(WSVN) - Foster parents give their love, time and attention to kids they bring into their homes, but one South Florida foster mom says she did not get that back. The Nightteam’s Kevin Ozebek has tonight’s 7 Investigates.
Carol Ferrer: “This is where joy is.”
Carol Ferrer loves to cook and care for kids. She has been a foster mom since 2018.
Carol Ferrer, foster mom: “I love children, and I really, really wanted to help some unfortunate ones.”
But last July, her good will and patience were tested.
Carol Ferrer: “One of the girls, she kept going to my mom to tell my mom that there was water coming out of the floor.”
For an entire week, Carol found water all over this floor.
Some days, it went from the kitchen all the way across the living room to the bathroom.
Carol Ferrer: “Three to four times in one day we’re having this flood.”
Three different plumbers came out, but none of them found a leak.
One even cut open the wall under the kitchen counter to check the pipes.
Carol Ferrer: “They were confused themselves. They couldn’t figure out where this leak is coming from.”
With the plumber’s bills mounting and no answer in sight, Carol began to think the water issue was coming from something or someone else.
She started to suspect one of her foster daughters.
Carol Ferrer: “Her interest was too much into this, so I started watching her, and that was when I figured it out. I saw her throwing water on the floor.”
Carol confronted the girl.The child eventually confessed to dumping water on the floor when no one was looking.
Carol Ferrer: “When I call the case manager and explained everything to her, she spoke to her on the phone. The child admitted to telling the lies and creating the problems.”
Problems that cost Carol more than $1,000.
Carol Ferrer: “I called immediately, and the case manager responded, and we spoke about it on that weekend.”
Carol complained to all the agencies working with the Department of Children and Families overseeing this foster child.
They include Citrus Family Care Network and Family Resource Center of South Florida, but Carol says she was not getting answers.
Carol Ferrer: “I gave them enough time, but I was doing my weekly follow up. ‘What’s going on? What’s going on?'”
Later, she was forwarded these emails. In them, she found out her case manager had left and “never completed an incident report.”
Carol Ferrer: “I need back my money, because during the pandemic, I went into my savings to take care of the foster children.”
We reached out to the agencies for answers.
We got this statement saying, “Citrus Family Care Network and Family Resource Center will be reimbursing Mrs. Ferrer. … Upon further review … we discovered the original denial … was based on an incorrect timeline…” and “we are taking this opportunity to … improve communications around reimbursements for foster parents to prevent incorrect denials in the future.”
Carol Ferrer: “I couldn’t be happier.”
A few days after we got the statement, Carol got this check for more than $1,700.
Carol Ferrer: “I’m very happy that they have not only decided to pay me but have also looked at the policy. Thanks to Citrus, but above all, thanks to the news team for helping me out with this.”
Carol says this one incident isn’t going to stop her from caring for other foster kids because the need in South Florida is so great.
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