BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
When the baby boy who was born in a McDonald’s bathroom is released from Stanford Hospital, San Mateo County Children and Family Services will attempt to find a home for him.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said it is not clear who will get the newborn when he is released.
His mother, 25-year-old Sarah Lockner, is being held in the San Mateo County Jail on $11 million bail on charges alleging she tried to drown the baby after giving birth on Sept. 4 in the restroom of the restaurant at 185 Chestnut St. in Redwood City. She worked there.
Gary Beasley, interim director of Children and Family Services, said that anytime a child comes into their system, the county begins to see if there is anyone in the child’s immediate family who is willing and capable to care for the child.
The county assesses the background of the relative to make sure “they are safe individuals to provide care” for the child and ensure that the child will be comfortable with the relative. With older children, county workers will take it into consideration what the child’s comfort is with the relative.
Beasley also said the county takes into special consideration that when a child is disabled, they look at how willing the relative is to work with the county to ensure the child gets everything he or she may need.
Brain damage concern
This may be important in placing Lockner’s child, whose neurological status is not known after his mother allegedly attempted to drown him in a toilet.
Beasley was not able to speak specifically about Lockner’s case, but said that his department works to try to keep families together, which sometimes means getting the parents the assistance they need to be able to care for their children.
In some cases, parents are not ready to enter into counseling or some other program to be able to care for their child, Beasley said.
A reunion is the goal
He said CFS works toward an eventual reunion between parent and child when the child is especially young and the parent is willing to work to regain custody.
“We certainly provide an array of services needed to get those children back home,” Beasley said.
