Report: State botched investigation of 2-year-old Baby Bella before her murder
A scathing report released Wednesday found the state’s Department of Children and Families conducted a sloppy investigation into possible abuse of 2-year-old Bella Bond and prematurely closed her case before the toddler’s body was discovered on Deer Island last summer.
The child welfare agency failed to properly investigate Bond’s family and personal history in 2012 and 2013 and instead relied upon outdated information copied from a 2006 assessment report filed about one of her mother’s older children. That caused social workers to make decisions about the child’s future based on incorrect information, according to a report released by the Office of the Child Advocate, an independent agency.
Known for months as Baby Doe until her body was identified in September, investigators say Bella Bond was punched repeatedly in the stomach until she died by her mother’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, who was charged with murder.
Her mother, Rachelle Bond, was charged with accessory after the fact to a murder and improper disposition of a body for allegedly helping McCarthy dump the toddler’s body in Boston Harbor.
DCF had been involved with Bella’s case in 2012 and 2013, both times for neglect, the department said. But the cases were closed. After her death, Gov. Charlie Baker requested a review of DCF’s involvement in Bella Bond’s life.
The report found that social workers failed to assess Rachelle Bond’s ability to function independently, her lifestyle choices and her history of substance abuse, all of which had drawn their attention in the past when she lost custody of two older children between 2001 and 2006.
Instead of contacting professionals or agencies with whom she should have been working, DCF relied on Rachelle Bond’s own statements and prematurely closed her case.
“In 2012 and 2013, DCF observed Bella to be happy and well-cared for by Ms. Bond, and professionals working with the family consistently communicated these same observations to DCF,’’ the report said.
Caseworkers observed Rachelle Bond while she was receiving support from temporary outside agencies. The report said she was able to function “marginally well’’ under the supervision of a family shelter and her probation officer because they provided her with needed resources and were able to hold her accountable for her actions.
The report found that DCF closed the cases because caseworkers had a “false sense of security that these entities would contact DCF should there be a future concern for the safety and well-being of Bella.’’
But after the 2013 case was closed, Bond terminated the temporary services supporting her and was discharged from probation. Without that external support, Bond’s ability to care for Bella deteriorated.
The OCA also found that the lack of adequate management structure at the DCF contributed to the mishandling of Baby Bella’s case. In 2010, the DCF reduced the number of regional offices and director positions.
The report recommended that DCF ensure that case workers know how to take a proper history without relying on copying and pasting from previous reports. They should also be able to properly rate the child’s level of risk and clearly indicate the date when the information was recorded, the report said.
The report also recommended that DCF update its electronic records system and develop a better protocol for working with parents who have a history of substance abuse.
Rachelle Bond and McCarthy have pleaded not guilty to their roles in the child’s death. Bond was held on $1 million bail, and McCarthy was held without bail.
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