How Could You? Hall of Shame-Tyler Walter case-Child Death UPDATED Now Lawsuit

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 San Diego, California, foster child “Tyler Walter died Sept. 22, 2018. The cause of death listed on his autopsy is blunt head trauma.

In a claim filed against the County of San Diego, Lisa Walter stated that her son Tyler, “was healthy when he was in my care he was thriving, he needed his mother and placing him with my 19-year-old niece was negligent.”

A representative for San Diego County Supervisors Greg Cox and Nathan Fletcher, Co-Chairs of the county’s Child & Family Strengthening Advisory Board, says they can’t comment on the specific situation in question because it represents ongoing litigation.

The supervisors did release a statement about the child welfare system overall saying, “Any day a child dies is a horrifically sad day. Our child welfare system in America exists to protect children and preserve families, and we take that responsibility seriously. As a County, we are currently engaged in the process of evaluation and change to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect children and preserve families.”

In March the County Board of Supervisors approved creating the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board to help prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect.

According to county officials, the new advisory board will serve as a platform for collaboration and transparent monitoring of the child welfare system to ensure the safety and well-being of children and families.

A grand jury report released in June found multiple gaps in institutional safety and training in the Child Welfare Services division of San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency.

The grand jury found that most social workers are overworked and often spend as much or more time on administrative work than interacting with foster children and families, resulting in poor communication and coordination.

CWS staff and foster parents also lack the proper training to offer trauma-informed care or support for victims of human trafficking, according to the report.”

San Diego County Supervisors respond to foster care investigation

[10 News 9/23/19 by Adam Rasucin]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “It took just three months for Tyler Walter to turn from a happy and healthy toddler into a dead one while in the care of the County of San Diego, according to a recent lawsuit.

“Defendants literally ignored Tyler to death.”

Those are just two of the claims in the lawsuit filed by Tyler’s mother, Lisa Walter, against the County of San Diego and several social workers.

Tyler Walter died shortly after being placed with a foster parent. The cause of death listed on his autopsy is blunt head trauma. His body after death, not returned to his mother for burial but cremated, the lawsuit claims.

County social workers failed multiple times in their duty to monitor Tyler’s living condition and update his mother, and the Juvenile Court, regarding the dramatic change in living conditions of his county-approved caregiver, according to the lawsuit.

Tyler was taken from his mother after sheriff’s deputies found drugs at the house where she was staying.

Tyler’s mother was charged with child abuse, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia used for narcotics. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Walter pled guilty to all charges and is currently going through a drug court program.

After Walter’s arrest, a social worker told her, “Tyler would be out of Lisa’s care for a minimum of six months,” the lawsuit stated. The lawsuit explained the social worker said that no matter the circumstances, she never returns any child earlier than six months and voiced only contempt for Walter.

Shortly after Tyler’s mother was arrested, his 19-year-old cousin became his foster mother in July 2018, the investigators report in Tyler’s autopsy stated. 10News is not identifying the family member because she hasn’t been accused of anything.

Tyler’s cousin lived in a home 100 miles away in Long Beach.

“The placement they put him in was a home daycare center with a 19-year-old and her partner,” said Walter’s attorney Shawn McMillan.”

San Diego County sued for wrongful death of foster child

[10 News 10/11/19 by Adam Racusin]