Page 6 - aruba-today-20181208

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 8 december 2018

Caregivers for 3600 migrant teens lack complete abuse checks

By MARTHA MENDOZA and through FBI fingerprint
GARANCE BURKE checks last week in re-
Associated Press sponse to a wave of pub-
Nearly every adult working lic pressure prompted by
with children in the U.S. — the government memo
from nannies to teachers to and media reports about
coaches — has undergone the lack of staff screening
state screenings to ensure there.
they have no proven histo- Child welfare experts say
ry of abusing or neglecting child abuse and neglect
kids. One exception: thou- background screenings
sands of workers at two are typically required be-
federal detention facilities cause some people who
holding 3,600 migrant teens hurt children may never
in the government's care, be convicted of criminal
The Associated Press has charges serious enough to
learned. warrant an FBI red flag but
The staff isn't being could be charged civilly,
screened for child abuse which would appear only
and neglect at a Miami- in state registries.
based emergency deten- "An FBI background check
tion center because Flor- doesn't provide a full and
ida law bans any outside complete picture of that
employer from reviewing In this Wednesday, June 20, 2018 file photo, immigrant children walk in a line outside the individual's criminal history,"
information in its child wel- Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children, a former Job Corps site that now said Alonzo Martinez, asso-
fare system. Until recently houses them, in Homestead, Fla. ciate counselor for compli-
at another facility holding Associated Press ance at HireRight, a private
migrant teens in Tornillo, employer background
Texas, staff hadn't even The two facilities can oper- of Congress called for the more widely due to con- check service. Local po-
undergone FBI fingerprint ate unlicensed and without immediate shutdown of cerns that child protective lice departments aren't re-
checks, let alone child wel- required checks because Tornillo. services might be reluctant quired to enter fingerprints
fare screenings, a govern- they are located on feder- The government report to flag an individual, and of offenders in the FBI da-
ment report found. al property and thus don't said the screenings were thereby avoid providing tabase and deeper checks
The missing screening at have to comply with state waived at Tornillo because services such as parenting — including reviewing state
both sites involves search- child welfare laws. Tornillo the agency was under classes for them, if it could and county child abuse
ing child protective servic- is on Customs and Border pressure to open the camp put the person's job in jeop- registries — can turn up dif-
es systems to see whether Protection land along the quickly and the federal ardy. ferent information about
potential employees had a U.S.-Mexico border, and government erroneously Health and Human Ser- potential applicants, Marti-
verified allegation of abuse, Homestead is on a former assumed staff members vices Department spokes- nez said.
neglect or abandonment, Labor Department Jobs already had FBI fingerprint man Mark Weber said During his time serving as
which could range from Corps site. checks. Homestead didn't need the director of the Office
having a foster child run Last week, bipartisan law- Except for Homestead, ev- the extensive background of Refugee Resettlement,
away from a group home makers from Texas and ery child shelter and foster screenings. Scott Lloyd granted screen-
to failing to take a sick beyond called for swift re- care facility in Florida — in- "Child abuse and neglect ing waivers for both Home-
child to the hospital. These forms and public hearings cluding two others holding checks were waived be- stead and Tornillo, which
allegations often are not after the AP reported that migrant children — runs cause of the limitations in was allowed under federal
criminally prosecuted and the government put thou- employees' names through the state of Florida and rules since the shelters were
therefore wouldn't show up sands of teens at risk at child protective services re- the fingerprint background opened on a temporary
in other screenings. Tornillo by waiving the se- cords. checks conducted on em- basis. Homestead has been
Tornillo has 2,100 staff for curity screenings and hav- State law prohibits the Flori- ployees would show rel- open for eight months and
about 2,300 teens; Home- ing fewer mental health da Department of Children evant information," he said. Tornillo for five, however,
stead has 2,000 staff for workers than needed. And and Families from shar- Tornillo launched a month- with no indication they will
about 1,300 teens. on Tuesday, two members ing results of those checks long program to run staff close.q