Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Our child welfare system needs fixed before another life is lost
Today (September 4th) marks one year since the tragic death of a 2-year-old boy in Largo, Florida. On September 4, 2018, police discovered little Jordan Bellieveau’s body in a wooded area. His own mother left him there. After striking Jordan in the head in a moment of rage, she let the child die and dumped his body.
Florida’s child welfare system was responsible for keeping Jordan safe, but unfortunately, case workers missed too many warning signs. His story has put the spotlight on the fact that our child welfare system is broken and must be fixed before more precious lives are lost.
We have joined together to address this critical problem by supporting “Jordan’s Law.” It’s a bill that would reform Florida’s broken child welfare system. We are introducing this measure because we believe that keeping our most vulnerable children safe is our duty and utmost responsibility.
The serious flaws in our child welfare system have tragically torn families apart in South Florida. This past May, two brothers drowned in a swimming pool in North Lauderdale. In this instance, the boys were assumed to climb over a fence, as late as 9:30 p.m., unsupervised for as long as a couple of hours. These boys were in a foster home where two other babies lived. Like so many, this family had a history of issues in the child welfare system.
The case of Jeremiah Bradshaw is sadly no different. In Jeremiah’s case, his mother had filed restraining orders against the father from having contact with Jeremiah. Unfortunately, it was under the father’s supposed care that Jeremiah was beaten to death. It was noted that child welfare workers didn’t revamp the safety plan, when they should have, noting that the mother was not complying with staying away from the father.
A common denominator in these, and so many other cases around the state, is that there are missed red flags. These warnings should serve as a cry for help, for other agencies to step in. That is why it is so imperative we revamp areas of legislation that could make the difference between life and death for many of these innocent children and babies. Crisis should and could be averted, and we should do everything we can to do so.
Part of the problem is that child welfare case managers make about $17 an hour to manage about 30 cases. The pay is low and the workflow is so overwhelming that serious mistakes are made. The turnover rate for case managers has skyrocketed, increasing miscommunications as cases are passed on to new workers. In addition to staffing challenges, the number of children in child welfare placements is increasing, yet our funding has not kept pace.
Because of these systemic failures, children are dying. We must make immediate changes to protect our children. “Jordan’s Law” will fix our broken system with three common-sense steps. 1). Reduce the caseload for case managers from 30 to 15 cases, when possible. 2). Streamline child abuse communication between law enforcement and caseworkers to better ensure children are protected from violent caretakers. 3). Require special training for parents, caseworkers, and law enforcement to understand and recognize the signs of brain injuries in young children - the leading cause of child abuse death in Florida.
If this law were already in place, Jordan and so many others could still be alive today. It will ultimately help save the lives of other children. While the Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed Jordan’s Law last session, unfortunately, the Florida Senate did not approve the measure.
We are reintroducing the bill this year, with hopes that our leaders will come together to stand up for the safety of our kids. A website has been set up – www.jordanslaw.com – where people across the state can sign a petition to show their support for protecting vulnerable children. To date, more than 2,000 people have already signed a petition. You can add you name as we have done. With thousands of children currently at risk across our state, there is simply no time to waste.