Family wants answers after infant dies in care

Marjorie Beaudry has a lot of questions after her four-month-old grandson died earlier this month while briefly under the care of foster parents.

“What we’re saying is ... why did he die? How did he die?” Beaudry asked, speaking at a rally in downtown Sudbury July 11.

The rally was held in front of the provincial government building at 159 Cedar St. It was organized by the Ontario Coalition for Accountability, a group fighting to broaden the umbrella of provincial government and provincial government-affiliated organizations, including children’s aid societies, that can be investigated by the Ontario Ombudsman.

Beaudry’s grandchild was born prematurely, weighing just one pound. The baby’s parents are from Wikwemikong, and have four other young children.

Marjorie Beaudry (centre), whose four-month-old grandson, Malachi, died two days after going into temporary foster care, wants answers as to why the infant, which was born premature, passed away. Beaudry joined demonstrators with the Ontario Coalition for Accountability on July 11. She is flanked by family friends Doreen Trudeau (left) and Natalie Neganegijig (right). Photo by Marg Seregelyi.

She said her daughter and son-in-law recently moved to Greater Sudbury after they were kicked off the reserve because some band members suspected the couple of being drug distributors.

Beaudry said neither of them have ever been convicted of a drug-related offence.

Because they were unable to find housing right away, the family of six had been temporarily staying in a motel room.

Due to their situation, the family was approached by the Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin (CAS) to place the baby in foster care when he was ready to be released from hospital, Beaudry said.

CAS could neither confirm nor deny this claim as it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

“The CAS said ‘You can’t accommodate the baby — another child in that room is not acceptable,’” Beaudry said. “They coerced her to sign a three-month custody agreement. Very reluctantly, they signed it.”

The baby was released from hospital into the care of foster parents on July 2. However, on July 4, the baby was brought to Health Sciences North, where he was pronounced dead.

His death is now under investigation by Greater Sudbury Police and the coroner’s office.

Beaudry said her daughter is “devastated” by her youngest child’s death.

Posted by Arron Pickard