All foster parents in Hamilton Co. subject to ongoing background checks

Foster parents get ultimatum
Allow background checks or lose children, agency orders
Coolidge, Sharon. Cincinnati Enquirer, March 6, 2007.

Within 30 days all foster parents in Hamilton County must agree to ongoing background checks - or children will be removed from their homes, Hamilton County's top foster care official said Monday.

His comments came a day after two county officials attacked his agency for bureaucratic foot-dragging in making sure all foster parents had ongoing criminal background checks.

At a morning meeting with county commissioners, Rick Roberts, director of the county's Job and Family Services, also revealed that:

His agency was unaware of six of the 27 arrests discovered in a background check by Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Greg Hartmann. Those six arrests did not result in convictions and thus were not caught by the department's background check, which looks only at convictions, he said.

Of the 27 foster parents arrested, 16 are under investigation by his department - and may lose their foster children.

An ombudsman position with independent oversight will be created.

Foster mother Danita Atwood, 43, of Springfield Township said she's in favor of the background checks - and signed her consent form the day it arrived.

"The bottom line is when you decide you're going to take on the responsibility of foster care, from the time you put in the application, your life is put under a microscope," said Atwood, who has adopted two foster children placed with her.

The county's announcements came at a Monday morning meeting among Hamilton County commissioners, Roberts and Hartmann.

Hartmann, along with Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine - both Republicans - had revealed last week that JFS was allowing background checks only of foster parents licensed through the county - and not of foster parents licensed through private agencies.

They questioned why children were permitted to live with some of the parents, one of whom was arrested on a charge of child endangering.

There are 750 foster children in Hamilton County. There are 410 foster parents licensed through the county, caring for 305 children. The other 445 children are cared for by foster parents licensed through private agencies. JFS could not say Monday how many parents are licensed through private agencies.

Of the county-controlled foster parents, 106 have not been checked. Of the privately licensed parents, none have been checked. Consent forms are still coming in, according to JFS.

An agreement between Hartmann and JFS about how the checks will be done is expected to be signed Wednesday.

"We have a serious problem," Hartmann said. "We have to make sure we are not putting children in environments that jeopardize their health and safety."

Roberts said agency staff worked all weekend reviewing the 27 cases. The reviews were done by quality assurance employees who typically work outside the foster care program, Gregg said.

Roberts added it's his responsibility to make sure these children have homes and there is already a shortage of foster parents.

He promised to follow the rules, "despite any trauma the disruption might create for the child," Roberts said in the release. "We are unsure of the ramifications of this decision.

"We do know that we have a severe need for foster parents at this time and losing any foster parent from our 285-home network or from the private agencies that care for 445 of our children would put additional strain on the system."

Hartmann uncovered the arrests while implementing a criminal background check system that allows for immediate notification if a foster parent is arrested. It's believed to be the first of its kind in the state.