How Could You? Hall of Shame-Daevon Branon-Banks case-Child Death UPDATED Now Lawsuit

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 Las Vegas, Nevada, 1-year-old foster child Daevon Branon-Banks “died last week in the care of his foster parents.”

“Craig Dickens initially told police that Daevon fell from his crib. But, that wasn’t true. Officers say Dickens later admitted to throwing Daevon to the floor multiple times when he was drunk.

“He had a special light about him. He was an angel,” said Ramona Branon, Daevon’s grandmother. “I really think he was an angel sent from God.”

Daevon was laid to rest Thursday morning. His contagious smile and laugh is already missed. “It just seems so unfair that this had to happen to him. He was so precious,” Ramona said.

Daevon fought for his life for two days before he died.”I prayed hard and I prayed long and I never left his side but Tuesday evening his little heart stopped,” said Gabrielle Branon, Daevon’s mother.

Police records detail a heartbreaking encounter. Daevon was tossed from the bathroom to a window twice. 34-year-old Craig Dickens blamed his inexplicable actions on alcohol. Daevon suffered from head injuries and later died. “I had to fly 12 hours to get home and I went to the hospital and we stayed up there until he took his last breath,” Ramona said.

Daevon was placed in foster care in late April after someone accused Gabrielle of driving Daevon while high.

According to the Department of Family Services, the Branon’s were placed under formal supervision. A family friend, Craig Dickens and his wife, were taking care of Daevon. Four months later, Daevon died.

“I won’t see him again, he won’t get to run into my arms again, and I won’t be able to kiss my baby again because somebody took that away from me,” Gabrielle said.  Ramona Branon was trying to gain custody of Daevon. She wants to know why and how this happened. “We didn’t put our hands and hurt our baby, someone else did that… Craig did that,” Ramona said.

Craig Dickens has been charged with murder. The Branon’s have set up a Go Fund Me page for Daevon.”

http://kron4.com/2017/08/25/foster-father-charged-in-toddlers-death/

[KRON 4 8/25/17]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “On Aug. 18, before he cared for Daevon, Dickens says he stopped at two bars for several drinks.

“Maybe three to four shots, some beers, maybe a couple of mixed drinks,” he said.

After he returned home, something went terribly wrong.

According to this arrest report, Dickens called 9-1-1 when Daevon was unresponsive and told police he fell out of his crib.

The injuries, a doctor said, were too severe though.

Later, police say Dickens admitted to throwing Daevon twice while he was angry with his girlfriend, but his story changed again with the I-Team.

“It wasn’t out of anger. We were just playing,” Dickens said. “I hope the family can forgive me for the whole situation. It was a tragic accident and I didn’t mean for him to pass like that because that was not my intention at all for that to happen.”

A child taken from one home because of safety concerns and placed in another where he wasn’t safe.

“I honestly could sit here and say I loved him,” Dickens said. “I think about it every day. Every time I wake up in the morning. Like is this a dream or what? But it’s a reality.”

A CPS representative says training is required for people who want to be licensed as foster parents, meaning strangers who are interested in providing homes for the children.

The trial for Craig Dickens is scheduled for July.”

I-Team: Questions raised after child dies in foster care

[Las Vegas Now 11/22/17 by Vanessa Murphy]

Update 2:“A federal lawsuit filed this week on behalf of a toddler who died in the Clark County foster care system alleges that state and county officials routinely endanger the children they’re charged with protecting.

DaeVon Branon-Banks was taken from his parents, David Banks and Gabrielle Branon, in April 2017 after his mother was accused of driving while high with DaeVon in the car. The Clark County Department of Family Services placed him in a foster home.

In August 2017, 20-month-old DaeVon died from head injuries after his foster father, Craig Dickens, threw him across a room, police said. Dickens is serving a life sentence for the boy’s murder, and he and the boy’s foster mother, Diamond Ford, are defendants in the lawsuit.

The suit, filed by DaeVon’s parents, alleges that the heads of Clark County’s foster care system are aware of its deficiencies. It cited more than a decade of reviews and studies that found the services lacking, and claimed officials have not done sufficient work to improve them.

Defendants named in the lawsuit are Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Director Richard Whitley, Nevada Division of Child and Family Services Administrator Ross Armstrong, Clark County Manager Yolanda King and former Clark County Department of Family Services Director Tim Burch, as well as several caseworkers and supervisors.

Spokespersons for Health and Human Services and the county’s Family Services department said the agencies do not comment on pending litigation. A spokeswoman for Nevada Division of Child and Family Services said officials wanted to read the complaint before responding.

The 43-page lawsuit outlines several areas where it alleges “a deliberate indifference to the health and safety of the children” the defendants are obligated to protect.

DaeVon was placed in a home with “fictive kin” who, under Nevada law, are exempt from many of the requirements that licensed foster parents must meet, other than a criminal background check and verification that the home has fire and pool safety equipment.

“Fictive kin” refers to people who are not related by birth, marriage or adoption to a child but who have a strong emotional relationship with the child, like close family friends.

Federal regulations under the Social Security Act require that fictive kin meet the same standards as other caregivers.

The suit includes allegations that the state and county fail to provide foster caregivers background information on children’s health and behavioral history. It claims this leads to children in the system receiving poor medical and mental health care or being transferred between homes, causing more distress and lasting issues.

It also alleges that caseworkers are not adequately trained or supervised and are assigned overly large caseloads, contributing to a “crisis” within the system.

“Few Clark County caseworkers or their direct supervisors have a degree in social work or a license to practice social work in Nevada,” the suit states. “Many caseworkers are assigned caseloads before completing even the most basic training.”

DaeVon’s parents are seeking an undisclosed amount of punitive and compensatory damages. Attorney Stacy Perez, who filed the complaint, declined to comment. She said another lawyer will take over the case.”

Parents of slain Las Vegas toddler sue foster care system
[Las Vegas Review-Journal 8/14/19 by Max Michor]