By LYNN ARDITI and AMANDA MILKOVITS
Journal Staff Writers
CRANSTON, R.I. -- The Cranston police are investigating the death of a 2 1/2 year-old girl who died while in foster care Wednesday evening.
The girl was found unresponsive in her bed on Imperial Avenue at 6:20 p.m. The girl had just come home from daycare and her foster mother had thought she was taking a nap. When she found the child unresponsive she called for help, Janice E. DeFrances, director of the state Department of Children, Youth and Families said Thursday.
The department placed the girl's 4-year-old brother, who was also at the home, in another foster home, DeFrances said.
Preliminary findings form the autopsy showed no sign of trauma, DeFrances said. Investigators are waiting for toxicology reports to come back, which may take several weeks, she said.
The foster mother, who was licensed by the DCYF, had the siblings for "less than a month," DeFrances said.
Children placed in foster care are generally supposed to be seen by a doctor within 30 days, she said. DeFrances couldn't immediately recall whether the child had been evaluated since she was placed at the home.
"It's a very unfortunate situation, a very traumatic situation,'' DeFrances said. "We feel badly for all the families involved with this child because she's touched everyone."
An earlier version of this report was posted at 2:18 p.m.