Who Is Responsible for Abused Foster Children?

Approximately 800,000 children come in contact with the foster care system each year in the United States. These foster children are placed in this system because their biological parents are unable to care for them. Foster care is intended to protect children from neglect and abuse at the hands of parents and other family members. Yet all too often it becomes an equally cruel form of neglect and abuse by the state. If foster care abuse and neglect is so common, who should be held responsible?

The Story of One Foster Care Abuse Represents the Plight of Many

The statistics of foster care abuse and neglect is too grim for most of us to bear. The story of L.M. is in many respects typical of the plight of America’s 500,000 foster children. According to ABC News, L.M. suffocated to death after her foster mother wrapped her 5-year-old body with 42-feet of duct tape during a “timeout.”

Six weeks before her untimely and unfortunate death, L.M. was on a visit to her birth mother when, in the presence of a child-welfare worker hired to supervise the visit, she complained that her foster mother was hurting her. Despite this information, there was no immediate investigation and the child-welfare worker did not make a mandatory quarterly visit to the foster home.

Similar narratives, sadly, are found across the country.  Some child-welfare workers say they simply have too many cases, while other complain of inadequate training. Regardless of what excuse is used to explain the fate of so many abused and neglected foster children, one thing remains constant: these innocent children have rights and their abusers must be brought to justice, both civilly and criminally.

Holding the Right Parties Responsible

Placing foster children in abusive homes is appalling. Failing to protect them so the abuse won’t continue is inexcusable. The agencies that place these children with foster parents have the duty to properly screen and monitor the foster homes to ensure the children are adequately placed and cared for in a safe and secure environment.

When foster children are abused in a foster home, not only the foster family but the agency that placed the children in the home, ward or group may be held liable for the resulting harm and injuries. In order to bring these negligent parties to justice, it is imperative that you hire an aggressive, yet compassionate attorney, to help you fight your case.

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If you or a child was injured or harmed while in the care of a foster parent or group home or ward, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Although exercising your rights and seeking monetary compensation will not turn back time or undo your pain and anguish, it will allow you to have the financial means to get the necessary treatment for your injuries. To ensure that you get the full compensation that you deserve, you should hire an experienced New York foster care abuse lawyer.

For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with an experienced New York child abuse attorney, please call Gersowitz, Libo & Korek, P.C. at 800-529-9997.