KENDALL
KENDALL CHICK'S DEATH -- ALONG WITH THAT OF MARISSA KENNEDY JUST TWO MONTHS LATER --
PROMPTED MAINE'S DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO
TAKE A HARD LOOK AT HOW CHILDREN
IN4@
THE SYSTEM ARE TRACKED AND KEPT
SAFE.
NEWS CENTER'S DON CARRIGAN HAS
THAT PART OF THE STORY FROM 4@
AUGUSTA, WHERE, THIS4@ AFTERNOO
D-H-H-S RELEASED SOME DETAILS
ABOUT KENDELL'S CASE FILE.4@
DON?
4@
DON? 4@
DON? 4@ THIS IS A TERRIBLY SAD STORY.
AND IT HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING TO4@
MANY
MANY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HAD NO ANSWERS FROM DHHS. TODAY, WE4@
GOT
GOT A
GOT A FEW.4@ SUPER: FILE VIDEO
SEN. BILL DIAMOND / JUSTICE BILL
STOKES / SUPERIOS COURT
OUTCUE: JUST A FEW MONTHS
AWAY."4@
RUNS:
AWAY."4@ RUNS:
RUNS:
RUNS: LITTLE KENDALL CHICK WAS BARELY
FOUR YEARS OLD WHEN HER GRANDFATHER'S FIANCE KILLED
HER. BEATEN AND ABUSED
REPEATEDLY UNTIL SHE DIED AT
THEIR WISCASSET HOME.
BUT HER SHORT LIFE AND BRUTAL
DEATH STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS
THAT COULD LEAD TO CHANGE 4@IN
MAINE'S CHILD PROTECTIVE4@4@
SYSTEM.
KENDALL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE
4@
4@ HOME
4@ HOME OF STEPHEN HOOD AND SHAWNA GATTO BY DHHS IN MAY OF 2016.
AFTER BEING 4@
TAKEN AWAY FROM HER MOTHER
ALICIA , BECAUSE OF NEGLECT.
THE
MOTHER HAD DRUG PROBLEMS.
ALICIA SAID LAST YEAR SHE ASKED
THE MOTHER HAD DRUG PROBLEMS. ALICIA SAID LAST YEAR SHE ASKED@
FOR KENDALL TO BE PLACED IN THA@
HOME. DHHS SAYS THAT TOO.
KENDALL'S MOTHER WAS AT A 4@
PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTER WHEN
SHE WAS TOLD OF
HER DAUGHTER'S DEATH.
I HADN'T SEEN MY DAUGHTER IN A
YEAR AND A HALF.
THE GRANDFATHER SAID DHHS DID
NOT SEE KENDALL MUCH EITHER. HE
YEAR AND A HALF. THE GRANDFATHER SAID DHHS DID NOT SEE KENDALL MUCH EITHER. HE@
TESTIFIED IN COURT THE STATE
MADE ONLY ONE VISIT TO THEM 4@
HOME IN THREE YEARS.4@
STATE SENATOR BILL DIAMOND SAYS
HE AND OTHERS WANT TO KNOW IF
THAT'S TRUE.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WENT THROUGH ALL
OUR 4@
MINDS, MINE IN PARTICULAR,
BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT4@
THIS A LOT, IS MAYBE ONE MORE
VISIT IN THE LAST YEAR MIGHT
HAVE
SAVED THAT LITTLE GIRL'S LIFE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, TODAY DHHS4@
HAS REVEALED THIS HISTORY IF
THE CASE.
IT SHOWS THAT AFTER KENDALL WAS
PLACED IN THE WISCASSET
HOME, THERE WERE A SERIES OF
PHONE CALLS BETWEEN DHHS4@
AND SHAWNA GATTO BETWEEN JUNE
AND OCTOBER OF 2016.
IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ONE4@
VISIT TO THE HOME EACH MONTH.
ANOTHER PHONE CALL IN JANUARY.
THE NEXT MONTH FEBRUARY 2017
DHHS CLOSED THE CASE.
THE NEXT CONTACT WAS IN DECEMBE@
OF THAT YEAR WHEN
THEY WERE NOTIFIED KENDALL WAS
DEAD. 4@
HOW DID THINGS APPARENTLY GO SO
WRONG IN THE HOME? THE
GRANDFATHER TESTIFIED HE WAS
TOLD BY GATTO KENDALL "FELL A 4@
LOT"
JUSTICE BILL STOKES SEES IT
4@
4@ DIFFERENTLY. THERE WERE PEOPLE AROUND THIS
HOUSEHOLD..WHO
CLOSED THEIR EYES TO THIS.
SENATOR DIAMOND SAYS HE HAS
TAKEN A STRONG INTEREST IN4@
4@
4@ KENDALL CHICK'S SAD STORY. HE SAYS IT BECAME CLEAR EARLY ON 4@
DHHS WAS UNDERSTAFFED,
ESPECIALLY FOR CHILD WELFARE
CASEWORKERS. DHHS SAID TODAY IT
HAS HIRED 100 MORE STAFF SINCE4@
LAST FALL. AND THE NEW BUDGET
4@4@
4@4@ CALLS FOR 62 MORE. I THINK, HOW MANY IS ENOUGH IS
WHEN THEY CAN DO THEIR4@
CASELOADS WITHOUT BRINGING KIDS
I THINK, HOW MANY IS ENOUGH IS WHEN THEY CAN DO THEIR4@ CASELOADS WITHOUT BRINGING KIDS@
TO HOTELS CAUSE THERE'S NO
PLACE TO PUT THEM, WHEN THEY
DON'T HAVE TO BRING KIDS TO
THEIR OFFICE DURING THE DAY TO4@
TAKE CARE OF THE CHILD WHEN
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING
OTHER WORK.
THE QUES4@TIONS WILL CONTINUE,
WITH THE TRIAL FOR THE KILLING4@
OF 10 YEAR OLD MARISSA KENNEDY
JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY.
4@
DHHS HAS NOT PROVIDED DETAILS OF
THE ACTUAL INTERACTIONS
DHHS HAS NOT PROVIDED DETAIL4@S
DHHS HAS NOT PROVIDED DETAILS OF THE ACTUAL INTERACTIONS DHHS HAS NOT PROVIDED DETAIL4@SF
THE ACTUAL INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN GATTO AND CASEWORKLERS.
BUT THEY DID SAY
THAT AN INVESTIGATION AFTER
KENDALL'S DEATH SHOWED4@
PROBLEMS. 4@
"THE DEPARTMENT FOUND DEFICITS
IN THE CASEWORK PRACTICE AND
4@
4@ OVERSIGHT, INCLUDING FAILURES TO ADHERE TO 4@
AGENCY POLICIES IN THE KINSHIP
HOME STUDY."
NEITHER PARENT ENGAGED IN THE
SERVICES RECOMMENDED BY 4@
THE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE
KENDALL'S SAFETY IN THEIR CARE
AND
KENDALL REMAINED IN THE HOME OF
KENDALL'S SAFETY IN THEIR CARE AND KENDALL REMAINED IN THE HOME OF@
HER PATERNAL G4@RANDFATHER AND
SHAWNA GATTO."4@4@
DHHS SAYS IT HAS GIVEN THE FULL
CASE REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE'@
OPEGA AGENCY. SO LAWMAKERS WILL
PRESUMABLY BE ABLE TO GET
MORE DETAILS OF EXACTLY WHAT
STAFF MEMBERS AND THE 4@
GUARDIANS OF KENDALL CHICK DID
4@
4@ AND
4@ AND DID NOT DO. 4@
4@
TWO
TWO MEN
TWO MEN INVOLVED IN A BRAWL IN LEWISTON LAST