They want to know whether this is yet another case of Houston area caseworkers missing warning signs before a child's death.

Dalton Young was a special needs student at Magnolia I.S.D.'s Nichols Sawmill Elementary School. CPS spokeswoman Gwen Carter says he had birth defects and a variety of health conditions and mental illnesses.

Autopsy results aren't in yet, but caseworkers had an investigation open prior to his death to determine whether Dalton and his twin brother were being abused.

A woman who says she was Young's first teacher emailed FOX 26 News asking us to look into the case. The state decided to launch the review on Wednesday following our phone calls.

The teacher, who now lives in Austin and asked not to be identified, says she made at least two phone calls to CPS beginning around 2004 after noticing marks and bruises on Dalton.

"I was concerned a child that small wouldn't be able to tell you exactly what happened," said the teacher.

CPS caseworkers began visiting the home six years ago. Carter says there have been eight investigations. The allegations included physical abuse of Dalton and his twin brother by one or both parents and physical and medical neglect.

In all eight cases CPS ruled out the allegations or couldn't determine if they occurred.

On Monday, April 26, Dalton died. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched to the family's home on Sawmill Road concerning a child not breathing.

Deputies reported the child has a medical condition that may have caused him to be underweight.

"When I found out about the death and knowing my concerns from years ago, I wonder if the ball was dropped for him," said the teacher.

Last year a scathing report blasted CPS caseworkers for regularly missing warning signs that Houston area children were in danger in their own homes.

Two toddlers, Emma Thompson and David Tijerina, along with infant Amber MacCurdy all died during CPS or after CPS investigations.

"I want people to be diligent when they investigate and not think we're on a witch hunt," said the teacher.

The state issued the following statement.

"DFPS Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein has asked for an external review of CPS involvement with the family of Dalton Young, to be conducted by a child abuse pediatrician with the Forensic Assessment Center Network (FACN). The network is based at the UT Health Science Center in Houston, and has affiliates at other Texas medical schools.

The review will help the Commissioner determine if CPS took adequate steps to consider the child's birth defects, special needs, and other complex mental illness and medical conditions, in the abuse/neglect investigations conducted by the agency since 2004.

We share the public's concern with this case, which is why we have assigned CPS state headquarters staff to review all of the case work, along with the external medical review. We hope to have both completed as soon as possible."

Dalton's twin brother and two older sisters have been removed from the home by CPS. They were placed with other relatives.

The teacher says she was truly touched by this boy when she had him for two years as a student. She still keeps a picture of him on her desk and has always hoped he would be okay.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100505-teacher:-cps-
weren't-diligent-in-case-of-now-dead-child

Emphasis added by H4K Editor