PRHAZE GALVAN - 3 yo - Flint MI

Parents Arraigned In Girl's Death

Autopsy: Girl Died From Blunt Force Trauma





KIMBALL TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The parents of a 3-year-old girl who was found dead Friday
have been arraigned on murder charges in connection with her death.The
St. Clair County's Sheriff's Office said authorities were called to the
girl's home in the 5000 block of Dove Road in Kimball Township at about
3 p.m. on the report that she wasn't breathing.She was taken to Mercy Hospital,
where she was pronounced dead.The girl has been identified as Phraze Rosemary Galvan.
Macomb County Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz ruled the girl's death a
homicide after autopsy results revealed she had died of blunt force
trauma.The girl's biological father, 26-year-old Joseph Galvan,
and her stepmother, 29-year-old Jennifer Galvan, were each charged with
a count of open murder.“I want justice for Phraze Galvan,” said
family friend Mike McCauley. “It should never have happened. She should
still be alive, getting ready to go to school next year.”McCauley said there’s
been trouble with the girl’s father in the past.“He’s got a very violent temper,”
McCauley said.St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon said Child Protective
Services has been involved with the family.“There was a pattern of abuse
on this child that was obvious to law enforcement and the community,”
Donnellon said.Joseph Galvan was also charged with felon in possession
of firearm and as a habitual offender.He was not given a bond.
Jennifer Galvan's bond was set at $1 million.The two are due back in court
for a preliminary exam on Jan. 26 in the 72nd District Court in Port Huron.

Oh God.

As friends of a slain 3-year-old girl demonstrated Tuesday in front of the
St. Clair County Courthouse, a state senator and former lawmaker filed
reports with a state agency that will prompt an investigation into her
death.

Sen. Jud Gilbert, R-Algonac, and former state lawmaker Lauren Hager filed
complaints with the Office of Children's Ombudsman in the death of
Prhaze (pronounced "Praise") Galvan of Kimball Township, whom police
said was killed Friday by her father and stepmother."At
least from what it appears, there was some kind of mistake (and) it
resulted in a tragedy," Gilbert said Tuesday. "And if we can improve
the system or find where there was a breakdown, we need to correct
that."A local
judge also said Tuesday court files show custody issues consumed nearly
two-thirds of Prhaze's short life, as she was bounced back and forth
between parents, family friends and state custody.
'Justice for Prhaze'
Prhaze died as a result of blunt-force trauma, police have said.Her
father, Joe Guy Galvan, 26, was arraigned Monday on a charge of open
murder in the child's death. He is in the St. Clair County jail without
bond. His wife and Prhaze's stepmother, Jennifer Galvan, 29, also was
arraigned Monday on a charge of open murder. Her bail was set at $1
million with no 10% surety.Officials have not released details about the circumstances of Prhaze's death.On
Tuesday, Mary DeWitt, who said she cared for the child for seven
months, led a demonstration of about 20 people outside the courthouse.DeWitt
and others handed out pink and purple ribbons with Prhaze's name on
them as well as dates of her birth and death -- Feb. 15, 2006 and Jan.
15, 2010.As she walked, DeWitt would occasionally call out: "Justice for Prhaze."The messages on the signs being carried by others were critical of Child Protective Services."CPS -- Accessory to Murder," read one. Still others read, "You sent her home to die" and "Why did this happen to me?"Officials have said Joe Guy Galvan and other parties involved in the case have a long history with the agency.
"We are here to speak because (Prhaze) cannot," DeWitt said.


Her hope is more children don't die in similar situations."This
all could have been prevented if they (CPS) did their job," said family
friend Steven Easterly, 34, of Roseville. "It's disgusting."Port
Huron police officers stopped by at one point after others associated
with the case got into a brief shouting match with those holding signs.Kay
Andrzejak, acting director of St. Clair County Department of Human
Services, under which Child Protective Services operates, said the
department is investigating the situation."We
are also fully investigating any involvement we've had with the various
parties involved through the years," she said. "We are researching what
we did (and) when we did it, to try to ensure we did all we could to
prevent the tragedy."I
have seen nothing up through now to indicate that we could have done
thing any differently," Andrzejak said. "We review these things
incredibly thoroughly, not only after the fact, but when we are
involved with the families."Andrzejak
said she could not discuss other children involved with Joe Guy and
Jennifer Galvan or Cassandra Ross, Prhaze's mother, including the
circumstances that led to the child being placed in the Galvans' care.Cassandra
Ross, 22, is in jail on a probation violation. Jennifer Galvan's three
children, all younger than 10, are under the care of the Department of
Human Services, officials and family friends said.
'Too many cases'
Hager, who is running for Gilbert's Senate seat, said he attended Tuesday's
rally "to protect kids and honor the memory of Prhaze."Hager of Port Huron Township also has a history of defending Michigan's children.His
signature piece of legislation as a state representative was Ariana's
Law, which set out to improve the state's child-protection system.He
introduced the bill after Ariana Swinson, 2, of Port Huron Township was
beaten and drowned by her parents in January 2000 -- 10 years ago this
month, Hager said.Ariana was killed after she was removed from her foster family and returned to her biological parents.
Hager said he wants to "patch up holes in the safety net that is designed to protect children."
"We've had too many cases like this right in our own back yard," Hager said,
adding his concern with this case is "that there is a history of child
abuse.""Why was she given back?" he said of Prhaze. "There are a whole lot of questions."He said Prhaze's situation parallels Ariana's story.Joe
Guy Galvan's history includes the death of an infant son, Joe Guy
Galvan Jr., who died in October 2008 at the age of 3 months old.The
infant was the son of Joe Guy and Jennifer Galvan, who was Jennifer
Hansen at the time of the baby's death, according to his death
certificate.The death certificate states Joe Guy Galvan Jr., died of a "sudden
unexpected death in infancy ... associated with hazardous sleeping
environment."The certificate also said the baby had "healing rib fractures" at the time of his death.Gilbert said he filed a complaint with the ombudsman's office to ensure any mistakes that might have been made are fixed.He said depending on the outcome, more legislation might be necessary."Here
is innocent life that the state has a responsibility for and they have
things like this happen that should never happen," Gilbert said. "If
there is something I can do to prevent this in the future, I'm going to
do the best I can do."Charlotte
Smith, intake investigator at the Office of Children's Ombudsman, said
her office is investigating Prhaze's death. It has requested files from
St. Clair County officials, which they have 10 days to provide.An
investigator from the office will be assigned to the case. The
investigation will include interviews with case workers, supervisors
and an analysis of the files, she said.If violations are found, those who filed complaints will get a report of the office's recommendations, Smith said.
Custody of Prhaze
Probate Judge Elwood Brown said Prhaze first was removed from Cassandra Ross'
care in February 2008 and placed into the custody of DeWitt, known in
the court system as "fictive kin" -- not a blood relative but someone
with a close relationship to the family.
In December 2008, after Joe Guy Galvan was ordered to complete a
psychological evaluation, Prhaze was placed with him by the Department
of Human Services, Brown said.
Later that month, the agency learned about Joe Guy Galvan Jr.'s death in
October, Brown said, and once again removed Prhaze from the home. It
also ordered the couple to attend parenting classes.Brown said Joe Guy Galvan Jr.'s death was not considered a homicide in police reports.In
January 2009, Cassandra Ross regained custody of Prhaze after
completing all Department of Human Services and court-ordered
requirements. In March, the child was removed from her mother's custody
because of domestic violence, Brown said. Ross was jailed based on the
domestic violence charge, he said.Ross was sent to jail again later that year on the probation violation.The
Department of Human Services filed a petition to terminate Ross'
parental rights in April. At that point, it also sought to return
custody of Prhaze back to her father.An order was signed by another judge on the recommendation of a court referee to give Prhaze back to Joe Guy Galvan, Brown said.Andrzejak said parental rights can be given to a parent even if that parent has been in trouble in the past."In
general, until such time that someone's parental rights are terminated
by the court, there is always potential for them to gain, regain or
keep custody of their children," she said. "There is a service plan
that gets put in place on a case-by-case basis and if parents abide by
that service plan, custody can be gained."Rick and Deb Heacock of Port Huron said they don't fault local protective service workers.The
Heacocks, who have been foster parents for 12 years, attended Tuesday's
demonstration. They said state law dictates much of what the workers
are able to do."They work their butts off," Rick Heacock said of local case workers."They do a great job," Deb Heacock said.The couple said laws need to be modified in Lansing."The workers have to do what they are told to do," Rick Heacock said.

Please read the whole article. This is a total outrage. Excerpts;

Joe Guy Galvan's history includes the death of an infant son, Joe
Guy Galvan Jr., who died in October 2008 at the age of 3 months old.The
infant was the son of Joe Guy and Jennifer Galvan, who was Jennifer
Hansen at the time of the baby's death, according to his death
certificate.The
death certificate states Joe Guy Galvan Jr., died of a "sudden
unexpected death in infancy ... associated with hazardous sleeping
environment."The certificate also said the baby had "healing rib fractures" at the time of his death................

Later that month, the agency learned about Joe Guy Galvan Jr.'s
death in October, Brown said, and once again removed Prhaze from the
home. It also ordered the couple to attend parenting classes.PATHETICBrown said Joe Guy Galvan Jr.'s death was not considered a homicide in police reports.In
January 2009, Cassandra Ross regained custody of Prhaze after
completing all Department of Human Services and court-ordered
requirements. In March, the child was removed from her mother's custody
because of domestic violence, Brown said. Ross was jailed based on the
domestic violence charge, he said.Ross was sent to jail again later that year on the probation violation.The
Department of Human Services filed a petition to terminate Ross'
parental rights in April. At that point, it also sought to return
custody of Prhaze back to her father.An order was signed by another judge on the recommendation of a court referee to give Prhaze back to Joe Guy Galvan, Brown said. OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

I'm sick about this dear wee girl.

A packed courtroom
worked to stifle tears and cheers as Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly ruled Monday
that Jennifer Galvan would be charged with open murder in connection to the
death of her 3-year-old stepdaughter.
"I'm so happy," Mary DeWitt said outside Kelly's courtroom, wiping away tears. "I don't know how to
put it in words. I prayed for this to happen."

Kelly granted the prosecution's motion to reinstate the charge, which was dropped by District
Judge Cynthia Platzer after a lengthy preliminary examination. Platzer said
prosecution evidence didn't place Jennifer Galvan at the scene of the slaying.






Jennifer Galvan's husband and Prhaze's father, Joe Galvan, also is charged in her death. The
26-year-old is charged with open murder, first-degree child abuse and possession
of a controlled substance and possession of firearms by a felon.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Keyes argued Monday that sufficient evidence was given during
the examination to link Jennifer Galvan to the Jan. 15 death of Prhaze Galvan.

Keyes said if Jennifer Galvan, 29, wasn't the principal participant in the killing, she was an aider
and abettor who knew about the abuse that resulted in the girl's death and what
the possible outcomes were.

Jennifer Galvan's lawyer, Wyatt Harris, said Platzer was not mistaken when she didn't bind over
his client on the open murder charge. She was bound over on charges of torture and child abuse.

Harris said his client was getting ready to pick up her children from school when her husband came
outside to tell her he found Prhaze in the bathroom of their Kimball Township home.

He said Jennifer Galvan tried to help the girl and administered CPR.

Kelly said there was enough evidence for a jury to consider an open murder charge.

DeWitt, who cared for Prhaze for about eight months of her life, shed tears of happiness after the
hearing.

"Justice is going to be done for this baby," she said.

DeWitt was among a crowd of supporters outside the courthouse with signs protesting what happened
to Prhaze and asking for justice to be served.

"I'm happy, ecstatic, delighted," said Rick Fuller, who said he knew Prhaze's mother, Cassandra
Lovett. "It's a good day."

Patty Phillips, who also knew Lovett, said she thought Jennifer Galvan was as responsible as Joe
Galvan in the girl's death.

"They should be hung," she said.

Prosecutor Mike Wendling said he was pleased with the charge being reinstated. He said it was
appropriate that Jennifer Galvan's guilt or innocence be determined by a jury
and not a judge.

Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly said he will attempt to seat an impartial
jury before ruling on a motion to move Joe Galvan's trial.
The 26-year-old Kimball Township man accused of killing his
3-year-old daughter, Prhaze, was in court Monday asking that a charge of
torture be dismissed and that his trial be moved out of St. Clair
County.




Wearing
orange jail garb, with his wrists and ankles shackled, Galvan quietly
sat next to his lawyer during the hearing.Kelly said he'd rule on the torture charge by the end
of the week.John
Livesay, Galvan's lawyer, said evidence presented at a preliminary
examination does not meet the facts outlined by the law.Melissa Keyes, senior assistant prosecutor, said exam
testimony -- including that the girl was made to take cold showers as
punishment and that Galvan tied a string from his wrist to her leg to
keep her from going into the kitchen and eating at night -- met the
standards of the torture charge.Kelly said the motion required further consideration
and analysis before he ruled.Livesay and Keyes said they understood why Kelly
wanted to try to seat a jury before considering the change-of-venue
motion.Livesay
has said he asked for the change of venue because of extensive media
attention to the case as well as emotional community activity
surrounding it.He
pointed out that demonstrators have been outside the courthouse during
almost all of Galvan's court dates. There were no protesters outside the
courtroom Monday.Officials
said Prhaze died Jan. 15 of blunt-force trauma to her head. Joe Galvan
faces several charges in her death, including open murder, torture and
first-degree child abuse.Galvan's
wife, Jennifer Galvan, also is charged in the death. Her lawyer has not
recently filed any motions. A plea hearing for the couple has been
scheduled for June 7.

Several people were excused this morning from serving as jurors in
the murder trial for Joe and Jennifer Galvan. And an
additional seven were excused since court resumed at about 1:30 p.m.
after a lunch break.Many of the people excused said they
already had formed an opinion they could not set aside. The Galvans are
charged with several felonies — including child abuse and torture — in
the Jan. 15 death of Prhaze Galvan, 3. Police have said
Prhaze — Joe Galvan’s daughter and Jennifer Galvan’s stepdaughter — died
of blunt-force head trauma at her Kimball Township home. Jury
selection for the Galvans’ trial started this morning in St. Clair
County Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly’s courtroom.

Two witnesses testified throughout the day — St. Clair County sheriff
Detective Colleen Titus and Kathleen LaFave.Titus
detailed the many injuries to Prhaze’s body. LaFave, Jennifer Galvin's
sister, told jurors about the way the 3-year-old was disciplined
including, spending time on the “naughty wall,” taking showers in her
clothes for wetting her pants and having a string tied from her father’s
wrist to her ankle ash she slept on the floor next to his bed.Prhaze’s
father — Joe Galvan, 26 — and stepmother — Jennifer Galvan, 29 — are
charged with felonies including murder, torture and child abuse for her
Jan. 15 death.Jennifer and Joe Galvan's lawyers, Wyatt
Harris and John Livesay, cross examined LeFave this afternoon.LeFave
said she didn't actually see Joe Galvan use a string on Prhaze, but he
had told her about it. The trial started Tuesday in St.
Clair County Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly's courtroom. It will continue
Tuesday.

Prhase was not the first child who died in care of these monsters. Their son 3 month old baby Joe Galvan Jr. died suspiciosly in care of his father in 2008. CPS left Prhaze to die.
Please join us for justice

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134917926519363#!/group.php?gid=320626720998&ref=ts -- Prhaze Galvan~

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134917926519363#!/group.php?gid=116140735065668&ref=mf - In Loving Memory of Joe Guy Galvan Jr

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134917926519363#!/pages/War-Against-Child-Abuse-WACA/110955438951100?ref=ts - War Against Child Abuse (W.A.C.A)


Letter Writing Campaign for Prhaze Galvan.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=134917926519363&ref=ts



http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=320626720998&ref=ts

Joe and Jennifer Galvan did not act like most grieving families when
Prhaze Galvan was brought to the hospital Jan. 15, a nurse testified
Friday.
Jennifer Galvan, Prhaze's stepmother, did at one point rock back and
forth in a chair, saying "I don't know" and questioning whether she did
everything right in the moments before the 3-year-old died as the result
of blunt-force head trauma.Jennifer Galvan told St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron nurse
Kris Folske that she performed cardiopulmonary respiration, checked
Prhaze's airway and took other such steps. Folske said Jennifer Galvan
told her that Galvan's husband took Prhaze into the bathroom because
"she wet her pants ... and he was hollering and screaming." When
Jennifer Galvan, a licensed practical nurse, went into the bathroom,
Prhaze was taking short, shallow breaths, Folske testified.Folske said she saw the
couple "consoling" each other when Joe Galvan, Prhaze's father, arrived
at the Port Huron hospital. Still, she said, she was concerned."Considering that the
victim was a child ... family members tend to mourn, openly mourn, shed
tears, cry, scream," Folske testified. "I did not see that out of Joe or
Jennifer Galvan."Folske
was one of 10 witnesses called in the eighth day of the Galvans' St.
Clair County Circuit Court trial. Both are charged with felony murder,
torture and first-degree child abuse in Prhaze's death. The trial is
expected to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Judge Daniel Kelly's courtroom.Most witnesses called
Friday continued to paint for jurors a picture of Jennifer Galvan's
troubled relationship with Prhaze.One after another, women who worked with Jennifer
Galvan at Marwood Nursing and Rehab in Port Huron recounted multiple
conversations during which she called Prhaze a "devil child," said she
"hated" her and said the girl was ruining her marriage.Jennifer Galvan treated Prhaze differently than she
did her biological children -- sounding proud when mentioning her other
three kids and always complaining about Prhaze, witnesses said.

Cassandra Lovett said her relationship with Joe Galvan was filled with
abuse and fear.
She said she called police when he pushed his finger into her eye and
tried to take away their daughter, Prhaze Galvan.Lovett testified Tuesday during the jury trial of Joe
and Jennifer Galvan. The trial is in its third week.The Kimball Township couple is charged with felony
murder, torture and first-degree child abuse in the Jan. 15 death of
3-year-old Prhaze Galvan.Police
visits were a regular occurrence at the apartments she shared with
Galvan, Lovett said.Family
members and friends often called officers because of the way he treated
her, she said."Every
time he smacked me, there was always a mark," she said.Lovett said the daughter she had with Joe Galvan,
Prhaze, was her "baby girl."Lovett said she lied to police officers at times while
she was dating Joe Galvan, to keep him from going to jail."So I wouldn't get it
worse when he got out of jail," she said.Lovett wasn't the sole target of Galvan's abuse, she
testified.Lovett's
oldest son by another man was then just a toddler. She said Joe Galvan
verbally and physically abused the child.Lovett said Galvan would tell her son, "you're a
faggot just like your dad ... you're a bastard."She said that, when she tried to stand up for her
son, Joe Galvan would choke her or grab her by the arm.Lovett said while she lived in Missouri with Joe
Galvan and his parents, she came home from work one day to find her
oldest son injured.She
said Galvan told her the boy walked behind him while Galvan worked out
and was hit with a 20-pound weight.She said she eventually moved back to Port Huron and
took Joe Galvan back as a boyfriend when he said the relationship
between them would be different.One night when she came home from work, she found a
mark around her son's neck, she said."Joe said the blanket must have wrapped around his
neck while he was sleeping," Lovett said.She said Joe Galvan treated Prhaze -- who was a year
younger than her oldest son -- differently and rarely spanked her.
She said the two ended their relationship in June 2007. They did not
marry.
Lovett said she signed over her parental rights to Joe Galvan because
he told her she would still be able to see her daughter and they had
been trying to iron out a custody arrangement in the courts for two
years.Nicole
Phillips said she saw bruises and other marks on Lovett and her son
while Lovett was dating Joe Galvan.Phillips, who said she considers Lovett a sister,
began to cry as she testified that, at one point in the relationship,
Lovett called her, screaming hysterically, to come pick up her son."Her voice was
cracking, she was screaming in the phone. ... She said he was going to
... kill her and she was worried about her and (her son) and please
please come over," Phillips testified.Phillips said she called Child Protective Services,
police and her father about the marks she saw on Lovett and her son.Lovett's mother, Linda
Villerot, also testified Tuesday. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Melissa
Keyes requested the court's permission to have Villerot picked up at her
home Tuesday morning because she had not responded to a subpoena.Villerot testified she
has been living with Joe Galvan's brother for the past four years. She
said she never saw Joe Galvan physically abuse her grandson.Villerot said after Joe
and Jennifer Galvan gained custody of Prhaze, she was not allowed to
see her.She said
she would have called authorities if she saw bruises on the girl."I would never have let
her go back to that house," Villerot said.As she left the courtroom, Villerot was crying.Several other witnesses
also were called to the stand Tuesday, including a forensic scientist
who said she found vomit on several clothing items taken from the
Galvans' house.Testimony
is to continue at 9 a.m. today.

Shame on all the adults in Prhaze's short life. He mother abandoned her - gave her up to her violent father. That's a big fat FAILED TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD and I wish the law allowed for Lovett to get life in jail as well as her father and step mother because ultimately she was her mother who was responsible for Prhaze's welfare and people should be made accountable for their choices. All the adults in this dear little girls life let her down in the worst possible way.

As a pastor talked Friday about Bible verses and faith in God, Cassandra
Lovett stooped over her daughter's grave -- her hands on her cheeks, tears rolling down her face.



Seeing Jennifer and Joe Galvan sent to prison for the 3-year-old's
Jan. 15 murder doesn't take away her pain, Lovett said. All it means is
Prhaze Galvan -- Joe's daughter and Jennifer's stepdaughter -- can rest.
"She knows the people who did that to her are locked up," Lovett said.
"I don't think she could rest if they were free."The
little girl's death has changed her life, Lovett said. Aside from being
filled with grief, Lovett said she is consumed by guilt.
Joe and Jennifer Galvan had custody of Prhaze when she died after
being beaten in their Kimball Township home. Lovett, who for some time
had been separated from Joe Galvan, was in jail at the time.
That, Lovett said, is something she will live with for the rest of her life."It's
messed me up. It's messed me up bad," she said, adding that hiding her
guilt requires constant effort. "I feel like I caused this ... (like) I
could have stopped it."Lovett and about 25 others gathered in Woodland Cemetery on Friday morning,
about 30 minutes after the Galvans were sentenced to life in prison
without parole.Many said the ceremony at Prhaze's grave was meant to help bring closure and
mark the sentencing. Others said it also was designed to keep the abuse
she suffered in the forefront of everyone's minds."We're
here because we all care and want this to stop," said Jacko Suisse of
Fort Gratiot, president of the North American Riders Against Child
Abuse. "Together we stand, and divided we fall. We (stood together) and prevailed for baby Prhaze."

The public might never know whether St. Clair County's Department of
Human Services erred in its handling of Prhaze Galvan's home life
before she was murdered.
The Michigan Office of Children's Ombudsman issued a report outlining its recommendations to DHS for its handling of the case.But
missing from that report is the office's findings -- what DHS or Child
Protective Services did leading up to Prhaze's murder and whether those
actions followed policy.Charlotte
Smith, acting supervisor and intake investigator, said her office is
prohibited from disclosing or discussing the findings of its
investigation.She
said state law prohibits the office from revealing those findings
except to a select few people, including legislators. Even then, Smith
said, those reports are heavily censored to follow privacy laws -- and
legislators are not supposed to discuss the findings.While the recommendations that are disclosed aren't detailed, "the full report itself was not vague," Smith said."Findings are much more detailed about what the agency may have failed to do," she said.Only
a select few can get the findings report, including lawmakers, family
members and those who are mandated by law to report child abuse, such as
teachers and doctors.To get the report, however, those people would have had to sign on as a complainant at the beginning of the investigation.Prhaze
was murdered Jan. 15 by her father, Joe Galvan, and stepmother,
Jennifer Galvan. The two were sentenced in August to life in prison.Mary DeWitt, who cared for Prhaze for nine months, said it is "ridiculous" the report is not public."They
need to put this information out," she said. "(DHS workers) don't want
the public to know how ignorant they were time after time after time. I
think they should put it in the newspaper, what their findings were,
what the workers did."How many more kids have to go through this before someone steps in and says, 'start looking at all the circumstances'?"St.
Clair County DHS Director Kay Andrzejak was not available for comment
Tuesday. According to her voice mail, she was not at work. The person
the voice mail said to contact instead did not return messages seeking
comment.
State Sen. Jud Gilbert, R-Algonac, received a report with the findings
but has read through it only once. He said he needs to sit down with an
ombudsman official to sift through what the findings mean.
He also would not share what the findings said because he was unsure about what is and what is not confidential in the report.Smith said the entire report is confidential.Gilbert
said that from his initial reading, "I don't see anything from a policy
or legislative standpoint that I'll necessarily go forward on."Deciding whether a child is put back into a home is a difficult decision, he said."I
look at these as very, very difficult decisions," he said. "While
procedures and policies can be improved, it is pretty clear to me there
is no guarantee no matter what you do."The document outlining "recommendations" from the ombudsman office was sent to the Times Herald on Aug. 31.It
does not say whether DHS shared blame for the 3-year-old's murder, nor
did it provide details of what actions DHS or Child Protective Services
made before or after Prhaze's death.For
instance, in its first "recommendation" to the St. Clair County DHS,
the ombudsman office said the DHS should "identify what steps it will
take to ensure that CPS investigations comply with required policies,
and that risk and safety instruments accurately reflect family history
and child safety."But the document does not say whether DHS and CPS followed proper protocol in the Galvan case.