Wadena County Human Services being sued for $1.5 million in child custody case
According to court documents, Judith Flores and Richard Flores of Verndale filed to sue Wadena County Human Services (WCHS) and Social Worker Margaret Madison for damages and failure to abide by Minnesota statutes and failure to follow their own policies.
WCHS was required to place a minor child J.J.R. with an individual who is related, and the department failed to comply.
The failure was established and it was determined in a Wadena County District Court order dated August 28, 2023, WCHS was required to consider placement of the child with a relative without undue delay when the child had to be moved from any foster setting. There were four occasions where the child had to be moved from a current foster setting.
WCHS is required to document how they determined relatives in a child’s case. As determined by the court, and admitted by Social Worker Margaret Madison, WCHS never considered the Flores family as a relative placement after December 15, 2021, in violation of state statutes, nor did they document any consideration for the Flores....