Caregivers Youth and Transitional Living Services

Service call information was only requested for one year prior to the home screening and only for one of the two addresses during the two years prior to the home screening.

The foster home screening was not updated when the home's foster care and total childcare capacities were lowered from six children to four children.

During a sampling inspection conducted on 10/25/2024, over the counter and prescriptions medications were observed to be unlocked and accessible to children in care.

During a sampling inspection conducted on 10/23/2024, a fire extinguisher located in the foster home's kitchen was found to be expired by at least eight months.

There was a family member that would visit the home that did not have a cleared background.

The foster parent yells at the children in care.

Interviews conducted indicate the foster parent left teenagers alone in the home until caregiver/babysitter arrived to monitor the teenagers.

Interviews conducted indicate the foster parent left teenagers alone in the home until caregiver/babysitter arrived to monitor the teenagers.

4 of 4 serious incident reports did not include children's age.

The agency did not report Quarterly EBI data for the 4th Quarter of 2022 and 1st Quarter of 2023.

A child, with issues managing their behavior, was hit by a caregiver as a form of discipline.

Two 11-year-olds, a 6-year-old, and a 5-year-old were left at the operation unattended for 20 minutes.

4 treatment plans required constant supervision. The plans were not followed when a caregiver left children unattended on multiple occasions.

A child service plan indicated that services are being provided for Primary Medical Needs. The child was observed to not meet the requirement for PMN.

A CANs assessment recommended that a child receives group therapy, individual therapy, medical follow up, mental health case management, and the assignment of a disability specialist. The child is not receiving all of the recommended services.

Two of the 11 incident reports reviewed, indicated that a foster child left the home without permission and did not return until later in the day/evening. Documentation was not generated as required by minimum standard 749.503(c)

1 of 3 files did not complete at least two unannounced supervisory visits.

Supervisory visits documented in one home file did not document verification changes and updates.

Reports reviewed in 2 home files did not discuss challenging behaviors, level of stress from the foster parent and methods to respond to challenging behaviors.

A foster home was cited for several deficiencies between 2017-2022. During that time there was no documentation to support the agency has addressed the allegations or compliances with the foster parent.

The children in care have been threatened with losing their placement if they do not follow the rules.

Of the three quarterly visit summaries reviewed, there was no documentation that discusses any stressors for the foster parent or the behaviors of any of the children in care.

There was a ladder observed in front of the entrance of the trampoline.

A child in care could not walk from an injury on trampoline and medical attention was not sought timely.

A blanket with pillow/cushion padding underneath was observed in the crib for the infant to sleep on.

A 9-year old child in care was required to walk home from school without instruction or guidance from the foster parents. The child did not know the directions to get home and had never walked home before. The school personnel were concerned for his well-being and printed directions to the home for him. The child got lost while walking home. The route home requires the child to walk along a busy roadway.

Two trampolines were observed in the backyard. One trampoline was missing the shock-absorbing pads covering the springs, hooks and frame. This trampoline also had the ladder on top of the trampoline.

The foster parent reported that a child in care had issues with sneaking food from the pantry, which was the reason the foster home keeps their food pantry/cabinets locked at all times. This information was not shared with the child's parent/CPS caseworker.

Four children in care shared a bedroom that did not provide adequate square footage, measuring only 143 square feet.

Two trampolines were observed in the backyard. One trampoline was broken, with poles protruding from the side, creating a potential entanglement hazard.

Four children in care, ages three to thirteen, were required to stay in their single bedroom from 8 PM until noon the following day on weekends, despite waking up several hours before noon. Additionally, the pantry and cabinets are locked at all times, preventing the children from having food readily available to them.

Multiple blankets were observed in the bassinet used by a two-month old infant in the home.

Two older children in care participated in corporally punishing a younger sibling in care, in front of the foster parents, without consequence.

One child in care did not have medical follow-up.

One child in care file did not have a TB screening.

A child was injured on a playground away from the home, without the caregiver being aware. The child had no way to reach the foster parents except to walk back to the home.

In the home screening the results of the criminal history was not documented or assessed .

In a serious incident report it does not list the time Law Enforcement was notified. All adults involved in the incident and their role/relationship to the child were not identified. The length of time the child was gone form the foster home was not documented.

The caregiver allowed an adult to have unauthorized access and visitation with a child that was not approved by the child's managing conservator.

A caregiver engaged in yelling as a form of discipline in the foster home,

Caregiver yells at children as a form of punishment.

Children in care are being yelled at.

It was found that the foster parent did not report the children missing until 4 hours later.

Two adults that live in the operational home verbally acknowledged that snacks were being denied to children (placed in the home) in relation to non-complaint behavior of the individual child on a daily basis.

Incidents of children sexually acting out were not reported within time frame.

Agency staff did not document who all was present during the supervisory visits.

One supervisory visit documented that both foster parents were present but only one foster parent signed off on the visit.