Lutheran Services Case Manager Arrested For Child Abuse On 2-Year-Old

FORT MYERS, Fla. A 27-year-old Lutheran Services case manager is accused of abusing a 2-year-old child, according to the Fort Myers Police Department.

Caitlin Nicoole Carroll, of Fort Myers, was arrested Thursday, police said. Carroll, who is the fiancé of the child’s father, was taking care of the child at the time of a reported fall.

The child was taken to Golisano Children’s Hospital at Healthpark Medical Center with significant bruises to multiple parts of the face, ears and body. The bruises were inconsistent with the information provided by Carroll, police said.

The Department of Children and Families, the Child Protection Team and FMPD were alerted to investigate the case.

Lutheran Services Florida is a social service agency contracted through the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida. Spokesperson Terri Durdaller released the following statement to WINK News:

Lutheran Services Florida takes allegations of abuse seriously. DCF notified us they were initiating an investigation a few weeks ago and we took immediate action by placing Ms. Carroll on administrative leave that same day. It’s important to note that this case does not involve a child under state’s care. Ms. Carroll remains on administrative leave without pay and has no contact with any of our clients, which aligns with LSF’s policies and procedures.

Ms. Carroll has worked for LSF since 2013 with a blemish-free background. She is a respected case manager and this is shocking to the entire child welfare community. As a case manager in the child welfare system she helps families in difficult situations by connecting them to resources and services so they could address issues preventing them as parents from providing a safe home.

Carroll faces a charge of cruelty towards a child. She’s scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 18. Bond has not yet been set.

http://www.winknews.com/2017/11/16/fort-myers-case-manager-arrested-child-abuse/

Foster Care Worker Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Records

A DCF subcontractor who lied multiple times about an at-risk toddler's whereabouts has pleaded guilty to falsifying and destroying records.
Cape Coral resident Denny Kern, 53, was sentenced to four years’ probation for the crime.

Kern was arrested in November after an Office of the Inspector General investigation determined he had falsified records. Kern was a case manager, required to make regular health and welfare checks on children under the supervision of the Department of Children and Families.
Kern is by no means the only child welfare worker to file fake paperwork. His was one of 25 cases involving falsification of case management records investigated in the past seven years; of those, 20 ended in employees being fired or quitting. There was one suspension and four cases that were unsubstantiated or had no action taken.
While working for Lutheran Services, which has a contract with Children’s Network, the private company that provides services to the state’s Department of Children and Families, Kern reported he’d visited the toddler girl in Cape Coral. Although Kern knew the child had been moved to West Palm Beach because her mother was in jail, he filed a log detailing visits to the child in March, April and May.
The falsified documents came to light only after Kern was fired in May 2015 for poor job performance. When Lutheran Services supervisor Gwen Doyle took over Kern's 38-child caseload, she started hearing from family members and caregivers that he hadn't been doing his job.
According to the investigative report, “When Mr. Kern visited (Caregiver 1’s) home, Mr. Kern would come to the door, have a blank piece of paper, and ask Caregiver 1 to sign it. Mr. Kern never came inside the home. ... He indicated that Mr. Kern was aware that Child 1 was not present in the home and did not need to see (her).”
In another case, Kern admitted another child he was supposed to visit regularly was sometimes "probably not" at home when he said she was, though "Kern believed 90 percent of the case notes were accurate and 10 percent of the case notes ... were false, but could not recall which case notes were false."

http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2017/02/24/ex-dcf-subcontractor-pleads-guilty-falsifying-records/98302196/

Lee County DCF Subcontractor Jailed For Destroying Records

FORT MYERS -
A former Department of Children and Family Services subcontractor went to jail this week for tampering with public records related to case work.

Denny Kern

Denny Kern was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Wednesday and charged with a a 3rd-degree felony.
NBC2 is looking into his arrest and has learned from DCF that Kern was hired by Lutheran Services in April 2013.
Lutheran Services subcontracts case management work through the Children's Network of Southwest Florida, which is funded by DCF.
The FDLE says that between March 5 and May 11, 2015, "on one or more occasions," Kern altered or destroyed public records.
Here's why that matters: The DCF investigates families and children who may be at risk and generates reports based on what it learns. The information can be used in court proceedings that could affect the custody of a child.

In a statement, DCF calls the falsification of records unacceptable.
Kern was fired by Lutheran Services in May 2015. A DCF spokesperson said 100% of his cases were then reviewed by Lutheran Services.
The Florida Office of Inspector General is also investigating the alleged crimes committed by Kern.
A DCF spokesperson said the inspector general is in the process of finalizing its report.
Kern was released from jail on Thursday.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/33741188/lee-county-dcf-subcontractor-jailed-for-destroying-records