It sounds almost too cruel to be real. That the state of Florida would punish families reeling from domestic violence by whisking their children away into foster care, setting onerous
In the fiscal year 2019-20, there were 92 children with allegations of sexual abuse involving foster parents, Poppell said, yet only six were verified – even though 70% of the allegations were made by credible sources, a group that includes professionals such as teachers, physicians and law enforcement personnel.
To prevent future missteps, DCF will expand its Crisis Incident Rapid Response Team, originally established to investigate child deaths, to evaluate the agency’s work in cases that involve accusations of sexual abuse against foster parents, Poppell said. Experts will review those cases, offer corrective feedback and provide a recommendation on whether a child should be returned to a home where abuse was alleged.
Everyone has power in the process except the parent.
National figures show that Black and Native American children are disproportionately removed and placed in foster homes, according to numerous reports cited by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, an information portal operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In Florida, Black children make up 20% of the child population but 30% of kids in foster care, state data shows.
But it is poverty that experts believe has the greatest impact. Poor children are far more likely to be taken from their homes, in part because they are more likely to experience abuse and neglect. It s also because parents without money have fewer child care options and can’t afford private attorneys to advocate for them, experts say. Some are uneducated or illiterate yet are expected to understand case documents and legal agreements.