The South Dakota
Department of Corrections is reviewing its Contractual Foster Care
Program as a result of the criminal investigation against former
lawmaker Ted Klaudt, according to a DOC news release.
Klaudt's wife,
Connie, had been a contractual foster care provider for South
Dakota since November of 2001. Klaudt has been accused of rape and
other offenses against two girls during a period of time when the
girls ranged in age from 15 to 19.
The DOC removed
foster children placed in the Klaudt home Feb. 2 on the advice of
the Department of Criminal Investigation, pending that agency's
investigation.
"I am horrified at
the allegations made regarding the abuse of children placed in the
DOC Foster Care Program," Corrections Secretary Tim Reisch said in
the news release. "The allegations are certainly not indicative of
the dedication and quality of care provided by our licensed Foster
Care providers."
Juvenile
corrections monitor John Ellis is conducting a review of the DOC
Foster Care program at Reisch's request, the news release
said.
The review will
include personal interviews of all juveniles currently assigned to
the program and juveniles that were formerly assigned to the
program, the release said.
No other
"significant allegations" have come from the review, the news
release said.
"The use of the
Juvenile Corrections Monitor for an investigation of this nature is
fairly rare but not unprecedented," Reisch said. "State law makes
the Juvenile Monitor responsible for investigations involving
allegations of abuse or neglect in our state-run facilities, but
Governor Rounds has used him to conduct similar investigations in
private facilities on a number of occasions as well."
The investigation
will be the juvenile monitor's first involving the DOC Foster Care
program, the release said.
The DOC Foster Care
Program was created in 1998 to serve children who were committed to
the DOC by the courts - children who are unable to return to live
with their families after successfully completing treatment
programs.
"Unfortunately, not
all of our kids have an appropriate home to return to, and foster
care is a good fit for them," Doug Hermann, director of juvenile
services, said.
