Criteria Re: Counties’ and Foster Care Agencies’ Liability for the Acts of Foster Parents Explained
In dismissing a complaint against a foster care agency based upon the alleged failure of the foster parent to seek medical care for the foster child, the Second Department explained the relevant law:
Counties and foster care agencies cannot be vicariously liable for the negligent acts of foster parents, who are essentially contract service providers … .
However, counties and foster care agencies may be sued to recover damages for negligence in the selection of foster parents and in supervision of the foster home … . In order to establish its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing so much of the complaint as alleged that it engaged in negligent placement and supervision, the appellant had to establish, prima facie, that it did not have sufficiently specific knowledge or notice of the alleged dangerous conduct which caused the infant’s injuries … . In other words, the appellant had to show that the third-party acts could not have been reasonably anticipated … . Keizer v SCO Family of Servs, 2014 NY Slip Op 06630, 2nd Dept 8-6-14
