As others see it: State can step up for foster homes

Talk about it

Are adult foster care homes safe places to live, to work — to have in your neighborhood?

Many are, no doubt.

But a News Tribune investigation … found a troubling number of violent incidents at such homes as well as a disturbing and worrisome lack of government oversight of what still is an emerging industry. The findings illustrated a clear need for the state — and the industry — to step up with safety measures and tighter restrictions and regulations for the safety of all.

... Digging through court records and sheriff, police and state Department of Human Services documents, among other research, the News Tribune’s Brandon Stahl found that such incidents, troublingly, aren’t isolated. He found homes that are understaffed and unequipped to deal with residents suffering from traumatic brain injuries, severe mental illness and drug addiction — or sometimes all three ailments. He found that police calls to adult foster care homes have become disproportionately high — and rising.

…

Residents of these homes were institutionalized until the 1980s. Placing them instead in a community setting can help them more quickly reintegrate into society. But problems have been identified and persist. And they demand to be met head-on by lawmakers, the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the industry.

Before someone is raped. Or worse.

Tags: foster homes, opinion