Some of the 16 children discovered at a Ohio home in deplorable conditions were unable to speak and one — an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled — could not even write her name.
After being rescued Tuesday, seven were taken to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition, investigators said. Their current conditions weren’t immediately known Thursday. Child welfare officials have temporary custody of the children.
If what investigators allege is true, it could be the beginning of a difficult road ahead to undo years of abuse, neglect and trauma and not all foster families can accommodate such severe cases. Ohio also has a shortage of foster families and it’s getting harder to recruit, like in many states.
Some children could be placed into specialized treatment centers as part of their recovery.
“It’s going to take a lot of work to address the emotional harm and some of the issues that are going to result from this,†Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said during a news conference this week, adding he's seen nothing like the conditions that the children were subjected to.
“But we need to make sure those kids are surrounded and loved and supported by people who truly care for them," he said.
Four people who are the children’s parents and grandparents were arrested on child endangerment charges. Defense attorneys have urged people not to draw conclusions and wait for the facts to come out in the case.
Ohio case is shocking but not unheard of
Other cases have shown the challenges that lie ahead after children are rescued from horribly abusive conditions. In one case in Michigan, children were left alone in a home in that police evidence technicians wore hazmat suits.
In Southern California, 13 children were rescued from their home in 2018 after being locked up for years and starved by their parents.
Like in Ohio, the abuse in the Turpin home went unnoticed in the community of Perris, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, until then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin escaped from the house and called police. When the 13 siblings were rescued, all but the 2-year-old were severely underweight and hadn’t bathed for months.
The parents, David and Louise Turpin, to torture and years of abuse and were to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
The children were later failed at different points by a social services system that was supposed to help them transition to new lives and treat their trauma.
Six of the Turpin siblings went to a foster home where they said they were again abused. In a lawsuit, they described being hit with sandals and forced to eat their own vomit. The foster family pleaded guilty in the case and the foster father was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison.
A 2022 report from a law firm hired by Riverside County to investigate the children’s care concluded that the county’s social services system was short-staffed and underfunded, leaving workers struggling with high caseloads that made it hard to ensure safety and care “for our most vulnerable populations.â€
The system is overloaded
Not all foster families have the capacity to help in complex cases where children are dealing with a multitude of traumas, said Scott Britton, assistant director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.
The system is already overwhelmed with one in four children in custody in Ohio not due to abuse or neglect, but behavioral health issues, developmental disabilities or juvenile justice involvement, Britton said.
“We have a lot of kids with significant and serious needs, not all of which unfortunately can be met by a foster family,†he said, noting that residential care facilities and psychiatric treatment centers have to step in. “So we unfortunately are all too accustomed to managing a very broad range of significant deficits in children.â€
Many states’ child welfare systems are overburdened.
State and federal data shows worker turnover rates can range from 20% to 40% in some places due to burnout and the emotional toll. Recruitment is another challenge, as state agencies struggle to attract and keep qualified workers, with rural areas and high-need regions often hit the hardest.
In New Mexico, the state child agency is facing legal action over what the New Mexico Department of Justice has described as systemic failures. It outlined systemic failures in released in April, with the state’s top prosecutor pointing to the deaths of 14 children in the last two years. Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the circumstances were tied to lapses in decision-making and oversight at the Children, Youth and Families Department.
More investments needed in mental health
Ohio has made new investments in children’s services and behavioral health resources, and Britton is hopeful that a statewide Medicaid-managed care plan specifically for children and adolescents with significant behavioral health challenges can help.
“I’m not saying it’s enough,†he said. “We could use more and a lot of it depends on where you’re located.â€
In California, Riverside County and a foster care agency reached a $13.5 million settlement with the six Turpin siblings put into an abusive foster home.
Their attorneys said that the case helped spur critical improvements in the county’s child welfare system.
Nearly four years after the rescue of the Turpin children in California, Jennifer Turpin told ABC News in a 2021 interview that she was ready to move on with her life.
“I want the Turpin name to be, like, ‘Wow, they’re strong, they’re not broken,’†she said.
She has since published a book about her journey called, “Where was God?â€
Her author’s bio states: “She has been through hell and came out strong and resilient.â€
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Watson reported from San Diego and Montoya Bryan from Albuquerque, New Mexico. AP writer Ed White in Detroit contributed.
