Foster child dies after being sent to live with dad in recovering addicts home

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Santa Clara County's department of family and children's services is looking into the circumstances that led to a two-year-old's death while in her father's care and while perhaps living in a questionable environment.

According to media partner, the San Jose Mercury News, the two-year-old died while being cared for by her father who recently got out of jail and was struggling with drug problems. The Mercury News said both father and child were living on Glenburry Way at a home for recovering drug addicts.

San Jose police got a call about an unresponsive two-year-old on Feb. 28 here on Glenburry Way. No one was arrested and the death is not being investigated as a homicide. However, the county is now reviewing the case and waiting on the medical examiner's report.

The coroner's office Wednesday says it has not determined the cause of Kelly Nguyen's death. An autopsy has been performed, but results could take up to six months.

"The most important thing we can do is carefully and thoroughly investigate what happened so we can understand what the implications were, where we could be have done a better job. It's our responsibility to do that," said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez.

The Department of Family and Children's Services says it reviews all deaths of children in the county's care, including those with existing medical conditions.

In Nguyen's case, the Mercury News stated the two-year old could not speak and suffered from a genetic syndrome that caused disabilities and developmental delays.

A social services manager says the priority is to always reunite children with a parent. Regardless, no child would be placed with an adult or in a home if that's considered unsafe.

Since May of 2010, there have been no deaths in Santa Clara County Foster Care Services due to abuse or neglect.