How Could You? Hall of Shame-Hope House

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Fort Myers, Florida, Hope House foster group home for teen boys is still fixing the 250 health violations from this summer. Violations included the following: “Dead roaches in cabinets and a coffee maker; live ones in the kitchen. Dirty walls pocked with holes. Exposed wires.Filthy bathroom. Bugs flying throughout. Broken, dirty furniture.”

“The Department of Health inspection came after a caller claimed there were roaches in the cereal and mold, officials said. Lee County inspectors gave the house a failing review, which led the state to temporarily stop placing new foster children there.

Last week, the Department of Children and Families officials said they lifted the hold after inspectors gave the home an OK and the number of violations dropped to about a dozen. “The facility is on the radar,” said Lisa Mayrose, a regional DCF director of family and community services. “We shouldn’t have homes that are getting to this state. “Although they did make a lot of progress, it’s our job to make sure that they continue that progress.””

“Richard Sapp leads the Source of Light & Hope Development Center, the organization that runs the home and another for girls in Lehigh Acres.

The Fort Myers home, known as Hope House, also houses the group’s Chariot House program.

There are a handful of foster care group homes in Lee County and are often the last resort for children who don’t fit well in foster homes. Sapp’s organization serves some of the traumatized and troubled youth including chronic runaways and children with arrest records.

The home was being remodeled with carpet being replaced with tile and painting and repairs ongoing when inspectors first visited, he said.

“We were under serious construction,” Sapp said. “These things did happen and there were things missing but they did not create a hazard of any kind. … We did everything they asked us to.”

State records show Sapp has been executive director of the organization that began in the 1980s since 1996. Last year, his board gave him an “exceeds the standard” rating in his evaluation. “

The way inspectors tallied violations such as noting each dirty window instead of including all as one violation made it seem more dire, he said.”

“”They could have used a different way and it could have painted a different picture,” Sapp said, noting the house is contracted for pest control.

Child welfare officials said they’ve never witnessed conditions that would endanger children and the organization has been proactive about improving conditions.

On Thursday evening, the home appeared clean with freshly painted walls and shiny tile floors. A bowl of bananas and oranges sat in the kitchen. The home has three residents with a capacity for 18.

There were seven at the time of the first health department inspection. The organization, which runs another home for teenage girls in foster home, received $587,767 in the past year to provide services.”

“Damien Smith recently turned 18 and left care in September. He said he was a resident of Hope House for about three months before aging out of the foster care system. “I felt grossed out,” he said. “I didn’t want to be there. … The place was filthy, stank and tore up.”

Mentors who work with young adults who have left foster care said they heard stories of concern.

“The young adults we assist that have stayed at Hope House said that they felt like they were in jail,” said Lori Burke, a board member for Supporting Independent Young Adults, or SIYA. “They felt that they weren’t necessarily given the tools they need to continue successfully. They always said they were hungry.”

Burke said four young adults told her the same information unsolicited.

Smith said the home’s food was often expired or donated and they couldn’t eat when they desired so he avoided eating there.”

“A recent DCF review of the organization’s Lehigh Acres girls home noted a health inspector who visited the home in September didn’t believe there was enough food in the refrigerator for residents.

Sapp said the homes serve three nutritious meals a day and two snacks, although they do restrict access to prevent teenagers from taking too much food.

“There’s not a child that has gone from here underweight,” he said.” [Yes, because they ate somewhere else!]
“Hope House has been scrutinized in the past. In 2006 and 2007, it counted the most DCF abuse and neglect reports with evidence among local group homes. Investigations found inadequate supervision after allegations employees weren’t stopping fights.”

“Judi Woods, who leads Footsteps to the Future, a mentoring organization for young women who have been in care, worries how living in Hope House impacts a child’s future.

“Is this productive for a young person to be at a place that is known for its lack of service and good conditions?” Woods asked. “They keep them at Hope House too long in conditions that nobody would want their children to be.”

It was a relief to leave Hope House, Smith said, but also difficult. He’d like to see new staff there.

“It makes it all good when you leave but it’s bad because you think about the kids that still have to go through that mess.”

Filth is found at Fort Myers boys home
[News-Press 10/13/11 by Janine Zeitlin]

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