How Could You? Hall of Shame-Canada-Dani Isabella Jean case-Child Death UPDATED

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 Edmonton, Canada, Foster Daughter Dani Isabella Jean , 6 weeks old, became “tangled in her foster parents’ bed sheets, and died by accident.”

Paul Jean and Dani’s mother, Kuna-Bianca Sauve,had no idea what a ” fatality inquiry into her death””meant.”

““We keep thinking we have grieved, but then we find that we haven’t, because we never know anything,” Jean said.

“We were never really privy to any of the documents, and there has been so much coverup since. We’re just a simple family, I’m a blue-collar worker.

“Trying to get documents like this is completely out of my expertise. Where would I start? We were relying on Child and Family Services to give us information.”

The most recent story, published in the Journal on Saturday, was based on a new Alberta Justice calendar that listed, for the first time, the full names of children whose deaths in foster care will be subject to a judge-led fatality inquiry.

Until recently, Alberta had in place a sweeping publication ban that prevented government from publishing the names of children who were known to the child welfare system. The government overturned that ban earlier this year and replaced it with a new law that says the child’s name is public unless the child’s family applies for a ban.

As a result, Alberta Justice has started listing names that were long protected by a publication ban and had never been published before — names like Dani Isabella Catherine Jean, who died May 4, 2013, when she was just six weeks old.

Another new policy requires the province to publicly report each child welfare death within four days of the child’s death.

The most recent posting revealed a 14-year-old girl died on Dec. 19.

She is the 13th child to die since July, according to figures released by the government earlier this year.

Human Services spokesman Mike Berezowsky did not release any additional details about the teen’s death, so nothing is known about who she was, how she died, or why.

He said the teen’s family is still deciding whether to apply for a publication ban, which would bar news outlets from publishing her name.

Meanwhile, other names made public for the first time on Dec. 17 include that of Braedan Dean Belcourt, a 16-year-old boy who died by suicide in 2012 and whose death was the subject of a report from the Child and Youth Advocate called Remembering Brian. A fatality inquiry is scheduled Feb. 12 in Edmonton.

Forthcoming fatality inquiries also include a hearing into the death of Anthony James Leadley, a 14-week-old baby found dead in his crib in 2011. A judge will also review the death of J’Lyn Michelle Cardinal, 4, whose aunt was convicted of manslaughter in connection with her 2011 death.

In the coming months, a judge is expected to issue a fatality inquiry report into the death of Fenton Cattleman, 16, who died after falling down the stairs at a house party in Maskwacis in 2011.

Inquiries that have been called but not scheduled include reviews of the deaths of three teens who died by suicide: Tylan Mason Poucette, 17, who died in Morley in 2008; Lissa Nanooch, 15, who died in Wabasca-Desmarais in 2013; and Kaan Onal, a 17-year-old Turkish boy who died in Peace River in 2012. Oral was the subject of a Child and Youth Advocate’s report called Kamil: An Immigrant Youth’s Struggle.

The Fatality Inquiry Review Board has also called an inquiry into the high-profile death of Kawliga Potts, 3, who died in 2007 after he suffered a head injury in foster care. His caregiver, Lily Choy, was convicted of manslaughter.

In its most recent rulings, the board has ordered fatality inquiries be held in connection with the high-profile deaths of Kyleigh Crier, 15, and Nevaeh Michaud, 9. Crier died by suicide, while Michaud died in her sleep.”

Parents stunned by news of inquiry into baby’s death while in care[Edmonton Journal 12/29/14 By Karen Kleiss]

“Parents of an Edmonton baby who died last year in foster care say the Alberta government has been withholding information from them.

Dani Isabella Jean was only three weeks old when she was apprehended by Children’s Services. According to the Child and Youth Advocate report, she was removed “due to concerns regarding possible risk of abuse.”

Dani was placed with an experienced foster family.  Her biological parents, Kuna Bianca Sauve and Paul Jean, were allowed supervised visits.

Three weeks later, on May 3, 2013, Dani was brought into hospital by her foster parents. By the time Sauve and Jean arrived, the little girl was dead.

“She was found not breathing at 5 o’clock in the morning,” Sauve said.

Sauve and Jean were told by the medical examiner that the death was caused by sudden infant death syndrome.

They later learned that wasn’t the case. Child and Youth Advocate revealed through an investigation that Dani stopped breathing while she was sleeping in her foster parents’ bed

“We were told one thing when it was actually something else,” he said.

Then on the weekend, Sauve and Jean learned through media reports that the Alberta government is holding a fatality inquiry into their daughter’s death.

Sauve is frustrated by the lack of information from the government.

“They’re only giving us one piece at a time as it’s convenient to them,” she said.

The fatality inquiry has yet to be scheduled. Sauve hopes the hearing will answer questions about how her daughter died.”

Parents of baby who died in foster care upset over lack of information[CBC 12/30/14 ]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“Kuna Sauve wonders if her baby daughter would have died if she hadn’t been taken away and put in foster care.

“I don’t really think so,” Sauve said outside court Wednesday, after the first day of a fatality inquiry into the death of six-week-old Dani Isabella Jean. The baby was found unresponsive in her foster parents’ bed in May 2013.

Dani had been put in foster care three weeks after she was born. Still, Sauve was allowed visits with her a couple of times a week and saw her the day before she died.

“I held her and she was smiling,” Sauve said. “She slept most of the time but when she was awake it looked like she was trying to giggle.”

“It’s one of the memories that sticks the most for me.”

According to an investigative report, Dani had six older half-siblings, two of whom were in foster care when she was born due to concerns about possible risk of abuse. So, she was taken into provincial care.

The report explained her foster parents were experienced caregivers who had been licensed for about 10 years and had cared for 30 children.

Dani’s foster mother testified she brought the baby into her bed just after 5 a.m. The infant was swaddled and in her arms. The foster mother said she did not fall asleep while holding the girl.

“I remember she looked very peaceful, just sleeping.”

The foster mother testified she got up to check on her other child and left Dani on the bed. When she came back, she said she woke her husband.

“He went to pass her to me, her arm fell out of the blanket… He pulled her back into himself and turned on the light. He knew something wasn’t right.

“I could see her eye was fogged over. She had a greyish colour to her.”

“We both just saw her and said, ‘oh my god.’”

An ambulance took Dani to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The chief medical examiner determined she died “as a result of undetermined causes.”

Dani’s biological father still has many questions about his daughter’s death.

“I really don’t know, as a family, how much closure we’re going to be getting,” Paul Jean said outside court on Wednesday.

He and Sauve both said their daughter shouldn’t have been apprehended at all.

“If that child died on our watch, in our home, what would be happening to us right now?” he asked.

The investigative review into the death of Dani led to the Child and Youth Advocate recommending the province implement a clear policy directing foster parents not to share their beds with infants.

The August 2014 report – Baby Dawn: Bed-Sharing with Infants in Foster Care – and its recommendation was accepted by the Ministry of Human Services.

“Policy has been revised to be more explicit about not bed-sharing with infants,” the ministry’s response reads.

“The policy was implemented along with Safe Babies Caregiver Training in the fall of 2014. Policy in this area also guides foster parents to follow Alberta Health Services’ Safe Sleep Practices, which includes no bed-sharing with an infant.”

Previous government documents referred to Dani as “Baby Dawn,” but her family later requested her name be made public.

 

“There was nothing in any of the information we reviewed to indicate any harm was intended,” Del Graff, Alberta’s Child and Youth Advocate, said in his report.

He stressed the review is not intended to place blame or find fault but to identify ways the system could be improved and made safer.

“Foster parents care for the most vulnerable children in our society,” Graff said after the 2014 report was released. “I hope all of them will read this report and refrain from bed-sharing with the infants in their care.

“This baby’s death is tragic, but I am hopeful that positive change will come from foster parents having sound information about safe sleeping practices, and clear policy that provides direction for foster parents not to bed-share with infants.”

The fatality inquiry is scheduled to last four days, with the final day set for March.”

Mother questions bed-sharing death of 6-week-old baby girl in foster care

[Global News 11/2/16 by Emily Mertz]