Collateral Damage: The DCF Chronicles
State Custody, Zero Protection: The Death of James Reese Jr.
Four-year-old James Reese Jr. died in Jacksonville in 2021 while Florida held legal custody. Doctors found a skull fracture and older injuries. Missed exams, a superficial home visit, and kinship care without support point to systemic failure. Read the investigation.
River at the back door, CPS signed off
A three-year-old in West Virginia, known to elope, was placed in a foster home about 30 yards from the Little Kanawha River with no alarms or barrier. CPS certified the placement, the contractor approved it, and the child drowned. Read the documents and the timeline.