MONTGOMERY COUNTY — State lawmakers are pushing a new bill aimed at keeping children safe.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
This all has to do with what they call cracks in the system that played a role in the death of Hershall Creachbaum.
Police discovered the 7-year-old, non-verbal, autistic boy near the McClure Street Bridge after they claimed he was falsely reported missing.
Lawmakers believe the children services agencies involved in Creachbaum’s care should have done better.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Reports: NCAA to expand men’s, women’s basketball tournaments
- Longtime UD men’s basketball assistant leaves for new job
- Kids escape apartment fire in Dayton
“Saddest part is, this is a Special Needs child, which makes it even worse and repugnant,” Tom Young (R-Washington Twp) said.
Young and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) have already held witness testimony on House Bill 635.
It’s designed to make responsibilities clear for child welfare agencies.
Creachbaum’s case involved at least some level of work and oversigning by agencies in Clark and Montgomery County.
Creachbaum still died, and his mother and her boyfriend were arrested.
“When you have a murse, a psychologist, a teacher’s calling, saying this child’s being abused, nobody did anything about it, I just can’t believe that,” Plummer said.
Plummer said the goal is to help children, service agencies, and case workers, not condemn them.
“They work very hard, but when we see gaps in the system, we feel like we have to plug those holes,” Plummer said.
Plummer and Young said their bill will give whistleblower protection to children service agency workers who report problems or process violations.
It will also mandate county agencies to share more information, including police reports, with each other, which they believe would have helped in the Creachbaum case.
“The system failed with my nephew and failed my niece,” Jessica McNeir, Creachbaum’s great aunt, said.
McNeir and other family members believe that anything to better protect other children and stop nightmares like theirs is a good thing.
“I never knew something actually that terrible can happen to a family, I thought it was all just in movies,” Lavae Benner, Creachbaum’s cousin, said.
Michael Kendrick has been charged in connection with Creachbaum’s murder.
He’s expected to be in court on Thursday.
Plummer and Young said they expect more hearings on their bill soon and then move it toward passage.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
