Posted on Tue, Oct. 14, 2008
Philadelphia's Department of Human Services finally handled some overdue housecleaning by firing two more supervisors implicated in the 2006 starvation death of Danieal Kelly.
Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose last week dismissed Ingrid Hawk and Shawn Davis, who supervised one of the caseworkers charged with child endangerment for doing nothing to save Danieal.
The 14-year-old girl died while under the care of her mother and the supervision of DHS and a private contractor hired by the agency. The child, who had cerebral palsy, weighed only 42 pounds when her emaciated and bedsore-ridden body was found.
Ambrose also accepted the retirement of Martha Poller and the resignation of Valerie Mond, who were allowed to leave before the slow-moving department could fire them.
Ambrose called the egregious neglect of duty by Poller, Mond, Hawk and Davis "unconscionable." None of the four were criminally charged, but they were among seven city workers lambasted in a scathing grand jury report that blamed DHS for failing to protect the child. The report said "a share of the stain of responsibility for Danieal's death remains on their hands."
Two other DHS workers also suspended have since retired, collecting juicy pension benefits. A third was suspended briefly without pay. Criminal charges were filed against nine people, including the child's parents and DHS workers Dana Poindexter and Laura Sommerer.
Ambrose must make cleaning up the agency and restoring public confidence in DHS her top priority. That means implementing sweeping reforms recommended last year by a blue-ribbon panel to better protect vulnerable children.
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