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Bus driver tells commissioners children arrive on buses with infestations; county outlines multi-agency response
Summary
A school bus driver told the commission that children have arrived on buses with roach and bedbug infestations and described multiple reports with little remedy; county administrators said a multi-agency partnership is in place and encouraged reporting while noting not all poor living conditions meet the legal definition of abuse.
Mark Sanders, a school bus driver from German Township, told the commission that drivers frequently encounter children on buses with roach or bedbug infestations and that a recurring case had prompted multiple reports with limited remedial action. "They constantly have children that show up with roach or bed bug infestations," Sanders said, and recounted that bus staff had to bomb buses multiple times and once observed roaches on ceilings during a welfare check.
County Administrator Jennifer Hutchinson said Clark County recently passed a resolution listing 10to 15 partner agencies to address such cases and said those partnerships are activated when needed. Hutchinson added that while the conditions are troubling, "just because we do not want to live in that situation does not mean it is child abuse under the law," and urged citizens to report concerns so caseworkers can build evidence when abuse or neglect is legally present. Commissioners and staff acknowledged staffing pressures and encouraged public engagement during a planned Child Abuse Awareness Month recognition at an upcoming meeting.
