A missing toddler from Florida’s foster care system was found safe in Wisconsin. The toddler was missing for four months before it was reported by a caseworker. The toddler was given to a foster mother in September ten days later, the biological mother reportedly took the toddler. At this point, it seems unclear how this toddler fell through the cracks.

The police received a report of a possible missing child at a home in Wisconsin. When the police arrived they found much more than the missing toddler. The police found themselves in a bizarre scene.

Police found a total of five children in the home. An 11 year old boy was locked in a closet and suffered continual abuse and malnutrition. The boy is in guarded condition in the hospital due the abuse and burns he suffered. A 3 month old baby girl had evidence of malnutrition.

The 15 year old sister (to the 11 year old hospitalized abuse boy) gave information to the police that led them to search the backyard of the home for body of her mother. The body of the 37 year old mother has found buried in the backyard. The mother died of manual strangulation and there was evidence she suffered abuse as well. A total of three adults that live at the residence have been arrested, a man and two women.

The 15 year old girl helped load her mother in the trunk of the car. The girl believes her mother was still alive because her legs were moving. The next night the girl had to help bury her mother in the backyard.


How does a toddler get lost in the foster care system? How do we protect the children that live in foster care? The truth is that some caseworkers see their foster children every few months instead of monthly. Caseworkers have too many children on their caseload to adequately supervise their care and to ensure their needs are being meet. This allows foster children to become lost in the system. These children deserve so much more that what some are getting.


More reading:

Public Concerned With Overall Foster Care System