The six children who were apparently killed by their grandfather recently in Gilchrist County never had a chance. They were hungry, victims of physical abuse, deprived of medical care and chronically absent from school. Newly released reports from the Department of Children and Families show that the Spirit family's problems date to at least 2006. DCF investigators had amassed a voluminous case file on the children, yet they were never removed from the family's care. No one could have predicted that the children would meet such a tragic end, but their continued presence in a home that was so obviously troubled raises questions about just what it takes for DCF to determine when parental rights should be severed.
DCF's reports on the Spirit family of Bell are a textbook example of dysfunctional parenting. Sarah Spirit, 28, had six children, who ranged in age from 2 months to 11 years old. The family was unstable and moved often. Most recently, they lived with Don Spirit, the children's 51-year-old grandfather who was a convicted felon with a history of drug abuse and domestic violence. As early as 2006, caseworkers observed that Sarah Spirit was "lazy" and would not work. There were also verified findings of physical abuse, family violence and repeated abandonment as the mother used illegal drugs and left her children with relatives for weeks at a time.
Employees at the children's elementary school began to contact the DCF in 2012, according to a recent article in the Miami Herald. One child had to repeat kindergarten twice due to chronic absences. Another Spirit child reported to school with a gaping wound in his foot that had been bandaged with toilet paper and duct tape. His mother had soaked it in bleach rather than visit a doctor. She also turned down assistance for food, saying she had served her children steak the prior evening. Investigators later learned she had eaten steak and given her children a choice of Ramen noodles or cereal. Seventeen days before the children were killed, DCF received reports of drug use in the home.
This spring, the Legislature passed sweeping reforms of the state's child welfare laws. The actions were prompted by "Innocents Lost," a series by the Herald that detailed the deaths of 477 children who died in recent years despite having some contact with the DCF. The agency has since shifted away from its longtime practice of keeping families together at all costs and instituted more stringent controls on parenting safety plans that make it easier to sever parents' rights if they fail to comply with the DCF's directives. The Spirit family provides fresh evidence of why these changes were necessary.
It's hard to understand why investigators armed with years of verified neglect decided to leave the Spirit children in the adults' care. New laws that strengthen child welfare protections are now in place, but the conversation on how to best protect children in danger has just begun. The Spirit children died in September, apparently at the hand of their grandfather, who also killed their mother and himself. Their deaths occurred well after the new laws had taken effect. If those children didn't warrant removal from the family home, who does?
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Explore all your optionsLawmakers, child protection workers and the entire community need to redouble efforts to save the most vulnerable children. And DCF officials should not rest until they find a better balance between giving parents a chance and doing what is in the best interest of the children they are charged to protect.