DCF Admits Mistake in Child's Death

Ashley and Tammi Baker were the care takers of five month old Gabriel Golden when he died earlier this month. They found him unresponsive inside their home, and he later died.

Top managers with DCF are admitting the agency made mistakes. William DAiuto is the top administrator for the Lake County area. He said that clearly the agency could have done more.

DCF first got involved when someone complained about Gabriel's biological parents. The Goldens left Gabriel with the Bakers to be his care takers. DCF now says they focused too much attention on the Goldens and not enough on the Bakers.

A new DCF report concludes the investigator was supposed to do a background check on the Bakers within 72 hours, but he waited almost thirty days to do the check.

How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter?

Investigation News - How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Babysitter and nanny checks can help you find the right caregiver for your child.

If you are hiring a nanny, au pair, babysitter, tutor, or child caregiver of any kind, you need to check carefully. The news is full of stories of children who have been abused, hurt, and even killed through the recklessness or instability of the adult who was entrusted to care for them. Sadly, behind each of these headlines is a real-life tragedy. You do not want this to happen to you, so if you rely on anyone to care for your child - whether for weeks or just a few hours, you should consider running a thorough nanny check or babysitter check.

Experts recommend that at the very least you check:

1) References. This means more than glancing at the names a caregiver has printed on their resume. Call each reference and ask very specific questions: How long have you known this person? How did you find this caregiver? Can you give some specific examples of what the caregiver did right? Can you give an example of something you were unpleased with? How long did this person care for your child or children? Would you hire this person again? Why do you no longer hire this person (if this is the case)? Remember: caregivers can ask friends and..."