State and county child welfare authorities have repeatedly promised to halt the practice of warehousing youths in unlicensed places that are unable to meet children’s need for safety, education and mental health services — yet it’s happening again.
Deep bruises were starting to form around her eyes. Blood crusted around her nostrils and mouth. She was so dazed that she didn’t notice a telephone cord wrapped around her neck.who said a 16-year-old foster boy battered and sexually assaulted her in one of the hotel’s guest rooms.
Though group homes frequently have security and teams of staff members, children in the hotels have often been supervised by a single social worker, sometimes with scant knowledge of their backgrounds, little training to de-escalate potential violence and no on-site colleagues when things go wrong, according to DCFS policy documents and interviews with staff.
Until a solution is reached, DCFS Director Brandon Nichols said, the Biltmore is “the last resort” for social workers who can now find no other place for children experiencing some of the most vexing problems with drugs, sex trafficking, violence and mental health disorders.His agency has 18,000 foster youths but fewer licensed beds. Licensed foster parents and group homes also have the right to reject any foster child before or after their arrival.
The suites were once used by President Kennedy, the Beatles and Al Capone. Hotel advertising still promises guests a five-star experience with “classic elegance steeped in Hollywood glamour.” The hotel bar was designed in the style of Spain’s royal hall where Queen Isabella first heard of Columbus’ discovery of America.
“I didn’t question it because I didn’t hear of any stories of him being physically assaultive with anybody,” said the social worker, who did not reveal any identifying information about the boy. A disproportionate number of Black children are removed from their homes in L.A. County. Now, the county has backed a “blind removal” pilot for study.
She partly blamed DCFS for failing to warn her that the teenager she was supervising could be violent, leaving her vulnerable to an attack. But she said she’s also concerned about the larger child welfare system, which leaves nowhere to safely send youths with severe mental health needs who do not get placed in foster homes.
“This is an impossible task,” Varvais wrote. “Often staff have already worked a full day and now … I am asking them to work all night to watch a child. The risk to our staff is tremendous.” Sources familiar with the youth alleged to have been involved said he suffers developmental disabilities that require a much higher level of care than the social worker at the hotel could provide.Police arrested the boys suspected in both hotel incidents, and prosecutors charged them under the juvenile delinquency code. The proceedings are confidential because of their ages. The boys declined interview requests submitted via their attorneys.
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