Florida took thousands of kids from families, then failed to keep them safe.


Alarmed that child-welfare officials failed too often to prevent abuse within families, Florida responded six years ago with a crackdown that reversed official policy favoring preserving families if possible. But removing far more children from their homes backfired with an overwhelmed foster-care system unable to detect more child abuse in foster homes. Children were sent to homes with foster parents who were known to pose child-abuse risks. The state failed to hire enough caseworkers and failed to address the family problems that led to the abuse in the first place.

Related Stories