Ombudsman Refuses To Provide Email For Complaint

On July 3rd, 2024, Rescue The Fosters contacted the Ombudsman office in Greenfield, Massachusetts to file a formal complaint against the two social workers who falsified documents and committed perjury in Chris Stevens' case. We expected the ombudsman's office to offer assistance with investigating the allegations we presented. It is a crime for caseworkers to falsify documents and commit perjury. The actions of the social workers have caused Chris to not only be separated from his child but also to face criminal charges. We were disappointed that our complaint was not taken seriously, and we had difficulty obtaining the contact information for the person responsible for handling the complaint.

The ombudsman recommended that I send the complaint via fax to the area director. She refused to give an email address or name, but instructed me to fax the information. After doing some research, I found the contact information and email of the area director. From my experience working in the system, I've learned that it's best to send all communication to an email address.

On July 17th, 2024 I received a certified letter from Area Director Katherine Theodore stating that Rescue The Fosters did not provide evidence that the social workers falsified documents and lied under oath, but most importantly Mr. Stevens had 30 days to submit a formal complaint and he was well out of bounds of the 30 days.

I've noticed that in many cases, parents are not aware that they only have 30 days to file a complaint. This can result in families being torn apart and children being adopted without the parents having a chance to voice their concerns. I find this situation to be unacceptable. I find it unacceptable that government employees' information is difficult to find. There is protection in place for social workers, but not for families.

I am posting this to urge parents in Greenfield, MA to file complaints before the 30-day deadline if they are unsure what to do. I am including Katherine Theodore's information so that you do not have to go through the trouble I went through trying to find the information.

Katherine Theodore, M.Ed.
Area Director
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Department of Children and Families
Greenfield Area Office
143 Munson St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Katherine.Theodore@mass.gov
Phone: (413) 775-5003
Fax: (413) 773-5773