"John" HOLLIDAY - 3 yo - Houston TX

Child
Protective Services is investigating the case of a 3-year-old boy who
weighs just 17 pounds, which is about the size of a typical
6-month-old. But while CPS is looking into this family, the agency may
have to answer some questions itself. At last word, the
little boy was in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Children’s
Hospital. His mother, 30-year-old Marcia Holliday, has been charged
with felony injury to child. Her bail was set at $20,000. Officials say his mother brought the boy to the hospital Friday,
October 16, and told them "he wasn’t right." Holliday's neighbor
believes the boy's mother didn't intentionally starve him. “He wouldn’t eat. She tried, she tried. He wouldn’t eat,” said Kathy Scott, Holliday's neighbor. Scott has known the family for two months. They live in the same northwest side apartment complex. “She did all she could for him. The reason I know is I watched the
other kids while she took care of them,” said Scott. Holliday’s son suffers from seizures and other health problems, but
doctors say that’s unrelated to his body’s starvation. “There really is no medical reason why he’s not eating or gaining
weight. He does have some issues but nothing that would make him
malnourished,” Child Protective Services spokesperson Estella Olguin
said CPS has investigated the family twice before. In January and November of 2008, CPS looked into allegations of neglect
with the Holliday family but found no signs of problems. Now, with the
boy sick and in the hospital, officials are looking into the
organization. This is because the toddler’s
hospitalization comes after the deaths of three children this year. All
died after CPS investigated the families. Now State CPS officials are
investigating CPS in southeast Texas. The area is called Region 6. "(A review team) randomly pulled 200 cases to look at patterns and
trends of some areas that we feel workers need maybe additional
training in,” said Olguin. The result of that state investigation should be in by the end of October. “We know this is an issue we’re struggling with in these cases where
there’s been previous history with CPS. What is it we’re not
capturing?” said Olguin. Holliday's 6-year-old son and
5-year-old daughter were also living with her. Both children have been
placed into foster care. CPS indicated a grandmother and aunt live
nearby and knew of the youngest brother’s severe malnutrition but did
not actively intervene. The boy's siblings will also
undergo full medical exams to determine their health. Both are
considered small for their age. “They might be kind of small for their age, but she cooked for them,” said Scott. They too have developmental problems. None of the children have attended school.