How Could You? Hall of Shame-Barbra Peterson and Alan Small UPDATED

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 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, foster parents 60-year-old Barbra Peterson and 35-year-old Alan Small “have been arrested and charged in Winnebago County for child neglect after three teens spoke to officials at Oshkosh West High School.”

“They talked about conditions in the home where they were not allowed to leave their rooms unless an adult came to open the door. The rooms were always locked and alarms were also on the doors.

According to court documents, they had to go to the bathroom using buckets in each of their rooms as toilets and if they misbehaved there were different forms of punishment.

Investigators, including a Winnebago County CPS worker, conducted a walkthrough of Small’s house who was licensed as a Foster Home through Brown County DHS.

Officers noticed how cold it was in the home, they found a thermostat that read 57 degrees. They also observed how the door to one of the boy’s room had an alarm on his door and had a medical-type bucket toilet in his room.

In the criminal complaint, Small said he used to put his residence on Air BnB and used rooms for storage so he could lock items up.

Officers then went upstairs and noticed how small the other bedroom was and stated it was also cold. The room also had a bucket to be used as a toilet.

Peterson did admit to dumping out the buckets outside the home behind the garage.

Both are being charged with three counts of Chronic Neglect of a Child and will be back in court on March 25th.”

Foster Parents Charged with Child Neglect

[We Are Green Bay 3/1/19 by Natasha Geiger]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“One of two foster parents accused of locking kids in bedrooms and making them use a bucket as a toilet was sentenced to prison.

38-year-old Alan Small was sentenced to one year in prison after he was found guilty of three counts of neglecting a child. He was found guilty after pleading no contest and was sentenced on May 5.

Back in 2019, Small and his mother Barbara Peterson were arrested for neglecting the children they were fostering. The two were accused of forcing children to urinate in buckets and locking them in rooms.

Officers with the Oshkosh Police Department were sent to Oshkosh West High School after school officials were made aware of some ‘disturbing information’ from one student. The student explained that he has an alarm on his door that will go off if the door is opened.

It was also mentioned that he had a bucket in his bedroom to go to the bathroom in. A second student who was fostered by Small and Peterson described a similar situation as the first student.

When officers walked through Small’s foster home residence, the thermostat was reportedly set to 57 degrees. Small said that the residence used to be on Air BnB and one of the children’s rooms was used for storage.

Peterson reportedly admitted to dumping the buckets of urine and feces outside in the yard. Officers found multiple piles of toilet paper in the backyard.

Peterson is scheduled to start a jury trial in August.”

Foster parent in Oshkosh sentenced to prison, forced foster kids to use bucket as toilet
[We are Green Bay 5/6/22 by Devin Willems]