How Could You? Hall of Shame-Draco Ford 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 came to light.

From Los Angeles, California, in November 2019, Draco Ford died. He  “was found not breathing in the very same foster home,” that Joseph Chacon died in.

Delaysia Taylor of Lancaster felt “like she was told very little about how her son passed away. “I didn’t really get an answer, and then later I was told that he died of SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome].”

“In Draco’s case, it appears investigators believed the cause of death to be SIDs, and took no further action. Denise Bertone questions whether a SIDs death determination can happen that quickly, especially by non-trained experts.

She sees two distinct possibilities that need to be investigated.

One is an unintentional death due to an unsafe sleep environment. So if the crib had soft toys or pillows, and a baby rolls over and his face buries in the pillow, and then he cannot lift his head or turn back over, he suffocates. The other is intentional suffocation. Investigating how a child died is complex, Bertone says.

The safest route would have been to take the other foster children out of that home the day Draco Ford died until these questions could be answered by the medical examiner. ”

Investigating the death of a baby in foster care: Could it have been prevented?

[KCRW 7/15/21 by Deepa Fernandes]

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