State and county social-services officials conceded that more could have been done in the case of the 7-year-old boy who authorities said was starved to death by his caregivers.
But Colorado Department of Human Services executive director Karen Beye said that would not have guaranteed Chandler Grafner would be alive today or that any changes stemming from a report on the case released today would save another child.
“Sadly, we cannot assure you that another child will never be hurt or killed after they became involved in the child-welfare system in Colorado,” she said at a morning news conference. “However, we are committed to using what we learned to make changes in the system as a result of this child’s death.”
Jon Phillips, who had a child with Chandler’s mother, and his partner, Sarah Berry, face murder charges in Chandler’s death. They had custody of the boy.
The report found that social-services officials had been involved with the child’s family since 2004 and visited the family in January, months before the child’s death on May 6, investigating whether Chandler had been physically abused. Denver Human Services determined that the abuse complaint was unfounded.
Roxane White, manager of DHS, said the department should have determined that the case was inconclusive, but she couldn’t say what would have changed with that determination. There would not have been additional visits without a new complaint, she said.
She also defended not visiting the child after the school reported in April that Chandler had not attended school since early March, saying they were informed that Chandler would be home-schooled.
Beye said, ultimately, Phillips and Berry were responsible for Chandler’s death. They were bound over for trial earlier this month by a Denver county judge.
Staff writer Arthur Kane can be reached at 303-954-1244 or akane@denverpost.com.
