B.C. coroner, RCMP investigate death of 6-week-old infant

Police, B.C.'s coroner service and the province are investigating the recent death of a six-week-old infant that had been under the care of a family friend as part of a plan created by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the baby's parents, according to the parents' lawyer. 

Now, the family's lawyer is raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding the child's death and the reasons he was not under the parents' care.

Child protection lawyer Roslyn Chambers says the baby boy, Valentino, was born on June 25, and two days later, a safety plan was created by social workers with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) after a police wellness check at his parents' home. 

It is not clear what triggered the wellness check.

Minister of Children and Family Development Grace Lore said the province receives about 48,000 reports of concern about the safety of a child each year.

According to B.C.'s representative for children and youth, Jennifer Charlesworth, a safety plan is created when a social worker assesses a situation where a child might be at risk for a variety of reasons. She said the plan is typically established in collaboration with the family, and generally allows for the family to maintain a relationship with the child.

"The safety plan is really to try and ensure that the family has the opportunity to inform and influence where they think the child could be safe if they're not temporarily safe with the biological parents," Charlesworth told CBC. 

Chambers says Surrey RCMP officers went to the home and found what they believed to be drug paraphernalia. 

She said the officers found a bag containing a white powdery substance, but Chambers said it was salt that the infant's father uses in his work as a tattoo artist.

RCMP communicated their observations to MCFD, which then made the safety plan in collaboration with the baby's parents, Chambers said. 

Chambers said the mother, Chyanna Baker, gave social workers three options for safe care of her child: Baker's mother, who worked outside the home and could not provide care 24 hours a day, seven days a week; a family friend who was unable to care for the child for personal reasons; and another family friend.

Chambers said the third option was determined to be the best, but said it's unclear whether anyone from MCFD went to the home or did any sort of background check to ensure it was safe. 

"We're not even clear if that friend was checked out. And if that friend wasn't checked out, it doesn't make any sense. It just doesn't make any sense," Chambers said. 

Part of the plan allowed the mother to visit her child at the friend's home, Chambers said, adding that the mother was "staying overnight most nights."