HOUSTON -- Child Protective Services is investigating the case of a 3-year-old boy who weighs just 17 pounds, which is about the size of a typical 6-month-old. But while CPS is looking into this family, the agency may have to answer some questions itself.
Officials say his mother brought the boy to the hospital Friday, October 16, and told them "he wasn’t right." Holliday's neighbor believes the boy's mother didn't intentionally starve him.
“He wouldn’t eat. She tried, she tried. He wouldn’t eat,” said Kathy Scott, Holliday's neighbor.
Scott has known the family for two months. They live in the same northwest side apartment complex.
“She did all she could for him. The reason I know is I watched the other kids while she took care of them,” said Scott.
Holliday’s son suffers from seizures and other health problems, but doctors say that’s unrelated to his body’s starvation.
“There really is no medical reason why he’s not eating or gaining weight. He does have some issues but nothing that would make him malnourished,” Child Protective Services spokesperson Estella Olguin said
CPS has investigated the family twice before.
In January and November of 2008, CPS looked into allegations of neglect with the Holliday family but found no signs of problems. Now, with the boy sick and in the hospital, officials are looking into the organization.
This is because the toddler’s hospitalization comes after the deaths of three children this year. All died after CPS investigated the families. Now State CPS officials are investigating CPS in southeast Texas. The area is called Region 6.
"(A review team) randomly pulled 200 cases to look at patterns and trends of some areas that we feel workers need maybe additional training in,” said Olguin.
The result of that state investigation should be in by the end of October.
“We know this is an issue we’re struggling with in these cases where there’s been previous history with CPS. What is it we’re not capturing?” said Olguin.
Holliday's 6-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter were also living with her. Both children have been placed into foster care. CPS indicated a grandmother and aunt live nearby and knew of the youngest brother’s severe malnutrition but did not actively intervene.
The boy's siblings will also undergo full medical exams to determine their health. Both are considered small for their age.
“They might be kind of small for their age, but she cooked for them,” said Scott.
They too have developmental problems. None of the children have attended school.
