Parents Against Child Abuse hold peaceful rally at Raleigh County Courthouse

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Parents Against Child Abuse is an organization dedicated to ending child abuse across the country.

Parents Against Child Abuse (PACA) was started by Candie Scott of Raleigh County.

Scott said that the recent case of a Boone County 14-year-old who was found dead in her home was the final straw in a long line of cases in which a child fell through the cracks and caused her to start protesting.

PACA aims for accountability from Child Protective Services and their parent agency, the Department of Human Services.

Scott said there are multiple parties responsible for these failings.

“Our court system, our guardian ad litems, our CPS workers, they do not do the job that they took oath to do. They do not follow the codes that they are required by law to follow.” explained Scott.

Several members of the community turned out for the rally and voiced their own bad experiences working with CPS.

This included Sandra Dorsey, a former Mercer County magistrate.

Scott said that changes need to begin from the top.

“I think if we could fix, and we could make these people have accountability, and the ones that’s been in office that no one checks on to ensure their jobs are being done properly, if someone could take a stand and look to ensure that all of these people are doing the job they’re supposed to do, we would fix our system.” explained Scott.

Scott feels that nothing less than the federal government getting involved and launching investigations into state CPS facilities will result in the changes she and the rest of PACA want to see.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.