OCYA recommends policy against bed-sharing after death of baby

The investigation into the death of a six-week old baby in care has led to Provincial Child and Youth Advocate Del Graff’s recommendation that a policy be developed directing infants in care to not share beds. In 2013, six-week-old Dawn (not her real name) was found unresponsive in her foster parents’ bed. She was transported to hospital and pronounced dead. Cause of death was undetermined. Dawn was one of nine children in the foster home, which was licensed for four foster children. As the children in the home for short term respite and birth children are not included in the approved placement numbers, the foster home did not exceed the maximum number of children. Dawn’s mother, Kate, is of First Nations heritage, and her father, Peter, is Caucasian. Kate and Peter were both involved with the child intervention system as children, and later again as parents. At the time of Dawn’s birth, two of her half-siblings were in government care due to concerns regarding possible risk of abuse