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LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 19-Jan-2023 01:14:40 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} https://nu.federati.net/url/289368 [www 12news com]
#Arizona child dies in state / county custody ...
> In the fiscal year that ended last June, about 26 children died while in the agency's custody, including from overdoses, medical conditions, natural and still undetermined causes. In the previous fiscal year, that number was 14. The figures amount to a fatality rate of about 97 per 100,000 children during that period, the most recent for which data is available.
> That rate is higher than overall deaths of children in Arizona. Nationally, about 55 children died per 100,000 children in the general population of all causes in 2020 — similar to Arizona's number.
Given how quick the child died, that screams medical neglect--and not just by the foster parents--the social worker should have checked on the child, asked him questions about his care, including his known medical needs. I'm told that in California, if something like this happens, it is a big deal ... potentially career-ending for the social worker, without even counting the potential for criminal charges.
> Blodgett said he suspects the Arizona Department of Child Safety failed in its duty to protect his son, either by not monitoring his blood sugar levels or not ensuring that Jakob had enough insulin to prevent a serious, life-threatening complication known as ketoacidosis.
> "They couldn't keep him alive for two weeks, two weeks," the father told The Associated Press while on a recent furlough from jail. "That's absolutely insane. That was my pride and joy. I'm lost. I'm completely lost. My family is completely lost."
The father's fentanyl use definitely contributed to Jakob's death, but the #AZ department of children's services decision to place the child in that particular foster care home (instead of, for example, flying him to his grandmother's house) would be a proximate cause in my estimation. If I were a juror in a court case, I would favor a minimum of $50M in penalties, to shock the state into taking better care of children in need. Having a death rate in state custody that is almost double the rate outside of state custody is a tip-off that something is desperately wrong in the state agency.