How Could You? Hall of Shame-Sheila Noelle Scharber/Sheila Bower

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 Big Lake, Minnesota, foster parent Sheila Noelle Scharber, 48, also known as Sheila Bower, The Minnesota Department of Human Services on July 17 ordered that her  license be revoked. “Scharber has appealed. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.”

“According to the DHS order, Sherburne County Health & Human Services investigated a report and determined that a foster child in Scharber’s care had been physically abused.

Scharber admitted that as a means of discipline, she kicked the foster child, causing a red mark on his shin; plucked hair from the child’s head with a pair of tweezers; and, with another person, had the child hold two heavy olive cans with arms outstretched, the order states. When the child could no longer hold the cans, Scharber suggested the child stand with bare feet on top of the cans so the edges of the cans would hurt his feet, the order states.

In November, Scharber was criminally charged in Sherburne County District Court with malicious punishment of a child, a gross misdemeanor. She pleaded guilty in April to a lesser misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was given a stayed sentence of 90 days in jail.[And she wants to stay on as a foster parent?]

According to a court statement, the child reported that his foster mother had kicked him on the leg and pulled out his hair as punishment for his mistreatment of her pets.

A message left Friday on the phone number DHS listed for Scharber was not immediately returned.

Jodi Heurung, Sherburne County social service supervisor, said Scharber had received a foster care provider license in August 2013. This was the first and only child placed in her home, Heurung said.

The child is now in a different home.

“We hate these situations,” Heurung said. “They’re just … really unfortunate.”

Revoking a foster care license is rare, Heurung said. It’s the first time in her more than six years with Sherburne County that a foster care provider license was revoked.

The county followed normal procedure during the licensing process, Heurung said. The county provided the family a therapeutic social worker for additional support due to the child’s needs, Heurung said.

“In this case, we felt that we had done what we needed to do, what we could have done to make it the most appropriate, best placement for the child and for the provider,” she said.

Heurung said the situation speaks to the need for more foster care providers.

“We have very unique situations, very unique kids with significant behaviors, and so we’re always trying to find the best match,” she said. “The more providers we have to choose from to make that match is just really critical.””

Sherburne foster care provider loses license[St. Cloud Times 8/17/14 by Kirsti Marohn]

REFORM Puzzle Piece