Fourteen year old baby sitter allegedly throws three year old charge on bed for misbehavior. Baby later dies of head injury.
This tragic situation is very disturbing, without knowing anything more.
But there is more.
This local Palm Beach County child and her two siblings (5 years old and nearly 2 years old) were actually in foster care, placed with a fellow congregant from their mother’s church.
The children were removed from their mother’s custody two different times.
The foster mother took the children out of daycare to leave them with her little brother, who was visiting from out of state.
The foster mother reportedly initially lied about being home when the incident occurred.
The sitter is currently detained on charges of aggravated child abuse, which are expected to be upgraded.
At this time, the foster mother has not been charged herself with inadequate supervision.
Ironically, the Department of Children and Families has recently been working on establishing rules as to who (age and relationship) may watch children in protective custody.
Too late, unfortunately, for this little girl.
Under Florida law, there is no established rule on baby sitters for children not in protective custody.
Read more in these Palm Beach Post articles: Tot hurt in sitter’s care dies and Foster mom didn’t have OK for sitter.