If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Children's advocates say infant's death spotlights holes in DCFS
Children's advocates say infant's death spotlights holes in DCFS
February 3, 2004 — The death last week of a 13-month-old Chicago girl has exposed holes in the state's system designed to protect children, advocates said. Ashanti Affalo died Jan. 29 after suffering blows to the head, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. Police have charged her mother, Lynette Bailey, with first-degree murder. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had an active case file on Bailey and had already taken away two of her children, officials said. Bailey, 26, was imprisoned for about a year after admitting she had broken the leg of one child. But DCFS did not know that Bailey had another child 17 months after her release from jail, officials said. Advocates said the case was especially troubling because DCFS considered Bailey's file officially open, yet the agency had no knowledge of the girl. "They didn't have much of an open case, did they?" said Cook County Public Guardian Patrick Murphy. "They didn't go out to the home. It would have been impossible after October to not know this woman was pregnant." http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/0203...dcfsholes.html DCFS spokeswoman Jill Manuel declined to comment Monday pending a conversation with the agency contracted to handle Bailey's case. "We're still in the process of tracking all the details down," Manuel said. "We will continue to do the best we can on this one." Bailey has a long history with DCFS. In January 2000, the state found that Bailey was not adequately supervising her 1-year-old son, DCFS spokeswoman Marjorie Newman said. But the boy remained in her care and was injured a month later, Newman said. DCFS took the boy into custody and a foster family later adopted him. A year later, Bailey pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and was sentenced to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. While in prison, Bailey gave birth to another son. The state took custody of the child and a relative adopted the baby, Newman said. Bailey was paroled June 29, 2001, said a Department of Corrections spokesman. After her parole, DCFS had an active case file on Bailey. The file was closed on Jan. 30, 2003, following the completion of the second adoption, Newman said. During the most recent investigation, DCFS also discovered that Bailey has another son, now 7 years old. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/0203...dcfsholes.html Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Are we poisoning our kids? | Deanna | Kids Health | 34 | May 12th 04 10:51 PM |
Fears of Smothering During Co Sleeping | Carol Ann | Breastfeeding | 13 | April 14th 04 01:51 PM |
A call for help! (co-sleeping research needed) | Em | Pregnancy | 22 | February 29th 04 01:38 AM |
A call for help! (co-sleeping research needed) | Em | Breastfeeding | 32 | February 29th 04 01:38 AM |
ot - sleeping on tummy - is it ever safe? | teapot | Breastfeeding | 21 | January 9th 04 12:46 AM |