Where I Stand—Ruthe Deskin: More sad stories come to light after SUN series

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1997 | 11:32 a.m.

Ask Grace and Dan Dreyer what they would like for Christmas, and the answer would be "Daniel."

Theirs is a long story sprinkled with utter frustration at a system that denies them from becoming permanent guardians of a little boy they have learned to love.

Daniel's mother was a lost soul befriended by the Dreyers. Her life had been one of abandonment, beatings, molestations and drug use. They wanted to help her turn her life around so they visited with her while she was in jail and aided her in her struggle to obtain an education.

When her child was born, the Dreyers were encouraged by a caseworker to become temporary guardians for Daniel. At that time he was 5 weeks old. They willingly took on the responsibility and were awarded a Temporary Guardian Status by the court system.

Later the mother came to live with the Dreyers and tried to put her life back on an even keel, but the ravages of AIDS broke her spirit and she went back to life on the streets and drug addiction.

Twice she called for the Dreyers to pick up her baby, but they were told to stay out of it.

After Daniel's mother died, the Dreyers tried vainly to become guardians of the child, but he was taken from them. They were told they would have to become foster parents before Daniel could be returned.

Now they are caught up in the tedious process of foster care, while the baby, instead of being in a home where he can be loved and cherished, is in institutional care.

Naturally there is more to the story, much of which cannot be told because of confidentiality laws that bind officials. Reporters are unable to verify information obtained from parents and friends because of this law.

But, Daniel's story apparently is just one of hundreds that have come to the attention of the Las Vegas SUN since Steve Kanigher's excellent series on all phases of children's services in the state and county.

There are obvious weaknesses in the system that should be addressed, one of which seems to be lack of communication between state and county child service providers.

The turf wars that have existed must be eliminated if the cause of justice for the children in the juvenile systems is to be accomplished.

In my mail this week were two letters outlining cases of people who wanted to help a child in need, but are discouraged in their endeavors by rules, regulations and sometimes officious caseworkers.

Most of the caseworkers I know are dedicated, compassionate individuals who face a daily work load that is absolutely impossible. That both state and county need more workers in the field is a given.

It is rumored that the family court judges are planning some kind of meeting with certain members of the press to solicit suggestions on how the public can be better informed of their problems.

If such a meeting is held, I strongly suggest that the SUN's Steve Kanigher is the most knowledgeable media person they could find on all subjects involving child protective services, foster care, family court, etc. His desk at the SUN is evidence of the kind of response the SUN series is getting.

Best of all, Steve's investigations have proved to him that, though the problems are big, in many cases the solutions are simple.

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It's astounding how much literary junk gets published, but once in a while a little gem comes along that is entirely unexpected.

Such is Mary Gabriel's biography of Victoria Woodhull, "Notorious Victoria."

Gabriel had never heard of Victoria Woodhull until she stumbled upon a brief reference while researching another project. I never heard of her until I picked up Mary Gabriel's story.

Victoria Woodhull was the first woman broker on Wall Street, the first woman to address Congress, and the first woman to run for president. She lived from 1836 until 1927.

During her lifetime she was accused of blackmail, prostitution and was jailed for printing obscenities.

The book is a fascinating story about an extraordinary woman, whose place as a leader in the battle for women's rights has been overshadowed by her somewhat scandalous actions.

"Notorious Victoria" is good reading from a historical standpoint even if you finish by not being too fond of the heroine.

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Those loveable greyhounds will be greeting friends again this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Petco, Lake Mead Boulevard and Rainbow Boulevard.

The greyhounds are dogs that have been rescued from racing tracks after they have been declared disposable. Adoptions can be arranged.

The greyhounds will be a part of a parade in Henderson on Saturday.

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What are the top five lies told in the United States?

If you haven't guessed, here they are as compiled by a national pollster.

The check's in the mail. That was delicious. This won't hurt. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'll pay you back tomorrow.