Iowa Agrees to $10 Million Settlement for Siblings of Starved Adopted Teen; Foster Care System Failures Cited

State Ombudsman's Report Reveals Iowa Department Of Health and Human Services Ignored 11 Child Abuse Reports From 2010-2015, Leading to Creation of Task Force as Part of Settlement Agreement

• Iowa has agreed to pay $10 million to the siblings of Sabrina Ray, an adopted 16-year-old who starved to death in her adoptive home, where the children were allegedly forced to compete for food.
• The adoptive parents, Misty and Marc Ray, have been sentenced to life and 80 years in prison respectively for kidnapping and child endangerment. Other adoptive family members also received prison sentences.
• Authorities found severe conditions in the Ray's home, including the use of soapy water as punishment, forced consumption of vomit, and lack of furnishings in the locked rooms where the children were kept.
• The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services faced allegations of not adequately protecting the children from abuse, as reports show 11 child abuse reports were received and seemingly not acted upon between 2010 and 2015.
• Part of the settlement requires the DHHS to form a task force to implement recommendations from the ombudsman's report and make additional suggestions to improve the foster care system, thereby acknowledging the significant failures of the foster care system to protect the children.

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