Her name was Ava. Ava was only in existence in the world for a year and a half. Her untimely death occurred because she was neglected by her mother. Ava was usually cared for by her grandmother, but at her demise she was with her mom. Found in a home, inside a closet (which was her bedroom) suffering from heat exhaustion in her own waste and had not been given anything to eat or drink in over 12 hours (it was the middle of summer).
There was no food in the home and when I say no food I literally mean empty kitchen cabinets and an empty fridge. Large roaches were living in the home as if they owned the property. There was one room cooled by a window unit (this was the room of the roommate who kept his door padlocked when he was not home). The mom was residing at this home with her boyfriend who had five children of his own. The boyfriend did not have any of his own children with him losing his parental rights to two of them. After Ava’s death I had to locate the children he still had rights to and make them (CPS in those counties) aware that a child had been found deceased in a home where he was residing. The roommate also had children (two daughters of his own). I discovered this when I looked into his bedroom and observed toys. He stated that his children would visit him at the home, but resided with their mother. He became angry when I requested the information of his children because a CPS case would be opened on his family. I’m unsure why he would think one would not. He resided in a home where a child died. His name would always be attached to Ava’s death in CPS and police records. His name would also possibly be attached in new articles but after learning that Ava’s mom had been charged with manslaughter (she had run away to Florida, but of course she was extradited back) I read no further.
I recalled arriving to the home on the day of Ava’s death and Ava’s mother rushing up the county car and inquiring “Is it my fault Ava’s dead” and I gave her some words of comfort at the time because I did not know the whole story. In situation like this there were so many people would could have saved Ava. Her mother could have saved her, mom’s boyfriend, the roommate, there was a neighbor who had allowed Ava to come over to her home on really hot days, there was the grandmother who knew her daughter’s shortcomings as a mother and I’m sure there are many others, but no one did anything to stand between her and her untimely demise. Never having met Ava I still mourn her even until this day.
When I became a CPS social worker I was naïve and did not know how often children died at the hands of their parents. Ava was not my first fatality on the job and unfortunately not even my only child death that week. There are too many Avas and not enough people willing to intervene because people see it as CPS’s job (but how do they intervene if they are unaware) or it’s the parent’s responsibility (but what if the parent is the one causing abuse and/or neglect). We all have a responsibility to children because they are unable to protect themselves. Be the village. Save the Avas.

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