Children are placed in foster care every day in an effort to protect them from harmful situations. Removing them from their home doesn’t always accomplish this purpose, as a number of them will be abused or neglected while in foster care. These children’s injuries are magnified by the emotional trauma surrounding their circumstances, and it can often take years for them to recover from it.

Types of Abuse

Children can suffer foster care abuse in a number of manners including:

• physical
• emotional
• sexual
• neglect
• lack of supervision

The abuse is sometimes given at the hands of foster parents, but other times, other children in the same environment can also perform unwanted acts. When children in the foster care system become victims, they are often hesitant to tell anyone because they may feel that even worse things will happen if they do. As a result, they may suffer depression or emotional anxiety and may also perform poorly in school. Older children may even become delinquent, attempt suicide or run away from the home they have been placed in.

State’s Duty to Manage

The state of Texas has a duty to ensure that foster parents are properly screened, to include a thorough inspection of the home where children will be staying. Caseworkers also have a duty to check on children entrusted to their care, which can involve performing health and welfare checks on a regular basis. Failure to do these things could result in a negligent verdict in a court of law.

Parents’ Rights

It’s appalling to think that the very system that is designed to protect children sometimes leads to them being abused. This is even more true whenever the removal was unjustified in the first place. Good parents have been known to have their children removed from the home simply because investigators with Child Protective Services overstepped their bounds. When this is the case, the parents are victimized a second time.

When situations like this occur, a common question that ensues is whether or not a parent is entitled to compensation as a result of a child’s abuse. The answer to this question is almost always “yes.” Once a child is placed in foster care, the government assumes responsibility for his or her well-being, and bears the burden for any negligence or abuse that takes places afterwards. Parents are normally entitled to damages to cover physical injuries, and can even be awarded money for pain and suffering as well. Recovering these damages is never easy, and usually comes only after parents pursue legal action.

Get Legal Help Now

If you are tired of watching innocent children get injured due to negligent or abusive foster homes, then it’s time to do something about it. By hiring an injury attorney and suing bad foster homes, you will be setting an example that good parents won’t stand for such inexcusable behavior. Schedule a free case evaluation today by calling 713-222-1222.

*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net