How Could You? Hall of Shame-Australian Foster Parents-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 Boulder, Australia, a 20-month-old Aboriginal foster daughter in kinship care remains on life support after sustaining a critical head injury in foster care on Thursday August 16, 2012.

“WESTERN Australia’s Minister for Child Protection Robyn McSweeney is under pressure to reveal any history of abuse of a 20-month-old girl who remains on life support after receiving critical head injuries while in foster care.

The toddler was taken to Kalgoorlie Hospital on Thursday and later transferred to Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital, where police on Sunday said her condition remained the same.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Sue Ellery on Sunday demanded an immediate investigation and that Ms McSweeney reveal details of the child’s placement leading up to Thursday’s incident.

“The minister could answer now whether this child had been previously either injured or abused while in the care of the department, and that would not jeopardise any of the investigation by the police into what happened on the day of this most recent and horrific injury,” Ms Ellery said.

“There’s no reason why information about the assessment of this placement, and the history of the baby and connection with the Department of Child Protection, couldn’t be released now.”

Ms Ellery’s comments came after it emerged the girl had been in foster care with relatives and might have been subjected to a previous assault in which her hands and feet were bound.

The foster carers may also have been known by police prior to the girl being placed with them.

Police believe the toddler was brutally bashed again this week but have released no further details pending their investigation.

“This is a shocking case,” Ms Ellery said.

“The fact that a 20-month-old had already been removed from its parents tells us something had gone terribly wrong very early in this baby’s life.

“However, once in care, the state has an obligation to keep that child safe.”

Ms Ellery released figures showing the Kalgoorlie district office responsible for the girl had a wait-list of 108 cases that had not yet been assigned case workers.

“When you under-resource child protection the consequences can be catastrophic and tragic,” she said.

No arrests or charges have been made as the police investigation continues.

Comment is being sought from Ms McSweeney.”

Bashed WA foster toddler sparks probe call

[The Australian 8/19/12 by Cortlan Bennett]

“”This child has been in the care of the state and the minister needs to come out of hiding and satisfy the rest of us that the Department of Child Protection correctly assessed the level of safety and risk of this child in this family,” opposition child protection spokeswoman Sue Ellery said. She said it was “absolutely appalling” that a baby could suffer such severe injuries.

“If it’s found that at any point in the assessment of this placement it was considered that the child was at risk, and the child continued to be placed with this family, then heads need to roll in child protection,” she said.

Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney refused to be interviewed about the case, but confirmed in a statement the girl was in state care. “It is too early to know exactly what happened, but WA Police is investigating all concerned,” she said.

The girl remained on life support at Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday. No charges have been laid.”

Probe into injured foster toddler

[The Australian 8/19/12 by Debbie Guest]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update: “TWO inquiries will be conducted into the death of a 20-month-old girl who suffered serious head injuries while in foster care in Western Australia’s Goldfields region.

Police on Thursday said the toddler died overnight at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth and they were treating the case as suspicious.

WA Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney said the girl died of organ failure while on life support.

A Department for Child Protection (DCP) worker had seen the toddler just hours before she suffered the critical injuries on Thursday last week and noticed nothing amiss, although she appeared sleepy.

The child was in Kalgoorlie Hospital hours later, “floppy” and needing resuscitation, Ms McSweeney said.

She was then transferred in a critical condition to Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was placed on life support.

“We just don’t know any more than that,” Ms McSweeney told reporters.

Investigations by the DCP and police, and two separate inquiries, would hopefully get to the bottom of what happened, the minister said.

The DCP report would be provided to the Ombudsman’s Child Death Review Committee, which is automatically required to conduct an independent investigation to any death of a child in state care, DCP director general Terry Murphy said.

The Coroner’s Court is also required to undertake a separate investigation, Mr Murphy said.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Sue Ellery said the coroner’s inquiry would take up to two years, based on current averages, because of a large backlog.

Ms McSweeney was satisfied the DCP had so far dealt with the case properly.

She defended its decision to place the child with the foster carers – who were relatives and had undergone full police checks and clearances – instead of other carers.

Children who had been traumatised, for instance by witnessing domestic violence, would prefer to be with a relative than sitting in a police station, Ms McSweeney said.

The girl’s four-year-old brother and the foster carers’ own children have been temporarily removed from the home.

Ms Sweeney also said she had doubled the number of case workers in Kalgoorlie from 2007/08 levels but Ms Ellery said that office still had the highest number of unallocated cases

“All of these matters may or may not have anything to do with the circumstances that led to the death of the little girl but that’s why the (ombudsman’s) inquiry needs … to be made public,” Ms Ellery told reporters.

Both sides of politics agreed child protection was highly challenging work.

“Every day, child protection workers have to make judgment calls about the level of risk, which is why you need to ensure that you’re always resourcing child protection adequately,” Ms Ellery said.”

WA toddler dies after foster care injuries

[The Australian 8/23/12 by Rebecca Le May]