Los Angeles County Didn't Report Child Deaths

The violations involve "potentially dozens" of child fatalities. Interestingly, the investigation was conducted behind closed doors (a violation to the state's open meetings law). The county's inquiry into allegations of abuse or neglect had been open for close to 2 months and exceeded the state's 30 day deadline. Since then, the number of children whose cases have run past the deadline has grown by 1,000. More than 13,000 children are the subjects of abuse investigations that have been open beyond the deadline to close inquiries. Officials have pledged to address the issue of holding children in makeshift areas (temporary quarters) while the inquiries are investigated. The fact that anyone would consider abusing a child is inexcusable. Yet to think that the number of abuses has increased, and that deaths as a result of this have been under-reported due to the County's lack of funding, diligence and failure indicates we have a serious problem on our hands with a child's life at stake.

School Cafeteria Workers Get Culinary Boot Camp

In the past, cafeteria helpers were mostly trained in "cooking safety" but not necessarily in "cooking". In light of how people are protesting child obesity and unhealthy foods available in schools, now school cafeterias are training their personnel in a "culinary boot camp" learning to cook pork roasts, chicken, vegetables and casseroles. "Cook for America" founder, Kate Adamick also discusses child psychology, nutrition and marketing. They teach time management, culinary math , knife skills and menu planning. The boot camp is one of the several efforts to get more produce and whole grains and more freshly cooked foods onto school lunch trays. Santa Barbara County schools are on the bandwagon due to the Orfalea Fund, a local foundation, who supports the boot camps and follow-up training once the staff returns to school as well as grants for equipment.

Sri Lanka Housekeeper Abused by Employer

A Sri Lankan housekeeper returned from her job in Saudi Arabia with 24 nails inside her body -- the result of torture by the family who employed her, a doctor and government official said Wednesday.

L.G. Ariyawathi's body is riddled with needles and nails, which are scheduled to be removed Friday, a doctor confirmed Wednesday.

Ariyawathi, 49, returned to Sri Lanka on Saturday from Saudi Arabia and was hospitalized the next day with severe pain at a facility where she told a local newspaper that her employers tortured her with the nails as punishment.

''They (employer and his family) did not allow me even to rest. The woman at the house had heated the nails and then the man inserted them into my body,''

She told the paper that she went to Saudi Arabia in March and was paid only two months' salary, with her employer withholding three months' salary to buy an air ticket to send her home.

The 24 nails are ''inside the body due to torture meted out by her Saudi employer,'' Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, deputy minister of economic development, said in a statement on a government website.

Abeywardena said the government would ''report about this matter to the Saudi Government and provide her adequate compensation.''

Kalyana Priya Ramanayake, a spokesman for Sri Lanka's Foreign Employment Bureau, said that Ariyawathi had been too afraid to complain about the abuse to Saudi authorities, fearing that her employers might not let her return home. She also did not report the abuse to Sri Lankan officials, until she was hospitalized.

The bureau is a government agency that oversees the welfare of expatriate workers.

Working as housekeepers or drivers, Sri Lankan workers can earn higher salaries overseas. About 1.5 million Sri Lankans work abroad, nearly 400,000 of them in Saudi Arabia alone.

How to Get your Child to Say "Yes, I Can, and I Will"

A great new book on raising a child: "How to Get Your Child to Say, Yes! I Can! & I Will!" by Lesa Day.

In just 10 days create a nurturing structure in your home that will guide your child to become a responsible, respectful individual.

Have you ever thought to yourself:
Do I know the top values I want to teach my child?
Is my communication proactive or reactive?
What legacy am I leaving behind?
What character traits do I want my child to have?

Lesa shows you how to put a system together in 10 days or less to nurture your child. She describes specific techniques you can use daily with the 5 1/2 C's and you're on your way to giving guidance to you child to succeed in their daily growth.

For links to her website regarding the book go to http://www.yesIcanandIwill.com

Wages: Nannies, Housekeepers, Babysitters

With the flood of unemployed workers, many nannies, housekeepers and babysitters are losing their jobs and finding it difficult to stay afloat. There was a time when they were adamant about making certain wages, but now ready to negotiate. So how how much should you offer your Nanny and Housekeeper? Nannies in Los Angeles are getting anywhere from $12-$25/hr. Wages vary depending on factors such as: driving, communication skills, child development education, years of experience on the job, quality of reference checks, availability for travel in/outside of US, number of children they are watching and ages. Infant care is more specialized and pays more. Housekeepers on the other hand are paid $15-$25/hr depending on size and quality of house, if laundry/ironing is required, and whether they are full charge (needing driving and cooking) or whether they are day cleaners. Most day cleaners charge $15/hr. Wages beginning at $15/hr are usually net of taxes whereas anything higher may be considered a gross wage. It is always important to check with EDD "Employment Development Department" to see whether you qualify for payroll taxes depending on how much an household employer is paying per calendar quarter. Payroll taxes are suggested when required as it protects both the employer and employee. Always be sure to have worker's compensation insurance or some form of protective insurance in the event of injury on the job. http://www.martaperrone.com

No Yelling, No Crying, No Walking off the Job

A full charge nanny and housekeeper called late Friday night in tears. Her boss had come home in a mad rush eager to get ready for dinner guests that evening. As she drove into the garage, she ran over a toy that was left inadvertently by her child and not picked up by the housekeeper. The employer was naturally upset. She didn't want to have to deal with this when she was already under pressure to get ready for the evening plans. She reacted emotionally and raised her voice; at which point, the employee also responded emotionally, began to cry and walked out 30 minutes prior to her scheduled departure from work. All of this was inappropriate on everyone's part. The toys should not be left in the middle of the garage. First of all, children should be trained to put their toys back. In this case, the child was old enough to know better. The nanny should have been vigilant in checking that the child had followed through. If the child hadn't, then the nanny's role is to ask the child to put the toys to one side, explaining that when mommy gets home and pulls her car in the garage, if the toys are not put away, she might run over them.

Here is more about how everyone was at fault: the mother yelled because she was frustrated, maybe had a bad day, maybe just because she was under pressure about the evening and getting ready for it. Raising your voice at anyone, especially employees wears thin. No one likes it, and eventually, no one will tolerate it. Everything between employees and employers must be handled in a civil manner - it becomes a "conversation". Secondly, the employee was completely unprofessional in turning to tears and leaving the job 30 minutes early. This is an employee/employer relationship, not one that you have with a boyfriend or husband. Tears are inappropriate. If an employee is not happy about her employer's conduct, then this is a "conversation" and should not be an emotional one. When you bring emotion into the equation, you risk elevating the problem and losing sight of how to solve it.

Problems can be solved only by a "conversation" where both parties are understanding of everyone's position and needs and seek to find a solution.