ANNOUNCER: YOU ARE WATCHING
NEWSCENTER 5 AT 5:30 P.M.
BEN: YOUNG CHILDREN STRIP
SEARCHED AND EMOTIONALLY SCARRED
ALL BY STATE INVESTIGATORS.
EMILY: 5 INVESTIGATES KATHY
CURRAN REPORTS IT ALL BEGAN WITH
A SMALL BRUISE ON A FOSTER CHILD
AND ENDED WITH A FLAWED
INVESTIGATION THAT HAS STATE
OFFICIALS EXPRESSING REGRET.
>> GO AHEAD.
YOU ARE DOING IT.
>> OUR TWO-YEAR-OLD WAS SLEEPING
OUTSIDE -- UPSTAIRS.
THEY MADE US GO UP THERE.
>> THE BABY HAD TO BE STRIPPED
DOWN TO BE CHECKED, AS WELL.
>> STRIPPED AND TRAUMATIZED BY
INVESTIGATORS.
>> THE NEXT DAY, MY FOUR ASKED
US IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE
TAKEN AWAY.
THEY HAVE FOUR BIOLOGICAL
CHILDREN, AND THEY SAY THEIR
DESIRE TO HELP FOSTER CHILDREN
ENDED IN DISGUST WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES, WITH ALLEGATIONS OF
ABUSE AND NEGLECT INVOLVING
THEIR OWN CHILDREN AND A
THREE-YEAR-OLD FOSTER CHILD THEY
WERE CARIN FOR, I'LL DO AFTER A
SOCIAL WORKER NOTICED WHAT
APPEARED TO BE SMALL BRUISES ON
THE -- FILED AFTER A SOCIAL
WORKER NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO
BE SMALL BRUISES ON THE FOSTER
CHILD.
>> YOU HAVE A LITTLE MARK ON
YOUR EAR.
HOW DID YOU GET THAT?
NOTHING.
I TOUCHED IT.
NOTHING.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BITE.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BRUISE.
>> THIS ALLEGED NEGLECT OF THE
FOUR CHILDREN, SCREENED AS AN
EMERGENCY, TRIGGERING AN
IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION, EVEN
THOUGH JABARI POLICY DEFINES AN
EMERGENCY AS A SITUATION WHERE
THERE IS IMMEDIATE RISK OF
DEATH, SERIOUS INJURY -- EVEN
THOUGH THE POLICY DEFINES
EMERGENCY AS A SITUATION WHERE
THERE IS IMMEDIATE RISK OF DEATH
OR SERIOUS INJURY.
THERE WERE SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES
IN THE REPORT THAT SPARKED THE
RESPONSE.
DESPITE THE ABUSE BEING ONLY AN
ALLEGATION AND THE FACT THAT THE
MARKS WERE NOTICED AS A CHILD
WAS BEING MOVED TO ANOTHER
FOSTER HOME THAT DAY, A ROSTER
-- IT WAS WRITTEN THAT THE
FOSTER CHILD WAS IMMEDIATELY
REMOVED.
THE INITIAL REPORT INCLUDES
INFORMATION FROM A NURSE
PRACTITIONER, HE SAID THE INJURY
MAY HAVE BEEN INFLICTED.
IT DID NOT MENTION THAT A DOCTOR
ALSO EXAMINED THE LITTE GIRL AT
THE TIME AND SAID IT WAS
POSSIBLE THE BRUISE WAS CAUSED
INADVERTENTLY OTHER CHILDREN.
THE FAMILY HAS NO CRIMINAL
HISTORY AND HAVE FOSTERED MANY
CHILDREN OVER THE YEARS.
IN THE END, ALL OF THE
ALLEGATIONS IN THIS CASE WERE
UNSUPPORTED.
>> THEY PRETTY MUCH STRIP SEARCH
YOUR KIDS TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF
ABUSE.
AS A DAD, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> YOU OPEN YOUR DOOR TO OTHERS,
AND THEY THREATEN TO TAKE AWAY%
YOUR OWN.
>> THIS AT A TIME WHEN THERE IS
NOT AN UP HOMES FOR THE NUMBER
OF CHILDREN IN THE SYSTEM.
SINCE 2015, THEY HAVE CLOSED 609
FOSTER HOMES, AND ANOTHER 841
HAVE BEEN VOLUNTARILY CLOSED BY
FOSTER FAMILIES.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
CHILDREN'S LEAGUE OF
MASSACHUSETTS.
CAN'T THE DEPARTMENT AFFORD TO
HAVE FAMILIES LIKE THIS CLOSE
THEIR HOME?
>> I DO NOT THINK THEY CAN
AFFORD TO HAVE ONE FOSTER HOME
CLOSE ON THEIR OWN.
>> THE DEPARTMENT NOW REGRETS
HOW THE CASE WAS HANDLED, A
SPOKESPERSON TELLING US THAT
EVERY DAY, THEY HAVE TO MAKE
RETICLE, TIME SENSITIVE
DECISIONS ACED ON THE
INFORMATION PRESENTED TO ASSURE
CHILD SAFETY.
-- BASED ON THE INFORMATION
PRESENTED TO ASSURE CHILD
SAFETY.
THEY ALSO DEMANDED THAT THE KIDS
BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE
CHECKED, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID
NOT FIND ANY SIGNS OF ABUSE OR
NEGLECT.