Foster Care Neglect & Abuse
Foster Care Negligence
When the System Fails the Children It Promised to Protect
Foster care exists to protect children from danger — not to expose them to new ones. Yet across Missouri and Kansas, agencies entrusted with that mission too often fail to meet even the most basic standards of safety.
At McGonagle Spencer Johnson, we represent children and families whose lives were forever changed by the negligence of foster-care contractors and state-funded agencies. These are not small organizations; many receive tens of millions of dollars in government grants to safeguard children — yet time and again, they ignore warnings, violate policy, and allow preventable tragedies to occur.
A System in Crisis
In case after case, we’ve seen what happens when bureaucratic neglect replaces human care:
A teenage girl with complex medical needs and a history of running away was repeatedly allowed to sleep on a cot inside the agency’s office building instead of being placed in a secure medical setting. Each time she fled, she was victimized — suffering sexual assaults, drug overdoses, and medical emergencies from missing essential medication. Despite years of documented danger and repeated hospitalizations, the agency kept her in the same unsecured environment. She was later found deceased after another runaway episode — a death entirely preventable with proper supervision and care.
A foster child was sexually abused by her foster father — a placement that should never have been approved. School officials and therapists had reported troubling signs, yet the agency continued to allow contact, even granting “supervised” visits after clear warnings of grooming behavior. The abuse that followed left deep and lasting psychological harm.
A teenage boy in state custody was placed with an older youth known to be violent and involved in drugs. The agency failed to perform a safety check or disclose the older child’s behavioral history. Within 24 hours, the younger teen was found unresponsive after ingesting fentanyl the older youth had smuggled in. He survived — but with severe, permanent brain injury.
These are not isolated mistakes. They reflect a systemic collapse of oversight — where children’s safety is overshadowed by budgets, staffing shortages, and bureaucratic convenience.
We dig deep to uncover internal communications, safety audits, and decision-making records that show how agencies chose inaction over protection. We demand not just compensation for victims, but systemic accountability — forcing those responsible to change policies and prevent future harm.
How We Build These Cases
Foster-care negligence cases require relentless investigation and compassion for the children at their center. Our attorneys work with experts in child welfare, trauma, medicine, and psychology to prove both the agency’s failures and the lifelong effects of those failures on our clients.
Every case is prepared as if it will go to trial. That approach — disciplined, thorough, and driven by evidence — is what allows us to achieve results that matter.
Why Families Choose McGonagle Spencer Johnson
Decades of courtroom experience in foster-care negligence and catastrophic-injury litigation.
Recognized for top verdicts and awarded Missouri’s highest honor for trial excellence.
Proven results through confidential settlements that provide lasting care and justice for survivors.
No fee unless we recover — because every child deserves a voice in court.
When foster care fails, accountability must follow.
Call McGonagle Spencer Johnson, LLC for a confidential consultation.
We help survivors and families rebuild — with skill, compassion, and proven results.
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