Eric Forbes. Markea Berry. Just two of more than 152 dead children who were under the watch of Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services.
Gov. Nathan Deal promises $27 million during the next three years to hire more case workers, while legislators tout privatization of foster care placements. Privatization has been adopted in some states, but rejected or later reversed by others due to the expense and unsafe placements.
The push for privatization puts the cart before the horse. The main problem with DFCS hasn’t been dangerous foster care placements. Eric Forbes and others aren’t dead because of that; they didn’t get that far. We need places to put endangered children, but first we must identify those children who need to be placed.
Since October, I’ve called for a “mandatory referral” of children to non-agency pediatricians. Upon a third call to DFCS about a child, that child must be referred to an independent pediatrician for examination as well as to counselor-investigators for emotional evaluation.
In a Nov. 6 Channel 2 Action News report, state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver was asked if she thought mandatory referral was a good idea. Her reply: “Absolutely. Independent medical reviews will be an excellent new source for screening of children in danger.”
Too often, repeat calls were made to DFCS about children suspected of being abused, yet nothing was done — or done correctly — and now, children are dead. Eric Forbes is Exhibit A.
In less than a year, there were 10 calls to DFCS from teachers suspecting Eric was being physically abused. When the father called 911 on Oct. 11, saying the boy had accidentally drowned, police found he had been beaten to death and had signs of longstanding physical abuse. Among other injuries, Eric’s skull was cracked. There were multiple human bite marks all over his body and bruises in different stages of healing.
If Eric had been examined, his injuries would have been detected early, and he could be alive today. As could others.
Legislators should first review current employees’ education, experience and outcomes, have an independent review of DFCS’ case log, and remedy DFCS’ most glaring defect: case management.
I ask the Legislature to summon Sen. Renee Unterman, other members of the Health and Human Services Committee and other legislators; officials at the Georgia Department of Health, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Stephanie Blank’s Center for Safe Children, and community pediatricians and counselors to flesh out a “mandatory referral” law for repeat calls to DFCS about a child.
Florida spends $17 million on its successful system. With wise allocation of funds, Georgia can and should do the same. First things first.
Melody T. McCloud is an ob-gyn and founder/medical director of Atlanta Women’s Health Care.
