Hearing Officer Chides Agency for Persons with Disabilities for Declining Child’s Care

In its article, “The machinations used to deny care to one disabled foster kid,” the Miami Herald outlined how the Agency for Persons with Disabilities worked to decline paying for services for a 16-year-old under the state’s care. The child’s guardians requested the agency pay for the child to be enrolled in a suitable residential program. Employees agreed. The APD Miami supervisor overruled them, “and then sought to cover up the prior recommendation,” according to an opinion from a hearing officer.

“The agency was instructed that this manner of conducting reviews, and the … appearance of a deliberate attempt to conceal information from the hearing officer and [S.J.] was strictly unacceptable, and was not to occur again.”

It’s vital that organizations charged with providing care for the state’s at-risk youth find ways to provide care – not avoid delivering it.