Canton baby starved to death, so why did social workers close prior probes over his care?

CANTON ‒ Stark County social workers twice began reviewing the care of baby Royale Rush by his family during his 11 months of life.

Both probes were deemed resolved and closed by Children Services, the latter one ending in March.

Three months later, the starving baby was dead .

Canton police detective Kevin Sedares testified during a court hearing last week that the baby weighed just a smidgen more than 10 pounds when pronounced dead at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital on June 25.

"A lot of people dropped the ball on this case," he said.

Royale's parents are accused of crimes that led to their child's death. Eric Rush, 26, and Tyasia Singleton, 30, allegedly withheld food and did not seek proper medical care for the baby.

Rush and Singleton each are charged with permitting child abuse, endangering children and domestic violence. Rush also is charged with having weapons under disability — he's accused of having two loaded handguns, which is illegal because he has prior felony conviction.

The charges against both have been forwarded to a Stark County grand jury for its consideration and are pending.

Why were county social workers no longer involved with the family in the months leading to the baby's death?

Details of two previous interventions for Royale Rush

Singleton said her son was "dying slowly" in the last few months, according to a complaint Children Services filed in Stark County Family Court the morning after his death. The agency provided that and other details in its successful effort to remove Royale's 2-year-old brother from the home and take emergency temporary custody.

Quay Compton, chief legal counsel for Children Services, said her agency's prior involvement with the family were voluntary — not court-ordered — interventions.

The first was after Royale's birth on July 17, 2023.

According to the agency's complaint, medical officials had alerted Children Services that Royale tested positive for fentanyl and THC, a compound found in marijuana.

Singleton, it said, cooperated with caseworkers, though she continued to test positive for THC. Rush, though, "did not cooperate," and continued to test positive for cocaine and THC.

Compton said a court order was not sought then because medical professionals said it was possible the baby's positive fentanyl screen was caused by an epidural Singleton received during delivery.

"The case was eventually closed with alleged father Rush out of the home, and the recommendation that he would have no unsupervised contact with the children," the complaint stated.

In March, the agency "received concerns," according to the complaint, that Singleton and both her children were homeless. Children Services paid for them to stay in a motel and provided additional resources.

"Mother was able to secure appropriate housing and food for the children," the complaint stated. "Alleged father Rush was not involved. ... The agency again closed its case."

Care investigations can't legally be open-ended

Compton said state laws prohibit the agency from keeping cases open just because something bad may occur in the future. She said the window is typically 30 days or 45 days at a time.

"Once an investigation is closed, we are not legally permitted to continue to the monitor the case," Compton wrote in an emailed response for this story. "If a new referral is received, a new investigation may occur."

She said the next time Children Services was notified was after police responded to the baby's home on 10th Street NE on June 25.

During last week's Canton Municipal Court hearing, Sedares described Royale's case as the "most egregious treatment of a child I had ever seen."

The detective said he hadn't reviewed the baby's health records to determine if he had a medical ailment.

"I know he wasn't fed," Sedares told the court. "I'm a parent. I'm a human being. That kid starved.

"Mom and Dad both admitted that they knew something was wrong. They weren't feeding the child. They said they hoped that the kid would get better on its own."

He said Rush and Singleton didn't ask for help in recent months because they knew that would lead to authorities asking questions and possibly intervening.

Last year, Stark County Children Services received 2,616 reports of child abuse — though not all warranted full investigations. Intake caseworkers who conduct such investigations carry an average caseload of between a dozen and 18 families at any given time, Compton said.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com.On X: @tbotosREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton baby starved to death, so why did social workers close prior probes over his care?