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<DIV><FONT size=2>Terrell's legacy: Senate OKs bill to protect
abused<BR><BR>Peter Mantius - Staff<BR>Thursday . February 17<BR><BR>The state
Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday authorizing<BR>doctors to take
temporary custody of children they suspect have been abused.<BR><BR>The Terrell
Peterson Bill now moves to the House, where it is expected to<BR>meet little or
no resistance.<BR><BR>The measure is named after a 5-year-old Atlanta boy who
died two years ago<BR>after multiple reports to county officials that he was
abused or neglected.<BR><BR>Currently, only law enforcement officials are
allowed to take a child into<BR>temporary protective custody without an order
>from a juvenile court. Senate<BR>Bill 315 would grant doctors that power, too.
Physicians could hold a child<BR>for assessment and treatment for 24 hours
before notifying a juvenile court<BR>of their action.<BR><BR>"Had we had a law
like this on the books, maybe Terrell Peterson would be<BR>alive today," said
Sen. Nadine Thomas (D-Ellenwood), a registered nurse who<BR>sponsored the bill.
"It's not a cure-all, but at least we have some<BR>safeguard in
place."<BR><BR>The bill passed the Senate with little discussion. Sen. Clay
Land<BR>(R-Columbus) said the bill gained bipartisan support because it
addresses<BR>the serious problem of children being returned to situations of
abuse.<BR><BR>Thomas modeled the bill after laws in Iowa and Illinois. Many
states give<BR>doctors authority to take temporary custody of children who have
bruises or<BR>markings that suggest abuse.<BR><BR>Illinois reported taking 6,462
children into protective custody in fiscal<BR>1999. Of that number, 129 were
placed there by doctors.<BR><BR>Gov. Roy Barnes has said responsibility for
Terrell's death rests on the<BR>state. He is pushing legislation that would
create an Office of Child<BR>Advocate to serve as a watchdog over the state
Division of Family and<BR>Children Services.<BR><BR>Last month, the GBI seized
the case files of 13 children, including Terrell,<BR>who died between 1996 and
1998 while under the supervision of DFACS.<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_1.html";>http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_1.html</A><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
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