‘Chemical straightjackets’: Missouri sued for overmedicating foster kids

‘Administrators in Missouri’s foster care system failed to monitor and oversee the use of psychotropic drugs on foster children, according to a lawsuit filed by two children’s watchdog groups.
The complaint argues the drugs were used often to sedate children to control behavior and left them exposed to risk of side effects, from diabetes to seizures.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by the Children’s Rights and the National Center for Youth Law in US district court, argues that 13,000 children moved into foster care over neglect and abuse suffered under the state of Missouri’s own neglect of its medication program.
The complaint argues that while the drugs can be helpful when part of a therapy, poor oversight meant that some children with behavioral issues linked to the trauma of their abuse or neglect were being given drugs as “chemical straightjackets” to control behavior, and the state violated the children’s right to be free from harm while in state custody.’
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