Hi, Crime junkies. I'm your host Ashley Flowers.

And I'm Brett.

And the story I have for you today is about a young girl whose disappearance from her

parents' care in 2021 has sparked a conversation about the state of child welfare agencies

across the country. This is the story of Oakley Carlson.

Jessica Swift is deeply invested in the rural community of Oakville, Washington. She's

the principal of the town's elementary school. She's a mom. And lately, she's been helping

a local family of six who has recently been displaced by a house fire.

Now, this is happening in 2021. So there's already a GoFundMe page that's up and running

in the family's name. But Jessica has been going the extra mile and like, hay undelivering

supplies to the house and now to the hotel room that they're staying in. But during her

recent visits, she has noticed something that's got her really worried. She hasn't seen

the family's second youngest child, Oakley.

She's been bringing them food and supplies for almost a month now, like pretty much ever

since the fire on November 6th. And that whole time, four-year-old Oakley just hasn't

been around. And these aren't like, quicks, stand in the doorway type of deals. Like,

the first time Jessica stopped by, she was there for 45 minutes.

So, did she ask anything about Oakley?

She had asked. But Oakley's mom Jordan Bowers always had a different excuse. Like, just

kind of brushed the question off.

And had Jessica not known the family well, she might not be so worried. But it's precisely

because she knows Oakley's family and their history that's making this whole situation

...