Investigations & Narratives
How we reported on hidden foster care in Hillsborough County
A Times investigation found the county’s lead foster care agency pushed hundreds of parents and kids apart outside of its usual system.
Essence Wright, 26, visits Zoo Tampa with her fiancé and three children. Her daughter, center, was removed through a temporary custody transfer shortly after birth and kept from her mother for nearly three years. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
- Teghan SimontonTimes staff
- Lauren PeaceTimes staff
In 2025, Tampa Bay Times reporters learned that parents and children in Hillsborough County were being separated outside of the formal foster system. On top of that, the number of kids in foster care in the county had dropped — a lot. We wanted to learn more.
Child welfare sources described to the Times a “hidden foster care system” in which parents signed custody of their children away with few check-ins and little oversight. Though initiated by the local agency, these arrangements aren’t counted or tracked in official foster care data. Sources said there were records to prove it. Reporters began digging.
Lost in Limbo is based on tens of thousands of pages of court documents and agency emails, as well as interviews with child welfare advocates; more than a dozen attorneys; current and former agency employees; parents and children.
To measure the impact of this trend in Hillsborough, the Times created a first-of-its-kind database tracking custody transfers initiated by the Children’s Network of Hillsborough and its partners. Reporters logged reasons why agencies investigated families; what criteria parents were given to regain custody; and circumstances like incarceration, indigent status or a parent’s death.
We needed to make sure we were only considering custody transfers initiated by the agency, so the Times learned which attorneys routinely file such cases. Reporters further narrowed the database to only cases in which records mention a child protective investigation or assign parents a case plan. These case plans often include directions to complete mental health counseling or substance use treatment. Similar requirements are hallmarks of foster care cases, experts told reporters.
Using those filters left more than 300 temporary custody transfer cases filed from July 2022 through June 2026 by attorneys paid by the Children’s Network.
Then reporters set out to analyze how each case played out. Using the coding language R, they combed through logs of court proceedings for every case. To identify cases where parents were reunited with their children, reporters looked for records that showed documented transition plans, judges’ orders or agreements from attorneys to do so.
Some cases petered out with unclear resolutions. A portion were dismissed or closed without any indication that parents were informed or that the child would be returned to them — and some were dismissed after the child was sent to foster care. The Times did not consider these to be instances of reunification but noted the family’s status was unclear from records.
We also wanted to determine the number of children affected by the transfers. Reporters counted kids listed on Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Act affidavits, which are submitted in most custody cases. Reporters pulled information from those forms into a database using Google Pinpoint, a tool that uses AI to convert PDFs into data spreadsheets.
The Times focused on Hillsborough County because its paper trail provided a rare window into understanding how hidden foster care can work. Experts told us they had not heard of custody transfers being used in this way elsewhere in the state.
More than a dozen child welfare experts and attorneys reviewed a selection of cases in Hillsborough for the Times. They consistently reported finding legal and safety issues.
The Times attempted to reach more than 50 parents cited in court records. Fourteen parents across 11 cases agreed to be interviewed. Reporters also reviewed letters parents submitted in court; notes from case managers; and thousands of pages of emails from Children’s Network staff, state officials, service providers and families.
The Times made multiple attempts to hear from the agencies and partners directing transfers. The Children’s Network CEO Terri Balliet declined repeated requests to be interviewed. The agency responded to questions through its attorney and a spokesperson.
The Times also asked to interview staff at the Department of Children and Families, the attorneys paid by the Children’s Network and Jennifer Dages, who was involved in the majority of transfers. Reporters sent multiple emails, left phone messages and sent letters describing their reporting and listing detailed questions to all parties named in this story.
https://www.tampabay.com/investigations/2026/08/27/reported-hidden-foster-care-hillsborough/
Teghan Simonton is a data reporter on the business and health team. Reach her at tsimonton@tampabay.com.
Lauren Peace is the health reporter. She can be reached at lpeace@tampabay.com.
