Baby Phoenix’s family calls for change two years after infant’s death

Baby Phoenix Castro s family were among about a dozen people who gathered Saturday for a San Jose vigil to remember the infant two years after her fatal fentanyl overdose and to call upon Santa Clara County to offer help for parents struggling with addiction Related Articles Embattled child welfare agency appoints new director in Santa Clara County Baby Phoenix fentanyl death DA alleges father got fake urine before calling for infant s overdose Father of Baby Phoenix who died of fentanyl overdose wants felony dropped mental physical condition project instead Social worker who tried to save baby Phoenix honored as Child Protector of Year The -month-old infant who died of a fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose in May was pictured next to a sign that read Princess Emily De La Cerda her mother who also died of a fentanyl overdose four months after the baby was pictured next to her For the first time Rita De La Cerda Emily s mother and the baby s grandmother broke her silence and spoke publicly about her family s tragedies Even though we lost Baby Phoenix I think a lot of change is happening after this tragedy that happened two years ago Rita De La Cerda stated Saturday with tears welling up in her eyes I don t want to blame the system but there could be more help Rita De La Cerda right grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro speaks at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro next to Jennifer Celaya founder of Project Phoenix and New Beginnings Family Services at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group She remembered her daughter as a loving mother adding that those babies were my daughter s life She loved being a mother even though she was struggling with addiction In an interview with this news organization De La Cerda disclosed Santa Clara County residents need more homes for parents struggling with addiction to get clean We need homes where people can go and have their kids with them De La Cerda mentioned We re a very rich county There should be more homes Accompanied by local advocates and selected elected personnel De La Cerda also called on county personnel to fund the Phoenix Center which is a proposal from the family to build a rehabilitation center in Baby Phoenix s memory that would offer addiction and mental wellness rehabilitation services to parents who need help getting clean while raising their kids De La Cerda declined to comment further on the evolving aftermath of her granddaughter s death because she is a witness in an ongoing criminal incident against the baby s father David Castro who at the moment faces several felony charges in the death of Baby Phoenix Earlier this year the father filed an application to have his felony charges dropped and be replaced with a court-ordered mental physical condition diversion project Prosecutors have fought against his request just now revealing he called a friend two years ago to secure fake urine for him before he called after discovering his infant died in his home San Jose Councilman Bien Doan spoke to the group Saturday to say that as a retired firefighter he s seen a lot of tragic untimely deaths as a first responder and wants to help put an end to them It s troubling that our society continues to be plagued with drugs that are killing our youth Doan explained San Jose City Councilmember Bien Doan greets Rita De La Cerda grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group He added that he is committing his office to provide more Narcan an opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray to first responders to use in the field and promised to help provide greater access to facilities for mental wellness and addiction services Jennifer Celaya who helped organize an advocacy group called Project Phoenix in Castro s memory also mentioned Saturday that leaders continue to make promises for reforming the county s Department of Family and Child services that falls on deaf ears She explained Wendy Kinnear-Rausch who was lately appointed as the new director to the county s embattled child welfare agency still has a lot to prove I m happy for her on a personal level Celaya announced in an interview I fear that she will follow the same footsteps as previous directors We ve been promised so a multitude of things over and over for years and it just falls on deaf ears Kinnear-Rausch takes up the agency s top administrative spot after the disgraced previous director Damian Wright resigned from his post in January State functionaries in two incriminating reports have previously concluded that the county s lawyers left vulnerable children in unsafe homes against the decisions of social workers to remove them Celaya reported Kinnear-Rausch will be held accountable to follow through on what she has vowed to do Ed Morillo Rita s brother announced he plans to be part of that effort We re going to make sure the change happens he commented in an interview We re going to give them a run for their money Jennifer Celaya founder of Project Phoenix and New Beginnings Family Services places a photograph of Baby Phoenix Castro before the start of the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Rita De La Cerda right grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro hugs Danny Mendoza at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Rita De La Cerda center grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro is favored during an opening ceremony by Corina Herrera-Loera at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Gerardo Ixteyo Loera center and Corina Herrera-Loera say blessings during the opening ceremony at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Rita De La Cerda grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro speaks at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Rita De La Cerda right grandmother of Baby Phoenix Castro speaks at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro next to Jennifer Celaya founder of Project Phoenix and New Beginnings Family Services at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group San Jose City Councilmember Bien Doan speaks at the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Show Caption of Jennifer Celaya founder of Project Phoenix and New Beginnings Family Services places a photograph of Baby Phoenix Castro before the start of the nd annual event for Baby Phoenix Castro at San Jose City Hall plaza in downtown San Jose Calif on Saturday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Expand