California’s Child Welfare System Is a Nightmare for Innocent Children

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A central California county government has pledged rapid adjustments after a information report revealed that weak youngsters faraway from their households had been dwelling in deplorable situations inside an workplace constructing — sleeping on convention tables, consuming quick meals and urinating into water bottles till social employees might discover houses for them.

Fresno County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau apologized Thursday to the youngsters compelled to remain on the workplace constructing that’s the predominant hub for Fresno County’s Baby Protecting Providers and to the employees who oversee them, The Fresno Bee reported Friday. The information group first reported concerning the situations on Wednesday.

“Once I noticed the situations within the workplace, once I noticed the mats getting used as beds, I mentioned, ‘That is unacceptable.’ I ought to have identified earlier, and we’re going to rectify it instantly,” Rousseau mentioned, expressing frustration that he was not knowledgeable concerning the state of affairs sooner.

Social employees informed The Bee that the county’s little one welfare system is understaffed and overwhelmed and there’s a scarcity of housing for kids who’ve been faraway from their houses for their very own security. Consequently, some youngsters keep on the places of work of Baby Protecting Providers till foster houses might be discovered for them.

The Fresno Bee described youngsters sleeping on convention tables or on yoga mats on the ground in rooms with lights that don’t flip off. They share a single toilet, can’t bathe and use water bottles to alleviate themselves, the information outlet reported.

Lorraine Ramirez, a veteran social employee with Fresno County Division of Social Providers’ little one welfare company, informed The Bee that youngsters keep within the constructing for a number of hours to a number of weeks. Some days, there are not any youngsters within the constructing and on different days there is usually a dozen, she mentioned. They fluctuate in age and of their medical wants.

“The situations that the children are staying in shouldn’t be tolerable, it’s inhumane,” Ramirez mentioned.

Rousseau mentioned he toured the workplace Wednesday and on Thursday staffers had been despatched to purchase cots and inflatable mattresses.

He mentioned that beginning this weekend, youngsters will likely be housed at a distinct constructing on a former medical heart campus till they are often housed in a brand new location that must be completed in a month.

Housing youngsters for now on the former medical heart campus is “in opposition to the regulation” as a result of it’s not licensed by the state, Rousseau mentioned.

“However we’ve no alternative. We have now no place to take these younger people,” he mentioned.

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