CW: Foster Care & Death
Two young boys died recently while in the care of Arizona’s Department of Child Safety —Christian Williams, 15, and Jakob Blodgett, 9—both of whom had Type 1 diabetes. Their families are now calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the system charged with their care failed to provide essential medical treatment. While it may seem like a local tragedy, it actually serves as a stark warning about the risks that arise when child welfare agencies care for medically vulnerable children without proper staffing, oversight, training, or accountability.
An ABC15 Arizona investigation revealed that both boys died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) while living in group homes run by Arizona’s Department of Child Safety. DKA is a dangerous, life-threatening condition caused by insufficient insulin, which leads the body to break down fat too rapidly, resulting in toxic acid buildup in the bloodstream.
The condition is well understood medically. It is usually preventable with proper care. When it occurs under circumstances like Christian’s or Jacob’s it raises serious questions about the quality of care provided.
These were not sudden, unpredictable emergencies. According to group home records, both boys were allowed to refuse to take their insulin. Jacob and Christian were minors. Therefore, they couldn’t consent to refusing a medication that was necessary their survival, making their deaths a heartbreaking example of the dangers disabled children face in foster care and group home settings.
Advocates have long said that disabled children often fare worse in foster care compared to their nondisabled peers. According to a 2006 report titled Forgotten Children: Children with Disabilities in Foster Care, disabled children account for roughly one-third of all children in foster care. Yet, their medical, developmental, and emotional needs are frequently overlooked by the very people and systems responsible for protecting them.
Further research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2024 National Conference showed that disabled children in foster care have a harder time achieving permanent placements and face a higher risk of death while in care.
Nationally, child welfare agencies are increasingly responsible for children who need constant medical monitoring, medication administration, and caregivers trained to recognize emergencies early. Yet many agencies are stretched too thin, grappling with heavy caseloads, staffing shortages, uneven training, and reactive oversight. Unfortunately, disabled children often fall through the cracks, as their needs are more complex.
One of the most troubling facts uncovered by the ABC15 investigation is that staff members allowed both boys to refuse to take their insulin. Additionally, the staff received minimal or no formal Type 1 diabetes training before Christian Williams’ death. Insulin isn’t an optional treatment for Type 1 diabetes—it is an essential, life-sustaining medicine.
A child cannot safely choose to refuse insulin without risking severe complications or death. This breakdown between state custody and actual medical care is where tragedy strikes, showing that removing a child from one unsafe environment doesn’t ensure placement in a system capable of addressing their needs.
The families are now pushing for a federal investigation following a prior Department of Justice finding that Arizona’s child welfare agency violated the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the treatment of parents and children with disabilities. Legal advocates are questioning whether disabled children themselves were denied proper accommodations and medical protections while in state care—a concern that reaches far beyond Arizona, as child welfare systems across the country struggle to meet the needs of medically fragile children.
The aftermath of tragedies like these tends to follow a predictable path: a child dies, investigations start, policies get reviewed, training improves, public outrage grows, and soon after, attention fades. Arizona officials say they’ve introduced additional diabetes training and resources—but only after the loss of these two children.
These heartbreaking cases force us to ask what child welfare systems can really provide—and expose a painful truth. Christian Williams and Jacob Blodgett were vulnerable. Yet, their families are left grieving and demanding answers from systems that promised protection.
Regardless of the outcome of future investigations, one undeniable fact remains. Two children with a manageable medical condition died while in state care in the United States. That reality should deeply concern all of us.
Sources:
“Children in Foster Care With Disabilities Face Significant Challenges.” American Academy of Pediatrics, 27 Sept. 2024, www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases-from-aap-conferences/children-in-foster-care-with-disabilities-face-significant-challenges/.
Forgotten Children: Children with Disabilities in Foster Care. United Cerebral Palsy and Children’s Rights, 2006, https://e1.nmcdn.io/assets/crsite/wp-content/uploads/imported-files/forgotten_children_children_with_disabilities_in_foster_care_2006.pdf.
Grigg, Nicole. “Calls for Department of Justice to Investigate DCS Treatment of Children with Type 1 Diabetes.” ABC15 Arizona, 21 May 2026, https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/investigations/calls-for-department-of-justice-to-investigate-dcs-treatment-of-children-with-type-1-diabetes.
Veauthier, Brian, and Blaine Levy-Grau. “Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Evaluation and Treatment.” American Family Physician, vol. 110, no. 5, Nov. 2024, pp. 476–486. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2024/1100/diabetic-ketoacidosis?utm_