A second-degree murder charge was laid against the 34-year-old foster mother of a 21-month-old child this weekend.
The child passed away at the Stollery Children's Hospital on March 3rd, two days after an alleged incident at her foster home in the Morinville area.
The cause of death has not been released but the biological mother of the child has her own theories about what may have happened.
"She either threw her or hit her or shook her to death. And as a result, stopped her from breathing," the woman told CTV News.
The biological mother says she was battling the province in court for custody of her daughter, and was just days away from getting her back.
"She was supposed to be returned home from that foster home on the 8th," she said. "She wasn't returned home, she was buried."
The woman claims foster parents are not screened well enough, and are paid too much.
"It's wrongfully taking away kids because of that money."
The foster mother appeared in court Monday morning. The woman's case was sent back to Morinville after bail was denied.
A broad review has been promised for this spring on the Child Intervention System, which will be handed over to the minister of children and youth services before June 21st.
It's not clear at this point whether the findings will be released before or after it is reviewed by the minister.
With files from Bill Fortier
