TOLEDO, Ohio — Two west Toledo parents face charges for alleged child abuse and neglect. It is a case that has leaders at Lucas County Children Services say is a reminder that the community must continue to advocate for children who cannot speak for themselves in terms of abuse.
Jason Baran, 42, and Maryann Baran, 40, are both charged with endangering children after their four children were allegedly found in "atrocious" living conditions. According to court documents, the children spoke of being molested and did not have clothes, food, furniture or lighting in the apartment on Douglas Road.
Documents also say the children "were covered from head to toe in dirt, mud, feces, etc.," and that "flies and gnats surrounded the children as they slept" and one child had circular burn marks on their wrist similar to cigarette burns.
The case has also prompted an internal affairs investigation by the Toledo Police Department after it was discovered officers were called out to the Baran's residence for child wellness checks. These checks were in both June and July, however, arrests and removal were not made until late August.
Nicole Williams and Donna Seed, with Lucas County Children Services, stressed the importance of community members continuously calling if you think there is trouble.
"Abuse can happen regardless to a child's behavior," Seed said. "Children become accustomed to the environment in which they live in and it may be different than someone else's."
Both LCCS workers understand some people don't want to get involved on the off chance they're wrong.
Then, there are times people will say they called and called and nothing happened, but Seed said there are qualifications in every single case to make sure the right call is made.
"Because of confidentiality in situations we can't absolutely tell you what we did or did not find, what did or did not rise to the level that is required for us to do something as strong as removing children from a situation," Seed said.
It doesn't always mean a child will be separated from their family, either.
"Forty-seven percent of our cases last year were served in children's biological birth homes and it's important to remember that we can bring interventions and we can bring services and we can bring help," Seed said.
Williams acknowledged how the fear of retaliation from the family and the concern of being the reason a family is ripped apart can keep people silent.
"The goal is always to try and keep families intact and never to remove children," Williams said. "But there are times that we have to do and we do make all the efforts to return those children back with their families."
Williams said parenting can sometimes be tough, but it's okay to ask LCCS for help granted asking is sometimes just as hard.
"For anyone it is always hard to ask for help," Williams said. "But when you need help, you need not be scrutinized for receiving help."
Lucas County Children Services does offer classes, therapies and assistance for those who qualify.
State employees like teachers, social workers, and first responders are required by law to report abuse, but everyone is encouraged to say something if they see something.
"Any one of those, whether it's a short time, one time occurrence to something that you see that is chronically happening to children are still important to notify us about," Seed said.
LCCS said if you are concerned that a child is abused or neglected, call 419-213-2273 (CARE) to speak with a caseworker. Those phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, no matter what. For more information, click here.
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