http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26185506-421,00.htmlA SEVEN-week-old baby could be forced to be with his alcoholic mother as she undertakes rehabilitation because DOCS wants to save time and money.
Baby "Jake" - the fifth child to be removed from the mother's care - has been placed with a foster family.
And even though there is no medical reason why the baby should go to rehab, case workers have booked him into Odyssey House in southwest Sydney with his mother, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Jake's horrified foster carer said that the woman drank all through the pregnancy with her newest son and the carer now fears for his safety.
Jake has thrived with the foster carer after being born at full term weighing just 2.2kg - the weight of a six-week premature baby. In his first three weeks in care, Jake gained 1.5kg.
His carer believes Jake is being sent to rehab so DOCS can avoid the costs and staff time of taking him to three weekly meetings with his mother, visits she has regularly missed.
"Somebody has to transport him, supervise and that costs a bit of money. The only drug rehab they could get the mother into is quite a distance from here," Jake's carer said.
"He came into care as a two-day-old, straight from hospital. He is baby number five of a chronic alcoholic. All four of his older siblings are in long-term foster care."
"They (DOCS) were going to be asking (the court) for him to go into long-term care like his siblings. That was the plan.
"Then they decided the baby can go to rehab with the mother. She's done rehab before and it has not been successful."
For legal reasons baby Jake, not his real name, his mother and foster carer cannot be identified.
DOCS admitted it had decided to send Jake to rehab with his mother but last night, after inquiries from The Daily Telegraph and a complaint by the carer to the NSW Ombudsman, said the decision was under review.
"If the baby is to stay with the mother at Odyssey House, he will be placed in a nursery and receive 24-hour care from specialist staff," a DOCS spokeswoman said.
"While at Odyssey House, the mother's parenting skills will be assessed over a four to six-week period and Community Services will use this assessment to inform future decisions about his care.
"No decision has been made about the long-term care of the baby."
Opposition community services spokeswoman Pru Goward said Jake should remain with his foster carer.
"The community is sick to death of neglectful and abusive parents being given non-stop chances to prove themselves - all the while as the needs of the child come last," she said.
DOCS alerted the carer to the rehab move two days ago, at the same time as the NSW Ombudsman released a damning report into how the department had failed Ebony, the girl whose starvation death shocked the state.
Experts said yesterday a low birth weight was one symptom of foetal alcohol syndrome and if the disability was confirmed, Jake would likely have an intellectual impairment, cognitive difficulties and behavioural problems.
One of his siblings suffers from the condition and Jake has fortnightly appointments at a Sydney hospital with a paediatrician.
Subject: DOCS books baby into rehab with alcoholic mother 
October 8th 2009, 11:59 pm
