Florida child welfare system can’t handle violent youths, insiders say
Following a recent police shootout involving two young Florida teens in Volusia County, the sheriff calls the system broken.
Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone found the system isn’t designed for kids with violent tendencies.
... EMAIL NEWS AT FOX 4 NOW DOTCOM OR FILL OUT A FORM ON FOX 4NOW DOT COM SLASH ASK.FOX 4 IN DEPTH TONIGHT...MOUNTING CONCERNS OVER FLORIDA’SFAILURE TO CARE FOR KIDS INMENTAL CRISIS.
FOLLOWING ARECENT POLICE SHOOTOUT INVOLVINGTWO FLORIDA YOUTHS... AGED 14AND -TWELVE- ... IN VOLUSICOUNTY.FIRST LET’S GET YOU UP TO SPEEDON THE LATEST DETAILS.THE 12-YEAR-OLD BOY MADE AVIRTUAL APPEARANCE BEFORE AJUDGE IN DAYTONA BEACH TODAY.THE BOY HAS BEEN ORDERED TOREMAIN IN DETENTION FOR 21DAYS...OR UNTIL THE NEXT COURT ORDER.HIS ARRAIGNMENT IS SET FOR JUNE23RD.
DEPUTIES SAY THE BOY AND14-YEAR-OLD GIRL ESCAPED FROMFOSTER CARE AT AN AREA CHURCHAND BROKE INTO A NEARBY HOMEWHERE THEY FOUND SEVERAL GUNSAND A LARGE AMOUNT OFAMMUNITION.THE SHERIFF THERE, MIKECHITWOOD, NOW CALLING FOR ACOMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE STATE’SCHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.
AS FOX 4’SKATIE LAGRONE FIRST EXPOSED TWOYEARS AGO, IT’S A SYSTEM THATISN’T DESIGNED FOR KIDS WITH THEMOST CRITICAL NEEDS.00-15154-202257-306BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM THEVOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICESHOWS THE HEART POUNDING MOMENTSTWO TEENS OPEN FIRE ON DEPUTIES.nat NOT OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE ACAR, THE 12 YEAR OLD BOY AND 14YEAR OLD GIRL RAN AWAY FROM AGROUP HOME BEFORE THEY BROKEINTO THIS HOUSE, RANSACKED THEPLACE ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF--STEALING THE HOMEOWNER’S GUNS,INCLUDING AN AK47, FOR WHAT THESHERIFF WOULD LATER DESCRIBE ASAN UNIMAGINABLE 30 MINUTESHOOTOUT BETWEEN TWO KIDS ANDCOPS.
7:15- he said he knew theywere cops when he fired at them.those are the words of a 12 yrold THE SHERIFF NOW CALLING THESTATE’S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEMBROKEN-- ITS GROUP HOMESDESIGNED TO CARE FOR KIDS INNEEDINCAPABLE OF HANDLING KIDSWITH VIOLENT TENDENCIES.
15:43-"they are not capable ofhandling violent youthoffenders//their staff is nottrained for it.
IT’S A PROBLEMWE FIRST REPORTED TWO YEARS AGOWHEN WE FOUND PARENTS SODESPERATE TO GET THEIR KIDSMENTAL HEALTH HELPTHEY RESORTEDTO GIVING UP CUSTODY OF THEM.TODAY THE DEPARTMENT OFCHILDREN AND FAMILIESWHICHOVERSEES THE STATE’S CHILDWELFARE SYSTEM INCLUDING GROUPHOMES, IS PROVIDING CARE TO MORETHAN 36 THOUSAND KID━MORE THAN60% OF THEM GETTING THAT CAREOUTSIDE THEIR HOMES INCLUDING ATGROUP HOMES.
BUT IT’S ASYSTEMTHAT HAS, FOR YEARS, BEENOVERLOADED, UNDERFUNDED ANDUNDER RESOURCED INSIDERS SAY.1:55- we don’t have the kind ofprogramming and placement that’svery expensive and able to carefor these kids and keep themsafe DR. CHRIS CARD OF ECKERDCONNECTS, WORKS WITH DCF TO FINDPLACEMENT FOR KIDS IN NEED ONFLORIDA’S WEST COAST.
WHILE THISINCIDENT IN VOLUSIA COUNTY ISUNUSUAL HE SAYS, THE NUMBER OFKIDS ENTERING THE SYSTEM INSEVERE MENTAL CRISIS ISINCREASING.
:49- the kids thatare coming into our system thesedays are so traumatized, havesuch high levels of behaviorproblems that its impossible forus to care for them properly.CARD FEARS IT WILL GET WORSE.
INOCTOBER, THE NEW FEDERAL FAMILYFIRST ACT GOES INTO EFFEC━WHILE IT AIMS TO KEEP KIDS OUTOF FOSTER CAREAND OUT OF GROUPHOMES BY PROVIDING MORE SERVICESTO FAMILIES, SOME CHILDADVOCATES FEAR IT WILL ALSO MAKEIT TOUGHER FOR KIDS WITH THEMOST CRITICAL NEED TO GET HELP.7:47- every kid comes to us withdifferent nuance and differentbehavior and trauma in theirlife and we can’t apply onetreatment model// our system isstruggling everyday to try andfind answers.
Nat ANSWERSTHATMAY HAVE STOPPED TWO TROUBLEDKIDS FROM BELIEVING THEY COULDTAKE ON THE POLICEAND WALK AWAYUNSCATHED.
Nat 9:33- "thejuvenile justice system isbroke, people need to face factsTAG THE 14 YEAR OLD GIRL IN THISCASE WAS EVENTUALLY SHOT TWICEBY DEPUTIES AFTER SHOOTING ATDEPUTIES AFTER TWICE BYEVENTUALLY SHOT TWICE BYDEPUTIES AFTER SHOOTING AT THEM.SHE REMAINS IN CRITICAL BUTSTABLE CONDITION.
