A tragic new scandal is threatening to create yet another crisis for Democrat Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo. Coming to light this time are multiple cases of neglect (and worse) by employees in the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF). The allegations include teenage sex-trafficking and assault by government staff at state-regulated group homes.
First reported by the Providence Journal, certain actions by DCYF workers have "left young people in their care hospitalized, endangered or exploited...."
Here's more:
"Prostitution. Assaults arranged by a staff member. A clandestine overnight visit by a teenage girlfriend as the police searched for her. A paralyzing injury. Investigators say they’ve found all this and more connected to group homes — places where Rhode Island is supposed to provide refuge to young people it has removed from unfit living conditions.
At least four times in the last five months, workers at state-regulated group homes took actions that left young people in their care hospitalized, endangered or exploited, a Providence Journal investigation has found.
In two cases, group-home employees attempted to cover up slack supervision and management with forged log books or falsified statements, investigators reported.
In one Pawtucket home, an employee used the agency van to help run a teenage sex-trafficking operation, prosecutors allege."
Read the whole thing... it gets worse.
Apparently, this isn't even the first issue to hit Rhode island's DCYF during Raimondo's tenure.
"In 2015, Raimondo appointed staffers to lead the Department, neither of whom met state-required qualifications for the DCYF director position. Despite repeated incidents that left Rhode Island youths exploited, endangered, and even injured by DCYF workers’ actions, the Raimondo administration has failed to change the culture of the troubled department. With DCYF undermined by inexcusable negligence and led by unqualified appointees, Raimondo’s failed leadership continues to plague the people of her state."