Foster Care Negligence & Abuse

Personal Injury Attorney in Atlanta

On any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in this country, and that number has been steadily rising over the past few years. Although many parents provide children in need with temporary homes, abuse of foster children is far too common. Many foster kids come from backgrounds of neglect and addiction—making them easy targets for abusive adults and sexual predators.

At Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., we are committed to exposing the mistreatment of foster care youth and holding those to blame accountable for their horrid actions. If you know a foster child who has been abused or neglected, please contact us immediately. Our Atlanta personal injury lawyer can usually be retained on a contingency fee basis, which means there is absolutely no fee to the child or to you for our services; we only earn a fee if we win the case.

Definition of Child Abuse & Neglect

Each state has its own definitions of child abuse and neglect that are based on standards set by federal law. According to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the definition of child abuse and neglect is, at a minimum:

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

Statistics

Children in the for-profit foster care system are dying at an alarming rate, according to an investigation conducted and released by the Senate Finance Committee. In the report, which looked closely at one of the largest private providers of foster care services, the MENTOR Network, the committee found that nearly 90 children had died in the company’s care over a 10-year period. In 2016, a nationally estimated 1,750 foster children died of abuse and neglect, at a rate of 2.36 per 100,000 children in the national population, and many more were injured, both physically and mentally.

Who’s Accountable?

The agencies that are responsible for foster care placement have a responsibility to thoroughly screen foster families and make certain that no child is placed in a potentially abusive environment. When they fail in that duty, and a child is harmed, the child, through a parent or guardian, has the right to sue the abusive foster parents, as well as the agency that made the placement, to recover compensation for the harm done. In addition, the California Department of Social Services, counties, group homes, shelters, and private foster family agencies can all be held liable for violating their duty of care.

Money can’t undo the harm done to these children, but it can send a message to the bad players in the foster care system. Compensation can help towards medical bills, therapy, and other services to help abused and neglected children lead a better life. If you know of a child who has been abused in foster care placement, contact our Atlanta personal injury lawyer at Ryan A. Johnson, P.C. today.

Request your free case evaluation at (678) 879-4028 or contact us online.