Colorado CPS Scandal: Former Larimer County Caseworker Sandra Spraker Faces 99 Criminal Counts
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office
Larimer County, Colorado, is now ground zero for a scandal that lays bare not only alleged caseworker fraud, but also the deeper dangers and money‐driven incentives critics say plague America’s foster-care system. When former child-welfare investigator Sandra Spraker was arrested on 99 criminal counts, the news shocked parents—but for child-advocacy watchdogs it merely confirmed long-running fears: forged safety visits, inflated mileage claims, and tampered files can keep abused children in harm’s way or tear safe children from loving homes.
Yet Spraker’s case is only the tip of a much larger iceberg. Behind every falsified form lies a system that spends more to remove kids than it would cost to stabilize their families—while producing outcomes that experts describe as “traumatic and fiscally reckless.”
Fast Facts
Allegations: How the Fraud Allegedly Worked
Ghost Safety Checks – Spraker logged “home visits” that metadata and door-camera footage show never happened. Source: clarvida.com
Mileage Reimbursement Scheme – False trips allegedly netted thousands in taxpayer dollars. Source: icpcstatepages.org
Document Tampering & Forgery – Back-dated safety assessments and copied signatures misled judges making custody rulings. Source: adoptioncouncil.org
Discovery & Internal Red Flags
Summer 2023 supervisors flagged Spraker’s unusually high caseload-clearance rate. A random audit found identical copy-and-paste notes across separate families; IT forensics revealed after-hours mass edits from her county laptop. A whistle-blower alerted HR, triggering a criminal probe (all still alleged). Source: psychiatrictimes.com
The Plea-Deal Controversy
Judge Sarah Cure accepted a two-count plea, citing limited trial resources and “certainty of conviction.” Children’s advocates counter that dropping 97 counts “diminishes crimes that endanger children and erodes deterrence.” Source: coloradosun.com
Foster Care: High Cost, Low Outcomes
(Colorado rate sheet 2024-25 + national averages for full program cost)
*Specialized psychiatric or medical placements vary by contract but can exceed $198 K/yr, matching the top end of federal reimbursement data.
Bottom Line: Colorado taxpayers routinely pay $41 K–$198 K per child each year once full administrative, therapeutic and overhead costs are counted—money that critics say could preserve families at a fraction of the price.
The Human Toll
62 % of foster youth meet criteria for at least one mental-health disorder.
Up to 50 % become homeless within 18 months of aging out.
60–70 % of trafficking victims spent time in foster care.
Child psychologists warn placement instability and repeated moves compound trauma—ironically increasing the very risks CPS is tasked to reduce.
Follow the Money
Title IV-E Daily Reimbursements – Federal dollars flow for every night a child stays in care; family-preservation grants are capped.
Administrative Maintenance Fees – Agencies bill $61.78 per child, per day on top of the stipend, creating a financial incentive to keep placements open.
Private Providers & Corporations – Residential contracts can exceed $500/day, rewarding longer stays.
When falsified paperwork hides problems—or inflates compliance—counties keep reimbursements flowing while children and families bear the trauma.
Systemic Gaps Laid Bare
Reform Ideas on the Table
Immediate licensing flag for any verified falsification.
Quarterly random audits (≥ 5 %) with published results.
Whistle-blower cash awards for tips that lead to convictions.
Real-time caseload dashboard so overload is visible before tragedy strikes.
Redirect IV-E funds “upstream” to rent support, parenting mentors, and in-home therapy—a fraction of the $41 K–$198 K foster-care price tag.
What Parents Can Do (Not legal advice)
Demand a full case file in writing.
Cross-check visit logs against texts, cameras, & GPS data.
File grievances with county directors and the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman.
Ask the judge for an in-camera review of mileage sheets and time cards.
Document everything—courts trust third-party records.
Bottom Line
The Sandra Spraker scandal shows that paperwork fraud isn’t a harmless clerical error—it allegedly endangers children, devastates families, and siphons tens of thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of public dollars each year. Until Colorado fixes per-child financial incentives and imposes real-time oversight, the next falsified safety check—and the next tragedy—may already be buried in a file.
Sources
Larimer County Sheriff’s Office press release (29 Dec 2023)
9News arrest & affidavit coverage (29 Dec 2023)
Colorado Sun “Child-Welfare Caseworker Faces 99 Counts” (11 Jan 2024)
Denver7 plea-deal report (24 Sept 2024) & sentencing report (5 Dec 2024)
Colorado ICPC Foster-Care Rate Sheet, FY 2024-25
Savio House foster-parent stipend guide (Aug 2024)
National Foster Youth Institute, mental-health & trafficking briefs (2023)
