HRS ORDERS PHYSICALS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN
Miami Herald, The (FL)
Author: From Herald Wire Services
Dateline: TALLAHASSEE
The death of an infant in a Pinellas County foster home surprised Health and Rehabilitative Services officials because the district had a good record of caring for children, the agency's director said Tuesday.
HRS Secretary David Pingree has ordered medical exams for all children placed in foster homes or shelters in emergency situations. A task force of HRS employees from around the state also will investigate how 12 children were placed in a Pinellas home licensed for four.
In a report to Gov. Bob Graham, Pingree called for closer regulation of foster homes. He said district workers should be required to find out how many children are being kept in a home before placing others there, even under emergency conditions.
Corey Greer was found dead in his crib July 21 in the Treasure Island home of Judith Lundy. The 4-month-old had a heart problem requiring use of a monitor, but the baby wasn't attached to the device at the time.
"It really did come as a surprise that this particular problem surfaced in that area of the state," Pingree said, adding that the HRS district had provided "traditionally good child services."
There were 12 children in the woman's home at the time, and police described the home as filthy. Pingree said during earlier evaluations, however, that Lundy's home was well kept and passed inspection.
Lundy said HRS did not tell her the Greer baby had any health problems when he was placed in her care, although she also said a monitor was put in the home a few days after the child's placement and she was shown how to use it.
"A key factor in this incident was the district's failure to provide appropriate training for a foster care unit supervisor," Pingree said. He asked for a review of training procedures.
"A major portion of the (Pinellas and Pasco district) problem seems to relate to poor communication among the various units involved with the licensing, placing or monitoring of children in shelter and foster care," Pingree reported to the governor. "Memos sent to some units for use as operational policy went to other units only for information, resulting in a confused patchwork of placement policy for all workers and foster families."
"The report leaves some questions unanswered," Pingree said, adding that further investigation by his department would have to wait until the state attorney's office finishes its probe of the death.
"I am asking my inspector general to determine exactly what happened that allowed the home to go over capacity without a waiver on file," he said. "I also have asked the task force appointed to review (the) foster and shelter care issue to examine waiver procedures statewide."
An HRS check of 98 foster homes on July 22 showed that 17 exceeded capacity.