Daystar RTC, Foster Care Facilities "On Watch"
Daystar - CLOSED after Fifth Child Dies
Shiloh RTC, (sister program) remains open.

January 7, 2011 - Homicide ruled in 4th death at troubled kids' facility

Michael Keith Owens, 16, was restrained in a double-wide's closet when he choked to death: That appalling fact, revealed recently in a joint report by the Chronicle and the Texas Tribune, says entirely too much about Texas' treatment of the mentally ill. [Editor Note: Fourth death by restraint. Another child, diagnosed with schizophrenia was free to run into the street and killed by a vehicle.]

Nov. 13, 2010 - Texas hog-ties its mentally ill too often.

Texas Tribune reports
Residential Treatment Center Violations

[Foster] Kids choked, stripped, beaten at facilities
250 cases of abuse include a staff-provoked fight among 7 girls
By TERRI LANGFORD and EMILY RAMSHAW
HOUSTON CHRONICLE and TEXAS TRIBUNE
June 6, 2010, 11:33AM

DayStar Investigations/Citations

Due to the enormous number of Compliance Violations, Hope4KidZ presents a sampling of the more recent Violations. DayStar continues to do business as usual. Workers are not drug tested, workers who have been rejected by other states are able to obtain jobs at DayStar, workers continue to misuse restraint devices, and fist whip mentally challenged kids' faces.

• DayStar is given kudos for caring for the more severely challenged and "difficult children."
• When will the DayStar administration, workers, and residential child care licensing stop the incessant abuse of mentally and physically challenged children in foster care?

06/02/2009 - Rodent droppings observed in kitchen of the Red house.
Two homes inspected were in need of repairs and cleaning.

Draeger 1: In the 1st bathroom mildew and dirt observed in the bath tub. In the 2nd bathroom there was a small whole underneath the bathroom sink cabinet possibly caused by a rodent. In the 3rd bathroom the toilet did not flush properly.

Red House: I observed rodent droppings in a bedroom dresser drawer, the bottom kitchen cabinets and in the bottom of the food pantry.

12/9/2008 - 12/18/2008 - 748.2303(b)(1) - Corporal Punishment-corporal punishment of hitting or spanking a child with a hand or instrument is prohibited High
State Narrative- One facility staff member hit a child with a closed fist that resulted in bruising to his right eye
- Was the staff member charged with assault? Not likely.

12/9/2008 - 12/18/2008 748.1101(b)(4) - Children's rights-Adhere to the child's rights to be free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation as defined in Texas Family Code 261.401 High - State Narrative- The standard was evaluated and found to be deficient.

9/9/2008 - 9/24/2008 - 48.2151(a)(8) - Medication Record-Must include accurate running count of each prescribed medication High -
State Narrative- One out of four resident medication record reviewed did not have an accurate running count.
{Editor Note: 97 records were reviewed and determined one out of four children's medication was not properly accounted for. Who is taking the children's medication?}

6/25/2008 - 7/10/2008 - 748.685(a)(5) - Caregiver responsibility - being able to intervene when necessary to ensure child's safety High
State Narrative- Staff persons failed to intervene and discontinue the fighting between the residents. {Known as Child on Child Abuse

3/07/2008 - All three children records reviewed found no documentation of known allergies and chronic health conditions on the exterior of the child's record or in a clearly visible location.

This standard was corrected at inspection because the staff member was terminated prior to inspection. (Without being charged, this worker is free to go elsewhere and abuse more children.)

Staff member failed to provide adequate supervision of a 16 year old resident while bathing which resulted in extensive bruising to the child.

9/2006 - Several residents stated that a staff member hit them in the head with his fist.

With a history of abuse of children in foster care, DayStar continues to have issues with staff beating up on the children.
Two children have died at DayStar.

DayStar Doug Swanson, Dallas Morning News,

We have "Zero Tolerance" for violent behaviors of children in the public school system, yet those same "Zero Tolerance" behaviors are perpetrated against children in the state foster care system by the workers who are hired to protect the children.

Rights? What Rights Do Children in Foster Care Have?

To locate the citations and locations of large group homes for foster children:
- Research Background of Residential Child Care Facilities Enter the Name of the Facility, the County, or zip code for a complete guide to the Compliance History of all Residential and General Operation Group Homes in Texas. In April of 2009, the state's latest web site on Residential Child Care Licensing reports, with pop-ups and "canned" information. Some narratives simply state the policy was reviewed and determined to have been violated; with no further information. The state of Texas is now applying a "weighted" system to the violations of Minimum standards. The information is unclear as to consequences in the weighted system, but violations of Minimum Policy are ranked in one of four categories. What happens when the foster care facility reaches ... what? This is unclear at this time.

According to a Press Release from CAICA, employees of facilities that care for children are Mandated Reporters and cannot be held to a contract that many employees are required to sign, agreeing to be silent about what goes on in these facilities. "If you witnessed maltreatment of children or teens, mild or severe, it is your moral and legal obligation to report it - for the sake of the children. There is protection for those who report child abuse and neglect." Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse