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Read comments (7)Jimmy Darrell Sweat, 45, has completed counseling for parenting skills and paid $316 in court costs.
Sweat and Cathy Ann McCartney, 48, were charged with the offenses in April when sheriff's deputies found their 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter outside. The house was reportedly filthy and McCartney had fallen asleep on a love seat after drinking a bottle of vodka. Sweat was at work.
McCartney is continuing to attend alcohol and family counseling and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23.
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services took the children into protective custody in April, and Sweat later obtained custody of the children.
To SoDyersburg and Marie3...
Please know facts before posting ignorance on here! First of all, DCS is governed by the state of Tennessee and must abide by the policies and guidelines set forth by the state. DCS assists families in maintaining their homes and tries to avoid taking children into custody because statistics show that children are in most cases worse off when away from their family.
What people don't know is that families that lose their children are required to meet certain rules and expectations. Once those are met, the court makes judgement on if the children should return to the home. A DCS worker can make a recommendation but ultimately it resides with the juvenile court. As far as the prissy, trying to look pretty remark! That is hilarious....DCS workers don't make enough money to afford clothes to look pretty and most don't care what you think of them because they are doing a job that keeps them in the negative graces of the public.
Also, not all DCS workers let families know ahead of time that they are coming. However, if you call a family and tell them that you will be there in 20 minutes and they can have the home spotlees in that time....maybe the house wasn't as bad as the reporter claimed. Thing is that if people don't like how things are done...maybe they should attend college and get some education so they can apply for the jobs and change the world!!! Probably not though because then they couldn't complain about things all day!
you go to jail for stealing a candy bar, but abuse your children and all you have to do is go to counseling for a few days and all is well. What is wrong with the system.
Many unfit parents are allowed to keep their children due to the fact that DCS lets them know ahead of time when their home visits will be. So these parents have time to clean up their act or house...until the caseworker leaves. How is that helping the children???
IT IS NOT JUST ONE FAMILY IN DYERSBURG COMMITTING CHILD NEGLECT,LOOK AROUND OUR CHILDREN ARE DRAWING THE SMALL STRAW...OUR FUTURES CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP COLD HEARTED WITH NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE OR EVEN THEIR SELF....MOST LEARN AT A VERY YOUNG AGE *EAT OR BE EATEN*...I DONT KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS TO IT...IF YOU SEE A CHILD BEING NEGLECTED...PLEASE REPORT IT,,THAT MAY BE THE TIME THAT SOME ONE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...ALSO KEEP IN MIND THESE CHILDREN ARE THE ONES THAT WE WILL RELEY ON TO TAKE CARE OF US WHEN WE ARE UNABLE TO EVEN GET A GLASS OF WATER OR GO TO THE BATHROOM BY OURSELVES..THEY ARE OUR FUTURE
DCS is a freaking joke! To busy prissing around trying to look pretty.
The DCS needs to keep a close watch on this family to ensure that the children's needs are being met from now on, and that the mother and father appreciate the second chance they have been given. I will be praying for these children and their family!!