Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says the parents accused of mistreating two teenagers who’ve recently starved to death will be held accountable by the justice system — and the governor says staff in the Department of Human Services who did child welfare checks in both homes are trying to do the best they can.
An outside consultant is being hired to review the state’s child welfare system. Natalie Finn of West Des Moines starved to death last fall, despite reports from neighbors and school officials who raised concerns about her home environment. Sabrina Ray of Perry, who also was 16, died last week and the medical examiner says she was severely malnourished. Child abuse investigators had visited her home as well.
A few Democrats in the legislature have called for the resignation of Iowa Department of Human Services director Chuck Palmer after this second case of an adopted teenager dying of starvation. Branstad says Palmer’s running the biggest agency in state government and it deals “tens of thousands” of child welfare cases.
