How Could You? Hall of Shame-Canada-Richie Spencer Earl McKenzie-Black case-Child Death

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Canada, “Baby Richie died Feb. 15, exactly 10 months after his birth on April 15. Richie was in foster care at the time of his death and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is underway by the Ministry of Social Services.”

“Janelle McKenzie and Winston Black buried their 10-month-old son Friday following a funeral service at the reserve hall, located about 40 kilometres north of Prince Albert. Flowers, cards and pictures of Richie Spencer Earl McKenzie-Black sat on a table near the casket at the front of the hall.”

“McKenzie had previously voiced concerns about her children’s care in a foster home in a Feb. 14 story in the Prince Albert Daily Herald, saying her three-yearold son Winston had severe diaper rash and bruising on his buttocks.

The cause of Richie’s death has not been released. An autopsy has been ordered.

McKenzie says she’s certain Richie would still be alive if he had been allowed to stay in the care of his parents. She said she was told her baby and Winston were being placed in foster care because Richie had lost a pound and McKenzie’s methadone levels were too high.

McKenzie and Black are both working to overcome addictions and are close to completing their drug treatment plans. McKenzie said she had family close by who often came to visit and support the family.

“He was never sick when he was in my care (and) I have all these questions,” McKenzie said Friday following Richie’s funeral service. “My baby didn’t deserve this.”

Richie had been hospitalized previously. At six months old, while in foster care, he spent a month and a half in hospital with a head injury. McKenzie said she and her common-law husband weren’t told for more than three days then that their young son was in hospital.

The parents were told Richie had pneumonia at first, but after about a month in the hospital, he had a 45-minute-long seizure.

“How does a baby get bleeding on the skull at six months old?” Richie had been in foster care since he was three months old. Winston was placed in foster care with him after a social worker visiting the home determined McKenzie was unfit to care for the children.

McKenzie said the worker visited her home while the kids were napping and she was also very tired. She admits to dozing off during the meeting, but said the home was clean and well equipped with enough diapers, food in the fridge and toys for all the kids.

“I didn’t deserve to get my life taken away … I had everything I wanted and needed and more and for somebody to have the power to take my life away from me in one day, it’s not fair,” McKenzie said.

“I just felt like I was targeted, like they weren’t going to leave me alone.” McKenzie said her family was later evicted from their home because the kids were no longer in her care and her social assistance payments were cut off. One night, McKenzie overdosed after taking four bottles of methadone and was hospitalized for two weeks.

The Ministry of Social Services will conduct an internal review to find out what led to the child’s death, said Natalie Huber, executive director of child and family services.

Social Services will meet with the foster parents, biological parents, the child’s case worker and other individuals who have worked with the families.

If there were concerns about the care being provided in the foster home, it could be the subject of a formal investigation, she said. Other children in the home could be removed during such an investigation, she said.

Police could become involved if there are concerns of a criminal nature, she said.

The review “includes findings and recommendations that inform our ministry in a broader sense, around changes to perhaps our policy; could be changes to inform training or just changes overall to our practice,” Huber said.

Figures released earlier this year showed 10 children died while in foster care in 2012 and in the first 11 months of 2013.

“There has been some deaths reported,” in the two-and-a-half months since then, Huber said Friday. She declined to provide numbers or any other information lest it identify the children.

Lisa Broda of the Office of the Children’s Advocate said the news of another death was upsetting.

“We’re always deeply concerned when we get notification of a child’s death. We take these very seriously … We assess every single case that comes through our office.”

The family continues to struggle with the news of Richie’s death, but are coping. Winston is now back in the care of his parents.

His father says his young namesake is the only thing keeping him sane while the family grieves.

Winston Sr. stayed behind Friday while most of the mourners attended a graveside service following the funeral to play with his son and comfort him. The two played hide and seek and spent some time outside while waiting for the rest of their family to return.

“If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be drinking right now or apprehended right now,” Winston Sr. said.”

Foster child dies after concerns[The Star Phoenix 2/22/14 By Charlene Tebbutt and Betty Ann Adam]

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