The state’s Child Advocate says the Department of Children and Families improperly closed a case looking into the welfare of 2 and a half year old Bella Bond, who was found dead on Deer Island in June. The remains of the 2 and a half year old weren’t identified until September.
Bella Bond’s mother, Rachelle, lost her parental rights for two older children before Bella was born. She was in state corrections facilities at least a dozen times, including while she was pregnant with Bella. But Child Advocate Maria Mossaides says DCF closed two cases looking into Bella’s care, in 2012 and 2013.
“It is clear that the DCF should have not closed the case in 2013. The decision to close was based on insufficient then-current information.”
Mossaides says that those cases were closed in part because DCF social workers had copied information from an outdated 2006 report into the 2012 and 2013 assessments, leading to a misassessment of how much risk Bella was in.
Mossaides also says there was conflicting information about Rachelle Bond’s parental ability.
Just a month after the 2013 case was closed, Bond moved out of a shelter and into housing the state helped her find. And in doing so, she lost the supportive services that were keeping an eye on Bella’s care.
Bella’s mother is charged with being an accessory to murder. The mother’s boyfriend is charged with killing Bella.
Mosaides says DCF isn’t to blame for the death, but her report makes a the following recommendations to the department:
>>The full Child Advocate report can be found here.
