How Could You? Hall of Shame-Desi Scarbrough 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 Decatur, Illinois, 7-year-old foster child Desi Scarbrough drowned Tuesday July 19, 2011 “while on a routine outing with his day care center, was found at the bottom of the swimming pool after the teachers and other children left the pool area.”
DCFS is responsible for licensing day care centers. They will investigate allegations of neglect related to the day care center, not foster family, in this case.
“”There is a concurrent investigation involving our licensing department and child protection services.”
Whitlow said the day care center Desi attended at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church has a clean record.
“We have no prior investigations regarding abuse or neglect regarding this facility,” Whitlow said.
Desi, a quiet boy who could not swim and did not like going into the water, was at Sun ‘n Fun Swim and Golf Club along with 40 other children ages 5 to 12 and four teachers.
The St. Paul’s Lutheran School day care center rents the pool for its exclusive use from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
After the children were told to leave the pool Tuesday, they changed clothes and lined up for staff members for the return trip to the center.”
“When a staff member realized one of the children was missing, she sent an 8-year-old boy back to the pool area to look for him. Male children are routinely used to locate other boys in the bathroom and locker room, because the staff members are all women.
A lifeguard, who had been positioned on the west side of the L-shaped pool, told police she left her station after the day care people left the area. As she walked around the pool to fix an umbrella, she noticed a dark shape in the pool near the wall on the south side. She took no action at that time.
At about that time, the boy who had been sent into the pool area reported to a teacher that he had found Desi’s clothes, possibly in the locker room.
Then a day care staff member came into the pool area and told the lifeguards that a child was missing.”
“According to one police report, it was about 11:10 a.m. when the day care staff realized a child was missing.
Decatur police officers were dispatched to the swim club at 11:20 a.m. Firefighters from Firehouse 5, who received the call at 11:22 a.m., were on the scene when police arrived.
Desi was transported to Decatur Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:01 p.m.
One of the questions DCFS investigators will be asking is whether St. Paul’s Lutheran Church day care center met its licensing standards regarding staff/children ratios.
According to DCFS rules regarding day care staffing at swimming facilities, there must be one staff member for every eight 5-year-olds, one for every 10 children 6 to 8 years old and one for every 15 children 9 and older.
In addition, one staff member must be designated exclusively to serve as a bathroom monitor and “provide other general out-of-water-supervision.”
The staff-to-children ratio requirements are in addition to lifeguards on duty.”
DCFS will investigate drowning of boy at local swim club
[Herald & Review 7/22/11 by Huey Freeman]
Update/February 27, 2012:
We found one more article about the coroner’s inquest, but no other followup articles.
” Desi Scarbrough, a 7-year-old boy who drowned during a field trip with a day care center, was possibly not seen by lifeguards because he was lying at the bottom of the pool in a shadowed area, not visible from the surface.
Inquest reveals shadows at pool may have prevented lifeguards from seeing boy who drowned
[Herald & Review 8/18/11 by Huey Freeman]
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