What oversight did Camillus woman accused of abuse have after adopting her children?

A Camillus mother who is accused of abusing her 11-year-old child was a foster mom who adopted two children, CNY Central has learned.

44-year-old Susan Orendorf was arrested Tuesday morning and is accused of abusing her 11-year-old boy, possibly for years.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said Orendorf handcuffed her adopted son to his bed, denied him food, forcibly touched him, and even strangled him.

Orendorf first fostered, then adopted the 11-year-old, as well as a 6-year-old girl, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

During the fostering process, a foster agency is involved in checking on the children.

In New York State, there is a lengthy process that leads up to someone qualifying for adoption.

“Fingerprints, criminal history checks, child abuse clearances, and home study,” said Family Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice Michele Piro Bailey.

Typically, in New York, once someone has decided to adopt a child, they need to go through supervised home study, which could last a minimum of three months.

However, once the court deems an adult the legal guardian of a child, the adoption agency is no longer required to provide any supervision.

“Once an adoption is finalized, the adopted parents are the legal parents, just as a biological parent would be, and unless, or until there is a report of suspected abuse or neglect or police inquiry, no one would be going into the home,” said Bailey.

This is exactly what happened in Orendorf’s case; the 11-year-old boy spoke with a concerned school resource officer and made that officer aware of his situation at home on the second day of the 2022 school year.

Police then started investigating his home life, leading to charges against Orendorf.

.