LIMA — Public outcry over a case involving a foster child in Mercer County has led to threats and vandalism against Allen County Children Services employees, according to executive director Cynthia Scanland.
In March, M.A., a 21-month-old foster child who had been placed in the home of Celina residents Brian and Kelly Anderson when she was 13 days old, was removed from the home and placed with a maternal aunt in Indiana. Shortly after the removal, Mercer County Probate Court issued an adoptive placement order calling for M.A. to be returned to the Andersons. Children Services has not followed that directive, keeping the child with the relative in Indiana.
This prompted a massive response on social media, with the hashtag #bringmaddyhome having over 87,000 people searching for it on Facebook, as well as several area businesses and groups posting support for the Andersons. However, Scanland noted that some of this response has been aimed at demonizing her agency and staff.
“It appears there has been a lot of misinformation circulated about the case, which has magnified and misrepresented the facts and which has also resulted in the vandalism in the homes of two agency employees,” she said, “one of whom has had threats made against her two young children.”
Scanland said that one of the vandalisms is under investigation in Putnam County. Officials in the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department could not be reached for comment.
Foster cases are always treated as confidential by children service agencies, but Scanland noted that the social media campaign has compromised that confidentiality, and concerns about acts against staff members has prompted a response from the agency. She maintained that all actions taken in this case by the agency were proper and in accordance with the law.
“Reunification with a birth parent is the agency’s goal,” she said. “When this is not possible and a child cannot safely reunify with a birth parent, the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Administrative Code and best practice standards require placement with an approved relative. In this case, a maternal aunt was identified for placement and the foster parents were informed of that relative placement and kept informed throughout the entire process.”
Scanland expressed sympathy for the Andersons while remaining firm in her assertion that this was the proper course of action.
“We sincerely hope that people can try to put their emotions aside and support this decision to provide this child with the permanency and family connection she deserves,” she said.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
