A Missouri foster mother who cared for hundreds of children over two decades has pleaded guilty to child endangerment after authorities accused her of sending a young girl in her care to Texas as part of an arrangement involving a monkey, as reported [1] by the New York Post.
Brenda Deutsch, 70, entered a guilty plea Monday to one count of first-degree child endangerment, according to court records cited by Fox 2 News.
The case began to unfold in February 2025 when a school resource officer in Winfield started investigating a series of unexplained absences involving the child.
Woman admits to trading her foster daughter for a monkey because they were not getting along
Brenda Deutsch aged 70 a foster mother in Winfield Missouri admitted trading her eighth grade aged foster daughter for a monkey to a family in Texas because they were not getting along.… pic.twitter.com/vLUp4oeccD [2]
— Grifty (@TheGriftReport) June 18, 2026 [3]
During the inquiry, the officer learned of allegations that the girl had been sent to Texas and exchanged for an exotic animal.
Court records indicate the officer contacted authorities in Texas and spoke with the individual who was caring for the child. According to investigators, that person stated she was keeping the girl because the child and Deutsch “weren’t getting along.”
Authorities said Deutsch had fostered more than 200 children during the previous 20 years.
As questions mounted about the child’s whereabouts, Deutsch reportedly told officials that the girl was safe and attending school in Texas.
The investigation eventually expanded across state lines as Missouri and Texas authorities worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the arrangement.
Mike Wood, the prosecuting attorney for Lincoln County, described what investigators believe led to the unusual agreement.
“It was described to me early on that the defendant … became frustrated with this individual child and asked her friend in Texas if she would just take the child and keep her,” Wood told NBC News.
“And at that point I think is when she says, ‘You know, why don’t you send a monkey and you can just keep the child?’”
According to court documents, the woman in Texas later informed authorities that she no longer wished to care for the child. She also claimed that the girl was frequently left alone for several days at a time while in Texas.
The records further allege that when the caretaker sought to send the child back to Missouri, Deutsch refused to pay for a plane ticket home.
The child ultimately returned to Missouri, where investigators interviewed her about her experiences.
According to court records, the girl told authorities she had been subjected to mental and physical abuse while living in Deutsch’s home. The allegations included claims that she had been struck with wood, shoes, and a paddle.
Authorities also learned that child welfare officials had received an earlier report alleging abuse months before the criminal case became public.
🚨NEW: Missouri woman admits she traded her foster daughter for a monkey because they “weren’t getting along”
Brenda Deutsch sent her eighth-grade foster daughter to a family in Texas in exchange for a monkey after saying the child was not getting along in the home
The case… pic.twitter.com/GolCJpLEtC [4]
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) June 17, 2026 [5]
Deutsch originally faced multiple criminal charges connected to the case. In addition to the child endangerment count, prosecutors had filed two counts of child abuse or neglect.
As part of the plea agreement reached this week, those additional charges will be dismissed in exchange for Deutsch’s guilty plea to first-degree child endangerment.
The case has drawn significant attention because of the unusual allegations and Deutsch’s long history as a foster parent.
She now faces sentencing and could receive a prison term of up to seven years. Court records also indicate she could face a jail sentence of as much as one year.
The guilty plea brings an end to the criminal proceedings, though sentencing remains pending.