Baby Bella--a systematic failure of family, neighbor, medicine and the state

    It seems the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is in the middle of another tragedy.  Bella Bond, for months known as "Baby Doe" was identified and her mother and her mother's boyfriend were arraigned on charges related to her murder today.  The reality is Bella never had a chance.  Her mother had already lost two of her children to the system, when her parental rights were terminated.   Bella's family failed, Bella's doctors failed, as did her social workers and her neighbors.  
   When Rachel Bond was admitted to the hospital where Bella was born, the staff took her history.  It would have revealed that she had given birth in the past.  Further questioning, and they would have discovered that she had had her parental rights terminated.  At that point, the hospital's social service department could have implemented a plan to follow up on Bella, designating her as "high risk" of neglect and arranged for her and Bond to be monitored.  Is there such a system in place for high risk infants?  If there isn't, there should be.
   Baby Bella had family, we know of an Aunt, grandparents and a father.  Each and every one of them failed this child.  She disappeared from their lives, she disappeared from Facebook.  They dismissed the composite photo of "Baby Doe."  While the may be mourning, they should be examining the family dynamics that allowed a child to fall from view, without a word. The same can be said for her neighbors.
   Finally, DCF, no case that is supported for "neglect" should ever be closed.  Once neglect is found, the family should be followed until the child is safely into adulthood.  DCF should link to the child's daycare, pediatrician and schools.  If a child misses a scheduled medical appointment, they should be notified automatically, if they aren't in school or daycare for a few days without sufficient reasons, DCF should receive an alert. In addition, every child who has received DCF services, should be swabbed, and their DNA kept in a data base, this simple practice would have aided in the identification of Baby Bella, and brought her killer to justice sooner, and likely preserved crucial evidence.
   Would all these systems require significant investment, and monitoring?  Yes, it would, but at what point will we say the the most vulnerable among us, should be protected at any cost?