Agency: Half of foster parents criminals

Agency: Half of foster parents criminals

By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/30/2010 07:23:59 PM PDT
Updated: 03/30/2010 07:40:32 PM PDT

County officials plan to examine how many people have qualified to become foster parents in Los Angeles despite criminal backgrounds, after the head of a troubled nonprofit agency claimed Tuesday the figure could be up to half.
Members of the Board of Supervisors remained skeptical but asked county officials to look into the issue.
The statements came during a hearing in which the supervisors voted to terminate a contract with United Care, Inc. following the death of a 2-year-old girl in a South Los Angeles foster home under the nonprofit's oversight.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky asked United Care's executive director Craig J. Woods if he knew the child's foster mother had a criminal background.
He said he did, but she had been cleared and licensed by the state, like many foster parents.
"The state has an exemption process where it has a criteria that if the particular crime was not of a violent or drug-related nature, then many of our foster parents are exempted," Woods said. "And I would estimate that to be as many as a third to half of foster parents fostering today under state licensing exemptions."
In response, Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Neil Zanville said DCFS Director Trish Ploehn contacted the state Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division to find out what percentage of foster parents have some sort of criminal background.
"I don't know that half of
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our foster care parents are criminals," Supervisor Gloria Molina said. "I disagree with that and I'm going to look into that because I think you're wrong."
The dust-up follows the death of Viola Vanclief, a girl who died as a result of "blunt force trauma" in a death listed as a homicide, Coroner's Office Lt. Fred Corral said.
The girl was a foster child in the care of a South Los Angeles couple, Kiana Barker, 30, and her boyfriend, James Julian, 38. The couple were arrested on suspicion of beating the girl to death, apparently with a hammer, but they were released when prosecutors referred the case back to police for additional investigation.
After the girl's death, Barker told investigators that the toddler had been trapped in a bed frame and that she accidentally struck the child with a hammer while trying to free her.
The death was the most recent in a string of highly-publicized ones in recent years. Last year, 17 children died from abuse or neglect after DCFS had investigated earlier complaints of mistreatment. The figure, an increase from 2008's total of 14 deaths, includes both open and closed investigations.
In a prepared statement, Ploehn said DCFS reviewed United Care's records and placed a "Do Not Use" designation on the agency.
Meanwhile, Ploehn said DCFS is going to assess the other 57 foster family agencies in the county that oversee 2,500 foster homes with 5,800 foster children.
"Children's social workers will investigate the homes, utilizing a special tool to assess safety criteria; interviewing all children and adults residing in the homes, assessing the home itself and reviewing the agency's records ensuring all adults have criminal background clearances and all other safety criteria are met," Ploehn said.
The Auditor-Controller's Office will assist DCFS by providing two investigators to review FFA records. DCFS and the County Counsel's Office have requested the involvement of the state Community Care Licensing Division, which licenses foster parents.
City News Service contributed to this story.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14788933?nclick_check=1