GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — The Galveston County Health District closed The Children's Center shelter over what they say are poor health conditions, including high levels of lead, a rat infestation and fleas.
Galveston County Health Authority Phillip Keiser said the department launched an investigation into the facility after they were notified that a child staying there had lead poisoning.
Keiser said they visited the facility multiple times and found that lead had been tracked into the facility via dust. He said it appeared that the facility was not being cleaned. Testing showed that multiple children had high levels of lead in their systems.
"It was basically filthy. There was dirt all over the place. There was uneaten food and food debris all over the place. There was evidence of severe rat infestation. There were rat droppings everywhere," Keiser said.
He said the department also found lots of fleas at the center.
"This represents a real concern for public health," Keiser said. "In Galveston Island, there's an infection called Typhus, it lives on the fleas that lives on the rats."
Keiser said rat droppings were found everywhere in the building, from eating areas to even in a baby's bed.
"The water heaters were encrusted with rat droppings," he said.
Keiser said one of the buildings had a sewage drainage issue and there were issues with the buildings' fire safety equipment.
"Fire extinguishers that were out of date, fire extinguishers that were missing, smoke detectors that had been taken out and not replaced," he said, describing the various issues.
Keiser said the department is working with local organizations to find housing for the center's residents.
Hilda Torres, a board member of The Children's Center, said the board plans to look into how the facility got to this point.
According to their website, The Children's Center has been around for nearly 145 years. Their site says their mission is "to change and save lives of children, youth, and families who are abandoned, abused, neglected and exploited through rescue, nurture, and empowerment in a quality continuum of caring that facilitates satisfying living opportunities."