Foster child who died before 2nd birthday focus of report

Saskatchewan's children's advocate says he's troubled by the case of a toddler in foster care who died in his bed before his second birthday.

Releasing a report about "Jake" on Tuesday, Advocate Bob Pringle said he wants the system to do a better job to make sure children in his situation receive the services to which they are entitled.

The report said Jake was put in foster care when he was five months old after a domestic dispute where his mother ended up in the hospital and his father was jailed.

Over the next 10 months, he was moved 11 times.

For the last nine months of his life, he lived in what Pringle called a "high-capacity emergency foster home."  

Also in the home was Jake's older brother and 10 other children under the age of five.

Shortly before his second birthday, on Dec. 10, 2009, Jake was found dead. An autopsy failed to determine the cause of death.

That's just one of the disturbing aspects of the case, Pringle said.

What's also concerning is that when he died, Jake was suffering from an unexplained leg fracture and that he never learned to talk, Pringle said.

Several people, including health professionals and one of his parents, raised concerns about Jake's health and development, but they were not properly followed up on by the Ministry of Social Services, he said.

Overcrowding in foster homes is also a concern, Pringle said.

The 32-page report makes a number of recommendations, including requiring stricter adherence to the rules on the maximum number of children allowed in foster homes.