The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) has faced years of criticism for having policies that can harm families and endanger at-risk children. Concerns about the welfare of children in the agency’s care have been substantial.
Tragically, three-year-old Ke’Torrius Starkes, Jr., known as KJ, recently died in the custody of a DHR contract worker from Covenant Services. The worker left the toddler in the back of a scorching, hot car for nearly five hours. Temperatures in the vehicle reportedly exceeded 150 degrees.
The family’s attorney stated that the social worker picked KJ up from daycare around 9:00 a.m. for a supervised visit with his father, which lasted roughly two hours. KJ was then supposed to be taken back to his daycare. Instead, the social worker allegedly ran errands, visited a tobacco store, and drove home, leaving KJ in the back of the car for the rest of the day. This three-year-old boy probably suffered a deadly heat stroke due to horrific negligence.
As a mother, this inexplicable and preventable tragedy both saddens and angers me. This precious child, who was in temporary foster care, deserved to be treated with the utmost care and concern. Instead, he was forgotten and betrayed by the very people who were supposed to protect him.
Contracting with private agencies can be a good thing, with the appropriate oversight. Many states have proven that to be true. After the death of KJ Starkes, however, it’s hard not to question what kind of oversight DHR maintains over this third-party service. DHR needs to have appropriate protocols in place that demand accountability.
The responsible thing for Covenant Services to do is conduct an internal review surrounding this tragedy. In the spirit of transparency, findings should be made public. Practices should be changed and followed to prevent further child endangerment. For example, what kind of background checks or drug testing is being done to ensure that employees are fit for this kind of work?
DHR needs to reassess its practices, employee training, and emergency response procedures. While doing these evaluations, it would be wise to study what other states that have successful child welfare programs are doing. If DHR does choose to “think outside the box” and look at working with reputable private agencies, it needs to ensure proper oversight to protect children.
Privatization of the child welfare system can be done right. It has been studied for decades now and sparsely implemented in a variety of states. According to the Reason Foundation, in the late ’90s, three states embarked on privatizing child welfare, foster care, and adoption. Texas, Kansas and Michigan each served as models of better efficiency, expertise and connection to their communities to improve the lives of children at risk.
What potential gains can come from privatization? Kansas’ findings were that reputable private agencies surpassed expectations in finding permanent homes for foster children and appeared to provide excellent services in the three areas of child welfare. When studying what the states did right, it was determined that private agencies that received contracts were held accountable for measurable outcomes that benefited the needs of children. If contracts were to be renewed, the agencies had to maintain the positive outcomes predetermined by the state.
“In the first year, Kansas saw a 44% increase in the number of finalized adoptions,” Reason reported. “Inquiries from families wanting to be adoptive parents … tripled [after] privatization.”
Factors closely associated with success included incentives being put in place for the agencies to work hard on behalf of the children they were serving. Rewards were given for excellence. The states also hired outside evaluators who could remain objective regarding findings. These evaluators monitored the effectiveness of private agency achievements. If privatizing child welfare in Alabama occurs in the future, it needs to be done with complete transparency and excellent oversight.
According to a recent 1819 News article, State Rep. Kenneth Paschal (R-Pelham) has called for a thorough investigation into DHR and the circumstances surrounding this child’s death. Paschal’s past efforts to help reform child welfare have, at times, placed him at odds with DHR. He stated that demands for improvements in Alabama’s child welfare system have been largely ignored for years.
Right on cue, Gov. Kay Ivey came out in support of DHR after the death of this young boy. It is unbelievable that her first statement would be to defend the agency. Next year’s gubernatorial election can’t get here soon enough.
Alabama has a God-given responsibility to its at-risk children. With DHR caseworkers in different counties being overwhelmed and overloaded with children in detrimental home situations, it is way past time to think outside the box and try something more effective.
“Children are a heritage from the Lord.” - Psalm 127:3
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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