The Startling Abuse Of 15 Children In Idaho Foster Care
📰 15 Idaho Foster Care Kids Abused
Boise, Idaho. Say what you will of the nation's mainstream media, but when it comes to the health and well-being of Idaho's children, KBOI/CBS2 News cares.
This week, an investigation piloted by the Boise news outlet discovered 15 Idaho foster care kids had been injured and/or abused during the 2022 federal fiscal year. Idaho Department of Health & Welfare Child Welfare Bureau further confirmed the injuries and/or abuse incidents pertained to the child's treatment within the foster care facility. They were not accidental.
Official documents obtained by KBOI/CBS2 News verify the number of injured and/or abused Idaho foster care children between 2019 and 2021:
- 21 injured/abused in 2019
- 19 injured/abused in 2020
- and 29 injured/abused in 2021
On children who re-enter the foster care system and the emotional trauma endured as a result, KLEW, a Lewiston, Idaho-based news outlet, reports Andie Blackwood, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare Child Welfare Bureau Chief, says:
Trauma does have an impact on the brain. That impact can be mitigated over time, but it might not always necessarily be erased, and we can't really predict how that will manifest when you adopt a child at a very young age, what that child will look like when they are 15, 16, 17 years old.
–Andie Blackwood
📰 Reporting Neglect, Abuse, or Abandonment
According to a mandatory reporting and exemptions clause, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare obligates Idaho adults to report child abuse, injury, and neglect to the state "within 24 hours of becoming aware of the concerns."
Reference Idaho Statute Title 16: Juvenile Proceedings, Chapter 16: Child Protective Act // Reporting of Abuse, Abandonment, or Neglect here.
📰 200 Idaho Foster Care Kids Sent Away
The Gem State's Foster Care network is strapped for foster parents and resources. The same investigation also discovered 200 Idaho foster care children had been sent to homes and institutions of out state. Read more about Idaho's foster care crisis here.
📰 Foster Parentage + Fostering-to-Adopt
Foster parents are as varied as the children needing homes. Successful foster parents are everyday people from all races, religions, incomes, and educational backgrounds. No two families are alike.–Child & Family Services, Idaho Dept. of Health & Welfare
💭 Share your thoughts & concerns about this topic with Ryan by emailing ryan.valenzuela@townsquaremedia.com!
Scroll on for a gallery of helpful-to-know Idaho adoption facts, as well as a 2023 update on the status of Idaho's missing children.
12 Good-to-Know Idaho Adoption Facts
2023 Updates On The Missing Children in Idaho
When & Where Idaho Kids Can Eat For FREE This Summer
