Dallas Escorts: Criminal history fails to be a barrier for a foster care job
A review of background check letters the Department of Family and Protective Services sent Daystar Residential Inc. — a Houston-area facility that made headlines for forcing disabled girls to fight each other – shows dozens of potential workers were approved for hire by the state despite arrests ranging from prostitution to assault with a deadly weapon.
It’s unclear whether Daystar hired these workers; the state redacted all employee names. But their approval for employment raises questions about DFPS’ background check process as lawmakers meet in Austin today to discuss abuse and neglect within Texas’ 80 residential treatment centers for troubled kids.
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In 2007, a DFPS licensing representative told Daystar that an applicant with a 2001 “credit card or debit card abuse” conviction “must not be retained in a position allowing contact with children while the request for risk evaluation is prepared and considered.” Yet a 2009 Daystar job applicant with a 1991 arrest for prostitution, 1993 and 1994 arrests for theft and a 2008 conviction for reckless driving sailed through the criminal background process.