for improved CPS staffing and training, and we are beginning to see progress there.

We stand committed to learning from this tragedy and doing everything possible to prevent it from happening again.

— Daniel C. Levler, Patchogue

The writer is president of the Suffolk County AME, the union that represents CPS workers.

In all child abuse and neglect cases, Family Court appoints an attorney for the child. I have served as such since 1979. In Nassau County, we are appointed from a panel of private lawyers. Part of our job is to make sure that CPS does its job.

The pay for these cases is $164 an hour in New York City since 2022 but only $75 an hour since 2004 in the rest of the state, grossly inadequate to run a law office and devote the time needed for these complex cases. Family Court can grant a higher rate on a case-by-case basis, but Nassau Family Court has declined to do so in neglect and abuse cases. Efforts to raise the rate in Albany remain uncertain.

Until the state and local family courts provide reasonable compensation for these essential services, our children, like Thomas Valva, remain at risk.

— Howard E. Sayetta, Syosset

As a retired Social Services employee, I am appalled by this. Caseloads have always been ridiculously high, but that doesn’t explain the disregard of such blatant child abuse.

Regardless of parent employment or demeanor, the social worker investigating a child becomes that child’s advocate, a principle I fear was sorely missed. If these workers are comfortable with their promotions and efforts, they should consider another profession.

— John F. Lomaga, Shoreham

It is beyond outrageous that the three CPS workers who did not follow up on the plight of two young boys who were being starved, tortured and one ultimately murdered by two cruel adults were protected and promoted.

They had no greater obligation than to protect innocent, defenseless children, and they failed miserably. They collected taxpayer-funded salaries under false pretense.

They should have been fired, as well as their supervisor, and the judge who blatantly ignored overwhelming, compelling evidence from school officials that the boys were kept in life-threatening horror should be disciplined.

— Howard Mandell, East Northport

When I worked for two school districts, including as a director of school safety, we discussed and passed along our observations of students who drew our elevated attention. After all, teachers, counselors and other staff are objective witnesses of children for several hours every school day.

While all teachers are mandatory reporters, those in elementary and middle schools interact with children in closer proximity. Good teachers can see, listen, smell and sense something’s not right with a child.

When appropriate, concerns are shared with outside social services, such as CPS. We trust the CPS process, which includes interviews and visits.

In making sure these tragedies are prevented, teachers and school observations should be given a weighted value. Any school-initiated call to CPS should set off alarms. Also, CPS supervisors should be constantly monitoring case developments and next courses of actions by their staff. There must be greater accountability.

And, finally, the family members, teachers and school staff who saw this, reported it and trusted the process should be acknowledged. Their commitment to a child’s welfare can and will continue to save lives.

— Mark Hannan, Southampton

Although I do not live in Suffolk County, the rage I feel about Thomas Valva’s case spans Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Suffolk Child Protective Services is unaccountably refusing to deal with this travesty. It apparently accepts no responsibility and does not plan to punish or censure the social workers involved. In fact, it had the audacity to promote them.

How is this possible? How is this acceptable?

The child did nothing wrong. CPS worked against him and his mother, siding with Michael Valva, his abusive father.

The public and innocent children need Gov. Kathy Hochul to look into this abysmal, dangerous situation.

— Marcia Blackman, East Meadow

When will the investigations into CPS begin? I am tired of hearing the excuse that the workers were “following the guidelines.”

If they had a conscience, they would have quit and filed a complaint of their own.

— Lou Maggio, Islip Terrace