Child welfare officials are said to have failed to compare the addresses of foster homes to those on the offender registry, even after they were told to do so in 2008. According to the Sacramento Bee, about 600 of the highlighted offenders were considered high risk.
The matching addresses involved both foster care facilities and homes, and at this point eight licenses have been revoked or suspended. An additional 36 orders have been issued barring offenders from facilities.
Assembly Member Henry T. Perea requested the audit after foster children died at the hands of adults in Fresno County, including 10-year-old Seth Ireland who was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend in 2008.
According to SacBee, the locations of the sex offenders have not been disclosed, but Sacramento, Fresno and Alameda counties were all targeted for the audit.
Los Angeles County was also to be audited, but the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said no and hired outside lawyers to fight the investigation.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors can be reached at (213) 974-1411, for those who would like to express their opinion about the need for an audit. –kathleen cross
