How Could You? Hall of Shame-Alexander Medina 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.

A 2019 case has now been revealed.

From Connecticut, foster parent James Bailey, who was intoxicated, killed Alexander Medina, 17, in a car crash September 22, 2019.

“On the way home [from picking up Alex from school], Bailey allegedly veered off the road and hit a telephone pole, the report states. Alex was thrown from the car and critically injured. He died from a brain injury three days later.

Bailey was later charged with drunken driving, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and two counts of second-degree manslaughter. He was released on bail and is awaiting trial.”

“The state Department of Children and Families substantiated allegations of abuse and neglect of Alex, as well as emotional neglect of another child in the family’s home, against Bailey after Alex’s death. Allegations of physical neglect of Alex were also substantiated against Bailey’s wife, Sherron Bailey. ”

“The two agencies that allowed Bailey and his wife to be a state-licensed provider — the Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Children and Families — either knew about or investigated concerns about Bailey’s drinking, the report said, but failed to include those concerns in official records or communicate effectively with one another.

Bailey and his wife were licensed to provide care to developmentally and intellectually disabled adults and children as foster parents, first through DDS and later DCF.

Emails examined by the child advocate show escalating concerns at DDS about Bailey, until the agency decided in 2012 not to place any more clients at the home. But DDS employees didn’t make a formal record of their concerns in the family’s licensing file, the OCA report states.”

The Baileys “applied to be licensed DCF foster parents through the contracted agency The Connection, Inc.”

Child Advocate: State bears fault for teen’s ‘unexpected and preventable’ death
[The CT Mirror 3/8/22 by Ginny Monk]

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