A Marion County grandmother alleges that Kids Central, Inc., ignored her warnings about her daughter’s drug addiction and placed her three grandchildren in an environment where they were physically and psychologically abused until their mother was eventually arrested on charges of attempted murder and child neglect.
The lawsuit was filed in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court on Friday, March 20. The legal complaint, brought by B.B. on behalf of her grandchildren, M.B. and K.K., claims that KCI failed in its primary duty to protect the children by recommending they be reunified with their mother despite her active drug use and mental health struggles.
M.B. was born in October 2019 and is currently 6 years old. K.K. was born in May 2021 and is currently 4 years old. According to court records, the children were initially removed from their mother’s care in 2021 due to substance abuse and domestic violence.
The 33-page lawsuit details a lengthy history of instability dating back to 2021, alleging that the mother continued to use drugs even while pregnant. While in the care of KCI in 2022, the mother gave birth to her third child, S.K. 2, who tested positive for illegal substances at birth.
According to the complaint, the grandmother issued several warnings to KCI that the mother had been using drugs throughout the pregnancy and that an undisclosed individual (S.K.) was living in the home with M.B. and K.K.
During this period, the lawsuit asserts that despite KCI being aware of the mother’s ongoing substance abuse, it failed to prevent the children from being exposed to a dangerous environment.
The grandmother alleges that the man identified as S.K., who is the biological father of S.K. 2, was frequently in the home and was interacting with the her grandchildren, despite not having been disclosed as a member of the household and not having obtained a background check.
In spite of the grandmother’s alleged warnings, KCI recommended reunification between the mother and her children (M.B. and K.K.) in early 2023.
During the year following their return, from March 2023 to March 2204, the children were allegedly subjected to severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse. According to the complaint, M.B. and K.K. were hit and punched on their faces and bodies, denied food, and denied access to adequate medical care regularly.
In one instance, K.K. was reportedly locked out of the house at night for hours as a form of punishment. The child was no more than two years old at the time of the alleged incident.
In another instance on March 22, 2024, the lawsuit alleges that the mother physically and emotionally abused the children by hitting them and attempting to drown both M.B. and K.B. in a bathtub. During that incident, the mother also threatened to kill both M.B. and K.K. in front of each other.
According to the filing, the mother later admitted to investigators that she was “binging” on drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamines during the week leading up to the drowning attempt. She reportedly tested positive for a cocktail of substances including methamphetamines, MDMA, and marijuana at the time.
Furthermore, the mother allegedly admitted she had stopped taking her prescribed psychotropic medications for bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder because she “would rather do drugs.”
The grandmother’s lawsuit places the blame on KCI, arguing that the agency was warned repeatedly of these dangers over the course of multiple years dating back to 2021.
The complaint alleges that, on the afternoon of the attempted drowning in 2024, KCI was reportedly notified that the mother was not answering the door for a parenting coach and had called B.B. in a “hysterical” state.
Investigations by the Child Protection Team following the incident determined that there were clear findings of physical injury and asphyxiation. The team also expressed concerns that the children were reunified with the mother even though there were signs of substance misuse prior to the official reunification.
The mother has since been arrested and criminally charged with attempted murder and child neglect. The lawsuit does not provide any identifying details about the mother.
The grandmother is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, alleging that the injuries and trauma suffered by M.B. and K.K. are permanent and were entirely preventable.
Kids Central, Inc. has not yet filed a formal response to the lawsuit in Marion County court.