An investigation into the overdose death of a 10-month-old infant revealed that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) had closed a child abuse/neglect case against the child’s family three weeks before the infant’s overdose death from a mixture of Fentanyl, Xylazine and cocaine, according to a new report by the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA).
Marcello Meadows died June 28, 2023, from an overdose. His mother, Alexandra Polino, had a long criminal and drug abuse history, including an older child who had tested positive for opioids in 2019, which was not reported to DCF at the time. Polino completed community service for substance use but was arrested in 2022 for shoplifting with her three-year-old in tow, a violation of her probation. The OCA report indicates there was little in-home follow-up by probation staff, “Contrary to agency policies.”
Marcello was born with cocaine and opioids already in his system, resulting in a referral to DCF. Marcello’s father also had a substance abuse history. DCF attempted to keep the family together with in-home services through its Family Based Recovery (FBR) program, a treatment model developed by Yale University and administered by DCF contractors. However, the OCA report indicates that multiple drug tests were not conducted on Marcello’s mother or father.
Polino’s methadone provider requested a welfare check on Polino after they hadn’t seen her for more than 20 days, and the infant was found deceased at a relative’s home the next day from an overdose. Police found evidence of opioid use in Polino’s home and in the bedroom where she slept with the children.
The full report details several breakdowns in probation’s handling of Polino’s case: she was kept on probation in 2019, 2021, and 2022 despite arrests for theft; probation officials did not conduct in-home assessments despite knowing her history, and “did not make regular efforts” serve Polino with outstanding warrants before the infant’s death.
The report also indicates that DCF did not conduct adequate background checks and assessments; kept the newborn in the home with his parents, despite safety concerns; a directive for in-home visits twice a week was not followed; there was no testing of Polino for Fentanyl for several months, and there was little follow-up when Polino tested positive for Fentanyl in spring of 2023. According to the OCA report, DCF did not initiate an internal investigation or disciplinary proceedings for the staff involved in Marcello’s case.
“DCF closed its case with Marcello’s family in June of 2023 despite Ms. Polino having tested positive for Fentanyl on multiple occasions, and without conducting a meaningful assessment of Marcello’s father,” the OCA Executive Summary says.
According to DCF records highlighted in the OCA’s report, Polino “maintained her sobriety” for several months in 2022 and 2023, despite testing positive for cocaine in 2022 and Fentanyl in 2023. Despite the issues, the DCF contractor indicated Polino had completed the in-home requirements for the FBR program, and they closed her case. A little more than a week later, Marcello was found dead and Polino was arrested.
The report on Marcello by the OCA is the second such report on the death of an infant who was under the supervision of DCF in the past several months. In October of 2023, OCA issued a report on the death of 2-year-old Liam Rivera who was under supervision by DCF due to abuse and neglect by his parents. The OCA recommended the state and General Assembly exercise greater supervision over DCF’s operations.
In their interview with OCA, the treatment provider for in-home services indicated the service breakdowns were “likely affected by staff turnover during the treatment episode, and that service delivery in general is affected by workforce recruitment and retention challenges, including the lack of contractual funding for a full time FBR supervisor.”
DCF, which was removed from federal oversight in 2022, indicated in the report that they have contracted with an outside policy consultant in January of 2023 to “create a more holistic” quality improvement plan and are focused on improving their assessments of families dealing with fentanyl addiction, enhancing testing, engaging with fathers, and addressing staff turnover.
“Connecticut continues to experience a workforce shortage and the Department will continue to strategize with the provider community to develop solutions,” DCF wrote in their response. “Challenges existed with staffing in the FBR provider network, and turnover occurred specifically with members of the FBR team working with this family leaving those directly involved newer to their roles.”
The Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division, which includes probation services, indicated they are currently conducting their first audit of adult probation policy.
According to the report, there have been 11 overdose deaths in Connecticut of children aged 5 and under since 2020 associated with Fentanyl and opioid intoxication. Marcello was the eleventh such death. “Notably, Connecticut has persistently been in the top ten of all states for adult opioid overdoses per 100,000 adults,” the report states, “and public health responses must include specific attention to the needs of caregivers with opioid use disorder and their children.”
In an emailed statement, DCF Commissioner Designate Jodi Hill-Lilly said the department is continuing to make improvements in response to the state’s Fentanyl epidemic.
“We keep Marcello in our thoughts as we do his family, friends, neighbors, community members, and Department staff who mourn his untimely death,” Hill-Lilly said. “To honor Marcello’s legacy, we remain in consultation with state, local, and national experts to revise our substance use disorder policy and will continue to partner with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the adult substance use community, law enforcement, medical professionals, and others to enhance the systematic approach to this public health crisis.”
The OCA recommended improved safety planning for substance abuse cases involving families with children, a review of the impact of “telework and workforce trends on DCF case practice,” and enhanced treatment and support for caregivers with substance use disorder.
“Policy makers should work with DCF to address factors contributing to inconsistent practice, including staffing challenges, the impact of widespread virtual work, and community service gaps, so that monitored plan for improvement can be established,” the executive summary said.
**This article has been updated to reflect that there were 11 child overdose deaths due to Fentanyl or opioid exposure since 2020. The original cited number of 40, was number of deaths or near deaths listed in the study**
**This story was updated with comments from DCF Commissioner Designate Jodi Hill-Lilly**
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In November of 2022, my ex-husband assaulted his 4 year old stepson in the presence of our 2 minor children, his fiancé (victim’s mother) and their 2 children. DCF became involved, the case was substantiated. The local police investigator reached out to me to bring my 12 year old daughter in for a videotaped recount of the incident. In August 2023 DCF took the case to trial and I never heard anything regarding the outcome. In December a warrant was issued by local police for my ex to be arrested for risk of injury. An entire year later and DCF had already closed their case and his stepson has been back in the home since August. Anything could have happened to him from August to January when the arrest was actually made. On top of all this, when my ex found out in December 2023 that there was a warrant issued for his arrest from the 2022 assault, he served me for motion of contempt stating that I had not allowed him visitation since November 2022 when this was part of the safety plan set forth by DCF and my ex cut off communication with my girls in January of 2023 stating my daughter had betrayed him by talking to DCF, said he wouldn’t see them anymore and wished them luck. DCF won’t support my kids safety because they don’t reside in his home. Like no one besides me is concerned that my ex wanted nothing to do with my girls for almost a year and a half but now he wants visitation with the main witness in his criminal case. I’m scared to death! This organizations and systems don’t communicate with each other and children are dying! It has to stop!!!
This is statement is false, “Connecticut continues to experience a workforce shortage …,” DCF wrote in their response.”
What is true, DCF does a poor job selecting cases and harms children. There are many more cases where DCF gets involved and should not be involved. See the problem research here > https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378231779_Removing_a_child_A_painfully_imperfect_calculation
DCF investigation records document that “no concerns were assessed for [Marcello’s father] during the course
of the investigation.” The record states that DCF did ask Marcello’s father to schedule a “toxicology screen.”
DCF staff identified him as the central sober caregiver in Marcello’s Safety Plan.
MARC, THIS IS A VERY TELLING POINT! IM SURPRISED YOU DIDN’T POINT THIS OUT!
Doesn’t anyone find it strange that fathers are continuously catered to and pampered and reports of violence and the fathers involvement in the Criminal Justice system are literally withheld, not included when it pertains to fathers whom are a danger to children in Connecticut???
This is NOT just a one time occurrence, but happens to every case involving violent fathers, DCF, DSS, Superior Court and criminal justice programs.
Why is NO ORGANIZATIONA, LEGAL PROFESSIONALS, MEDIA, WOMEN AND CHILDREN ENTITIES SPEAKING OUT ON THE MILLIONS (BILLIONS) SPENT ON FATHERS RIGHTS IN THE WELFARE INDUSTRY???
THERE IS TOO MUCH MONEY INCENTIVE TO PORTRAY MOTHERS AS “GATEKEEPERS, VULNERABLE, INCAPABLE”, AND INCORRECTLY PORTRAY “FATHERS AS WELL ADJUSTED, SOBER, AND BETTER EQUIPPED TO RAISE CHILDREN” OVER THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN!!
ITS COMMON SENSE THAT BILLIONS TO FUND A FEDERAL FATHERHOOD GOVERNMENT ENTITY WILL CREATE SEX BIAS TOWARDS MOTHERS/WOMEN!!
WHERE IS THE MOTHERHOOD.GOV??
NON EXISTENT, BUT WHY??
VAWA IS FOR VICTIMS, NOT MOMS, FSTHETHOOD.GOV HELPS FATHERS, NOT MOMS YET THESE TWO GOVERNMENT ENTITIES EXISTENT AS RIVALS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
WE ALL KNOW FATHER RIGHTS GROUPS, GUISED AS REALLY BEING MENS RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE BEEN ATTACKING VAWA FOR DECADES.
WHY WOULD A FATHERHOOD (INITIALLY IN 1994 BEING A MENS RIGHTS GROUP) ORGANIZATION FIGHT AGAINST A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION THAT IS TO HELP VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIMES?
WHILE VAWA WAS INITIALLY INTENDED FOR WOMEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, MENS RIGHTS GROUPS FILED SUPREME COURT CASES INITIATED AND REMOVED THE MOST IMPORTANT PROVISION OF VAWA, WHICH WAS THE RIGHT FOR A WOMAN VICTIM TO SUE FOR VAWA VIOLATIONS, AND NOW MEN VICTIMS ARE HELPED BY VAWA.
WOMEN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE NEED THIS PROTECTION BECAUSE WOMEN DO NOT HAVE THE LAWS APPLIED TO THEM EQUALLY UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND HAVE LESS PROTECTIONS FROM VIOLENCE.
WOMEN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE BY MEN HAVE HAD THEIR FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE SLOWLY CHIPPED AWAY BY FEDERALISTS/A.K.A MENS RIGHTS GROUPS, WHY IS NO ONE DISCUSSING THIS AND THE SEX DISCRIMINATION THAT FATHERHOOD FUNDING IS CREATING??