TEXAS DEPT OF FPS REG 07

It was concluded that a child in care was taken to the ER for possible head injury and was not reported to the A/N Hotline within the 24-hour time frame.

It was found that the infant had a suspected case of a communicable disease and although this incident was reported the following day to the A/N hotline, it was past the 24-hour timeframe required by minimum standards.

RCCR arrived at the home and the foster parent was not home. The foster parent showed up a few minutes later and only had three children with them. When RCCR and the foster parent went inside, it was discovered that the foster child and a biological child had been left in home alone unsupervised.

After reviewing documentation, it was determined that a late report was made after a child tested positive for COVID-19.

A child in care passed out/blacked out on 8/5/22 sometime after a self-harm incident, foster parents didn't take the child to the hospital to be evaluated until 8/7/22. It's unknown if the blacking out is related to the self-harm incident. The agency had informed foster parents approx. a week prior to take the child for a mental health assessment if child attempted to self-harm again.

A copy of the tuberculosis screening was not in the record needed prior to the person having contact with children in care showing the employee is free of contagious tuberculosis as provided in 749.1417 of this title.

A preponderance of evidence established that a child in care was subjected to corporal punishment.

A household member tested positive for COVID on June 1st but did not report to licensing until June until June 6th.

A child that met the criteria for treatment services, was admitted to a home licensed to provide basic child care only.

A foster parent tested positive for COVID 19 on January 22, 2022 and it was not reported until January 24, 2022.

After reviewing document, it was determined that someone in the home tested positive for COVID and it was not reported within 24 hours.

Medical records were not available for this incident. The agency was aware of the incident as of 10/25/21. As of 11/3/21, the agency reported the records were requested from the health care facility and as of 12/13/21, the agency reported they had not received the records yet.

It was found that this incident was not reported by the foster parent and was not reported timely by the agency. Foster parent and agency were aware of the incident as of 10/25/21, but the incident was reported on 10/29/21. Please also refer to 749.509(b) for foster parent requirement for reporting.

The agency was unable to produce documentation for any of foster parent's required annual training regarding reporting suspected abuse/neglect and they were unable to provide this for the agency staff (FAD) for prior to the date of being aware of incident on 10/25/21. The staff training for reporting was dated 11/2/21 after the incident.

In reviewing the Service Plans a child's aggressive behaviors and Safety Contract were not addressed.

During the course of the investigation it was determined a child was unable to contact the foster parent after attempting to call and text them.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that children in care were subjected to corporal punishment, and the children's caregiver acknowledged administering this type of discipline.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that a child in care sustained an injury to their neck, and medical care wasn't sought by the child's caregiver. This injury was later determined by medical staff to require a surgical consult, and there were concerns by medical staff that medical care wasn't sought by the child's caregiver.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that children in care sustained multiple injuries to various parts of their body. One child's injuries were noted by medical staff to be most consistent with abuse. The other child's injuries were noted by medical staff to be a high level of concern for inflicted injury.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that an individual was, at the very least, a babysitter for children in care, but did not undergo the full approval process required in the agency?s policies. These agency policy requirements are also outlined in rule. Regarding approval of an individual to provide babysitting services, the operation?s policies require: an individual to have a cleared background check, have at least six months of child-care experience or two personal/professional references who can describe the prospective babysitter's child-care experience, a documented determination by the agency regarding the individual?s ability to be a babysitter, and a requirement that written documentation of the adult's child care experience and references is kept within the associated case record. The individual providing babysitting services only underwent background checks, which were determined to be clear, and was approved to provide babysitting care. The associated written documentation described above was requested from the agency, but was not produced.

A child in care sustained injuries that was determined to be consistent with physical abuse per the Texas Family Code.

Documentation obtained from the operation show that the caregiver did not call the hotline within the 24 hour time frame.

A caregiver admitted to using corporal punishment as defined in 749.1953(b)(2)(A) when a child had to do squats for the length of a song when they got in trouble at school.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Law Enforcement was involved during an incident at the foster home on 09/05/2021. It was reported until 09/13/2021.

Two out of two children interviewed report being hit by caregiver and caregiver admits to engaging in "spanking game" with the children, all of which show caregiver hit the children.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that no serious incident documentation was completed. The caregivers deny completing any incident report and the agency did not provide any report.

During the investigation inspection it was observed by the investigator that medication was left out in the bathroom, giving children in the home access to the medication. Investigator noted the medications were then placed in locked storage prior to the inspection being completed.

The child's biological parents and foster parents need to receive two weeks advance notice for the child's service plan meeting or service plan review so the parents can plan to attend.

The child's record must have on the exterior of the record or in the first pages documented in a visible area any known allergies or chronic conditions.

A copy of the full service plan, with all required information, was not available.

Caregiver did not follow the children's service plan regarding supervision. The service plan noted children should be supervised by an adult. Children in care were outside, without supervision, for long periods of time. The children were over a quarter of a mile away from the caregiver responsible for supervising them for several hours at a time.

Caregiver called children in care "liar" and "thief."

It was reported that children in care were made to do push up as discipline, that children were threatened with physical discipline and possibly physically disciplined.

Children in care were locked out of caregiver's home due to their behaviors for upwards of 7 hours at a time and left unsupervised for the majority of the day placing them in situations outside of their maturity level. These actions by the caregiver are defined as neglect in the Texas Family Code.

After conducting the investigation, it was found that a child in care was told that she could not participate in therapy sessions by herself.

During the inspection, the child's medication log was observed to not be properly filled out for prescription medications that were administered and was also missing documentation for the prescription medications administered for the past several days in May 2021 (approx. from 5/20/21 to 5/28/21). Please refer to standard 749.1541(b) as well.

During the inspection, two control II medications were observed to not be double locked. The two medications were however placed in a locked box inside the pantry closet that has a sliding chain latch at the top of the door as well. This was corrected at inspection.

It was found that on the day of the incident, foster parents yelled and used curse words in the home within hearing distance of the child in care to where the child was able to hear this.

After conducting the investigation, it was found that the health information, interpersonal relationship, and financial information sections of the foster home screening were not up to date with current information. This was corrected by the agency during the investigation by completing addendums.

Young children in care were observed picking up wall screws in the foster home and pressing the sharp end of the screws into their skin. Several of these screws were on the floor, accessible to children.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that a child in care was subjected to inappropriate comments by their caregivers, as acknowledged by the child?s caregivers.

It was identified during the course of this investigation that a child in care was subjected to physical discipline by the child's caregivers, as acknowledged by at least one of the child?s caregivers.

After conducting the investigation, it was found that the child's high risk behaviors and behavioral issues were missing from the service plan on 1/5/21.