There are many questions for the Department of Children and Families after two Bay area children died.
Both families of baby Chance Walsh and 11-year-old Janiya Thomas had prior contact with DCF.
According to new documents from the department, Chance's parents were no strangers to them. In one report from this past July, a caseworker received a call that the mother, Kristen Bury -- who has also been charged with Chance's death -- may be on drugs. It was determined that there wasn't enough information in the call to warrant a caseworker going out to the home. DCF said the caller did not appear to have first-hand knowledge that they could use, and Chance was still in the hospital at the time. DCF says the hospital did not report any concerns at the time.
We now see that not even six weeks later, on Sept. 16, Chance was killed, police say, he was beaten to death by his father Joseph Walsh. And we know that a week later his body was buried in a field.
On Wednesday, Walsh waived his right to appear before a judge and his bond remains the same.
Chance's parents had many prior involvements with DCF.
In an incident report released after Chance's death, it showed Bury had two prior instances in 2002 and 2003, and Walsh, 35, has had seven children between 2003-2008 removed from his care and his parental rights were terminated.
Back on Oct. 16, the Florida Department of Children and Families released the following statement on Chance's death:
"The murder of Chance Walsh is absolutely heartbreaking. Although DCF did not have any prior investigation involving Chance, we have had multiple past interactions with Joseph Walsh, including the removal of seven children from his custody."In the wake of this tragedy, DCF has immediately begun an internal quality assurance review. The review will include all the interactions that Joseph Walsh and Kristen Bury have had with the agency to determine what, in addition to the previous removal of all children in Mr. Walsh's custody, could have been done to prevent this tragedy."
