Deadly foster care failure
Charlie’s maternal greatgrandmother described the child as “a very happy little boy, always smiling.” But Charlie’s life was a difficult one from the start.
As detailed by the Times Union’s Chris Bragg, the boy ’s biological parents were considered troubled and abusive and were deemed unfit. So, like too many other children, Charlie ended up in the foster care system.
We wish we could tell you that there was a good ending to this story, that Charlie’s time in foster care provided him with the love and protection and warmth that all children need and deserve, and that he is happy and doing well. But that is not so.
Instead, Charlie and his brother ended up in a Rotterdam foster home that was allegedly abusive, and horrifically so. Charlie died five days before Christmas. He was four years old.
On his final day, Charlie had urinated his pants, and as punishment, one of his foster parents, Dequan Greene, allegedly forced Charlie to eat “nasty corn” – corn mixed with ketchup and mustard – by shoving spoonfuls into his mouth until the child was crying.
Mr. Greene also allegedly forced Charlie to perform “wall squats” until the 4-year-old fell. He then allegedly kicked and stomped Charlie to the point of inducing vomiting, severely stomping the child's abdomen.
An autopsy would reveal that Charlie, who had significant bruising all over his body, died due to extensive internal injuries to his liver and intestines caused by blunt force trauma. The death was ruled a homicide.
The horror of Charlie’s death is bad enough. What’s worse is that red flags about the care Charlie was receiving were either missed or ignored by Child Protective Services agencies in Albany and Schenectady counties.
Indeed, a lawsuit filed on Charlie’s behalf contends inadequate training, staffing and supervision were a substantial factor in Charlie’s death. If the allegations prove true, the Child Protective Services failed in their primary duty — to protect Charlie. We all failed Charlie.
We will find out more as the civil lawsuit and the criminal case against Mr. Greene, charged with seconddegree murder and first-degree manslaughter, go forward. But the system — the state and local agencies charged with protecting children like Charlie — shouldn’t wait for these legal matters to run their course. They need to determine whether Charlie’s case is a distinct tragedy or representative of widespread deficiencies in New York’s protection of vulnerable children.
All available evidence suggests the latter. In fact, Mr. Bragg ’s reporting in recent years has detailed extensive failures by Family Courts and Child Protective Services, showing that the system is in desperate need of reform.
As we’ve said before, there is no state responsibility more important than protecting vulnerable children. New York has no larger moral obligation than to the children, whom the system must protect, not neglect.
There is no changing what happened to Charlie, but his death can be a spur to prevent similar tragedies for other children. Make this failure the last.