State probes child death

WASILLA — As investigators from all levels of government continue to look into the death of 19-month-old Faith Phillips, the community has rallied around her parents and family.

Donation jars have been put out at various businesses. The Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce set up a Wells Fargo bank account to handle donations and a button on its Web page to accept them. The Wasilla community is planning a candlelight vigil for Faith on Sept. 19 at Wonderland Park at 6 p.m.

Soon, rubber awareness bracelets will join car decals and ribbons on the list of items folks are selling with proceeds going to Faith’s parents. A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the day care where Phillips died.

“This really means a lot to (mother) Brittany (Phillips) and I, thank you so much. Your work is not going unappreciated! We even stopped by the memorial and were taken aback by the sheer number of people who showed their condolences,” Faith’s father, Andrew Stokes, wrote on the Facebook page “Together For Faith.”

The page was set up Monday to coordinate the outpouring of support. It contains numerous updates on various ways to help Stokes and Phillips. As of Thursday afternoon, it had more than 1,300 “likes” and counting.

On Wednesday, Phillips and Stokes put out a statement through their attorney thanking their church — King’s Chapel in Wasilla — the organizers of the Facebook page and candlelight vigil, Brittany’s bosses at Subway and the Chamber of Commerce for all of the support.

“This community has given this family strength and hope at this incredibly difficult time,” KeriAnn Brady, the attorney, wrote. “At this time though, understandably, Brittany and Andrew need to grieve in private with their family as they make the final arrangements for Baby Faith. They ask that, for now, everyone respect their privacy.”

Faith Phillips was found unresponsive and unconscious on a piece of playground equipment at the Illuminations Child Care and Educational Center playground at around 11 a.m., Sept. 6, according to a press release from the Wasilla Police Department. Day care staff started CPR on her and Mat-Su Borough medics took over when they arrived. She was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center then flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. At 5:42 p.m., Sept. 9, she was pronounced brain dead and taken off life support.

Police have said previously that the child wedged her head into a piece of outdoor play equipment that had a window small enough for her head to fit through.

KTUU Channel 2 reported Wednesday that Illuminations Child Care had been under investigation by the state Department of Health and Social Services before. A June 2011 incident led to a fine for “failure to protect a child from exposure to possible dangers, as well as failure to ensure those in care received responsible supervision,” according to the television news station’s report.

DHSS is one of the agencies investigating this time. The Wasilla Police Department is as well. Gene Belden, Chief of WPD, said previously that the death was accidental. State law provides for criminal charges in cases of accidents if it’s proven there was negligence.

Belden said Thursday afternoon that the WPD investigation is in its final stages.

“We’re in the process of wrapping our end up and getting it over to the district attorney,” he said.

The state investigation is ongoing, he said. Other agencies are investigating, including some from out of state.

“They want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” Belden said. “It’s a sad thing to have all this interest after something happens instead of prior to it.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.