Controversy over sharing foster parent information with the media

Law would add foster parent training
Craig, Jon. Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 8, 2007.

COLUMBUS – The Ohio House is expected to pass legislation as early as Tuesday to increase training for foster parents while restricting access to records telling the public if a foster parent’s license has been denied or revoked.

House Bill 214, co-sponsored by state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, expands foster care training from 24 hours to 36. The change in state law is aimed at helping special needs children like Marcus Fiesel, the 3-year-old developmentally disabled Middletown boy who was killed by his foster parents, David and Liz Carroll.

But a last-minute amendment to the bill would block public access to the names of foster parents, details about the removal of children from foster homes or problems with state certification.

Monday, several Cincinnati-area foster parents said they support criminal background checks and the sharing of information by state and county agencies. But they don’t think such details should be shared with the public including the news media.

Pat McCollum, 60, of College Hill said it will be more difficult to recruit and retain foster parents if criminal background checks are misinterpreted or published.

McCollum, who has two adopted and six foster children, said, “I don’t think it needs to go to the extreme where anybody can review my private records. I think that’s unfair.’’

Sherrie Mathis of Cincinnati, president of the Ohio Family Care Association, a state organization that supports and trains foster families, said: “I don’t have a problem with them running (criminal) records. I have a problem with them giving the information to the press because of the deterioration of the pool of foster families. Nobody wants to be a foster family if you’re going to say lying things about them. … The names should never be public record.’’

State Rep. Jeff Wagner, R-Sycamore, a former foster parent and the bill’s co-sponsor, wants to restrict public access to foster care records so people aren’t discouraged from becoming foster parents, among other reasons.

Gov. Ted Strickland also supports keeping foster care details confidential. Amanda Wurst, a spokeswoman for the governor, said he believes publicizing foster parent names or the county they live in also might leave foster children vulnerable to harm from natural family members.

Frank Deaner, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association, said certifying a foster parent – who is paid by the state – is no different from licensing doctors, lawyers, barbers and beauticians.

“It is a safeguard for the public,’’ Deaner said, “and it’s consistent with identifying people who have been approved to carry out a function sanctioned by the state.’’

State Sen. Tom Niehaus, a New Richmond Republican, said that even if the House blocks public access to records, he’s optimistic the Senate can come up with a compromise to restore access. “I think we’re going to continue to talk,’’ Niehaus said Monday. “I’m confident we’ll work it through.’’

The state Senate passed two foster care reform bills – one sponsored by Niehaus and another by Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester -- more than three months ago. But House approval of Cates’ bill was delayed by a long summer recess and concerns about public access to records.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has sued the state over access to foster care records. The case is awaiting arguments before the Ohio Supreme Court.

During legislative hearings last June, John C. Greiner, a Cincinnati attorney representing The Enquirer, argued for more public access to foster records, not increased privacy.

“The public came to know Marcus’ foster parents only when it was too late to raise concerns about their fitness,’’ Greiner testified. “And what the public learned made all of us question why that boy was placed in that house. It is important to remember that Marcus Fiesel died not because the public knew too much about his situation, but because the public knew too little.’’

Sheila McLaughlin contributed to this report.