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Ohio Senator Proposes Law to Require Schools to Check on Child Welfare

Capri Cafaro
OHIO SENATE

A state lawmaker is asking school officials to take more steps to make sure that kids who may be living in dangerous conditions don’t fall through the cracks. 

Democratic Senator Capri Cafaro of the Youngstown area recalls the story of Teddy, a 14-year-old who was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend.

Cafaro’s bill would require school principals to enter any new students into a child welfare database to make sure there aren’t any pending cases.

“One would be able to at least figure out where this child has gone and then alert the CSB of jurisdiction,” she said.

Cafaro says children services officials were investigating Teddy’s home life before he was killed, but according to Cafaro his case slipped off the radar when his mother moved her kids to a new school district.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.