Inside the DCF Files: When Children Attack Children

Inside the DCF Files: When Children Attack Children

By Jennifer Brice
First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Florida Department of Children and Families
cares for thousands of children who can't go home. But hidden in the
DCF files are signs of a disturbing trend.

This is the story of a little girl who really didn't have a chance in
life. We're protecting her identity, but feel you need to hear her
story. We'll call her Katie. She could be the poster child for the
statement "You can't pick your parents."

Amber Christopher knows why her daughter was taken from her by DCF. "I
wasn't providing a safe environment for her at all." Katie was put in
a foster home. The system would have worked if the story had ended
here.

"DCF should have never put her in that home," says Christopher. Katie,
the victim of a bad mother, was now about to become a victim again.

According to documents obtained during a First Coast News
investigation, Katie was put in a home with seven children, two more
than the state allows. But foster homes are hard to come by and
everything seemed okay until several notes appeared in Katie's DCF
file.

"May 1st: 5 year old Katie is masturbating during nap time. A
therapist is called and the foster family says Katie may have learned
this from another child.

Attorney Helen Sporr says, "The child is starting to show signs of
sexual abuse the way she's acting out, they're noting it at day care."

Sporr is now the attorney for Katie. She fights for children like
Katie who she says have their stories lost in the files of the DCF.

Eight days later, another DCF note: Foster mom says there is more
masturbation. And by June 18th: Katie tells a therapist another child
is touching her at night.

Sporr says it's confirmed in a counseling session. "It's confirmed
again and again and again. Everyone around her knows, the foster
parents, the caseworker knows it. Everyone knows it and nothing has
been done."

Katie is still living with her suspected abuser, another foster child.

Wayne Cissel is with the Department of Children and Families. He says
removing children from foster homes sounds like an easy solution.

"It would separate two children involved in sexual activity but where
does that child go?"

He says there is no risk assessment that gives a level of immediacy
that would automatically cause you to remove a child. Cissel cannot
talk specifically about Katie's case. But he can talk about a trend
he's seeing with foster children molesting other foster children.

"The rates of child sexual abuse have exploded to the extent that we
need to be looking at what we can do to minimize the risk and change
behavior."

The bottom line, there are not enough foster parents. Not enough
foster home. The kids sometimes have to stay with the people who are
abusing them. "Moving children immediately is not always the best
result."

More DCF notes in Katie's files: July 8th it says the recent report of
child on child molestation has affected Katie in that she has been and
continues to do inappropriate touches on other small children in the
home.

Then on August 14th: It says Katie needs additional therapy. The
caseworker says there is inappropriate supervision between Katie and
the child who molested her.

The attorney representing Katie says she's files a case against DCF
for negligence.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/n...?storyid=15601

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