Michael Fox was hoping for greater foster care reforms

Marcus Fiesel case inspires new foster reform law
Strickland's signing of foster care bill 'a first step'
Wilson, Richard. Lebanon Western Star, Feb. 14, 2008.

HAMILTON — Foster care reforms proposed after the death of Marcus Fiesel will soon be implemented statewide.

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, Gov. Ted Strickland signed HB 214, a bill co-sponsored by state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, that is a "first step" toward adding resources to children services to monitor foster parents and evaluate potential caregivers.

Marcus Fiesel, a 3-year-old developmentally disabled boy from Middletown, died at the hands of his foster parents, Liz and David Carroll Jr., who are incarcerated following murder convictions in his August 2006 death.

State Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester Twp., sponsored a companion bill in the Senate. The bill becomes law on April 13, more than a year after Marcus' August 2006 death.

The 3-year-old developmentally disabled Middletown boy was killed while in the care of his foster parents after Butler County Children Services took him out of his mother's home. Foster parents Liz and David Carroll Jr. were convicted in the case last year.

The reforms include increasing the preplacement training for foster caregivers from 24 to 36 hours and allowing foster caregivers to fulfill up to 20 percent of their continuing training requirement by teaching training classes or mentoring other foster caregivers.

Michael Fox, executive director of Butler County Children Services, said the bill doesn't change much in the county. His agency is already doing what the law is requiring, Fox said.

"The bill doesn't do any harm, but it doesn't do much good either," he said.