A sad child-care story

The Oklahoman: Naomi Whitecrow is in a graveyard. Her mother and father are headed to a courthouse, hoping to cash in on the job the state did trying to care for the girl they couldn’t or wouldn’t care for themselves. It’s yet another sad Oklahoma child care story.

Naomi, just 2, died in 2009. Her face, chest, back, legs and rear end were scraped and bruised; a pathologist said she died of blunt-force injury to the head, abdomen and extremities.

The girl’s foster mother is awaiting a hearing on a felony child abuse charge. Naomi’s biological parents are suing the woman and her husband, who had custody of Naomi for about four months before the girl’s death.

The birthparents want compensation from the foster parents and from the Department of Human Services.

It’s the state’s fault, of course. The fact that the birthparents’ home was such a problem — the mother spent time in a substance abuse treatment center — that the kids needed to be removed is beside the point. Pass the blame and hire a lawyer.