Nine children. Locked in cages. Beaten. Denied schooling.

That’s what investigators found in a home in Fort White, Florida—where four adults, including adoptive parents, were arrested for extreme child abuse. Several of the children were adopted. All were failed by a system that should have protected them.

Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth, along with 21-year-old Dallin and 19-year-old Liberty Griffeth, were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday.

Authorities say the adopted children were treated far worse than the biological ones, and some didn’t even know their own birthdays.

In Florida, families adopting multiple children can still fall through the cracks of the oversight process—especially in private or faith-based placements. This case is proof that current safeguards aren’t enough.

We’re calling on the Florida Department of Children and Families to adopt stronger rules for families adopting three or more children, including mandatory monthly home visits, unscheduled welfare checks, and limits on adopting more children until proper evaluations are complete.

Adopted children are especially vulnerable to hidden abuse. When families take in multiple children—whether out of love, religion, or even financial incentives—they must be held to the highest standards of accountability.

No child should suffer behind closed doors because the state didn’t look closely enough.

Tell Florida: Strengthen adoption oversight before another child falls through the cracks.