Where is Cathi Bedy now? Take Care of Maya social worker today

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Although her mother Beata tried to get her daughter the correct medical care, Maya was tragically separated from her loved ones for almost three months, while a court ordered a psychological evaluation of Beata after suspecting she had the condition Munchausen syndrome by proxy - an illness in which a caretaker of a child either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it appear that the child is injured or ill.

While she was eventually cleared of the accusation, Beata tragically died by suicide in January 2017 at the age of 43, writing in a note: "I cannot watch my daughter suffer in pain and keep getting worse."

One of the people tasked with looking after Maya when she was placed in state custody was Cathi Bedy.

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But who is she, and what is she doing now? Read on to find out.

Who is Cathi Bedy?

Catherine ‘Cathi’ Bedy is a social worker who was assigned to Maya Kowalski's case after healthcare professionals suspected her mother, Beata, of having the condition Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Bedy previously managed foster care children for the Suncoast Center for Community Health, and while there was accused of using distressing tactics to control a 10-year-old boy’s behaviour - an accusation she denied.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Bedy was claimed to have "grabbed the boy's head, causing him to fall down" and then "placed both knees on the boy's chest”, while another therapist at the scene was also alleged to have covered the boy's face with a towel.

Both women were arrested and charged with one felony count of child abuse, but Bedy denied using her knees on the child in her deposition and the charges were later dropped.

After Maya was placed under Bedy’s care, her father Jack claimed “something didn't seem right”, and tried to have their daughter reassigned to someone else after a Google search revealed Bedy’s arrest.

However, they were unsuccessful, and Maya’s subsequent reports of Bedy’s behaviour were disturbing.

Maya claimed that Bedy would place her on her lap and hug her, and one harrowing incident described how, in January 2017, Bedy was said to have forced her to remove her clothes, stripping Maya down to a sports bra and shorts.

"I was screaming, crying, yelling 'no,'” Maya said. "I could not have made it any more clear [that I wanted her to stop].”

Reportedly taking the photos for ‘risk management’, Bedy was said to have threatened the girl by telling her that if she didn't comply with the pictures, she would be barred from attending court and seeing her mother.

But Maya reported that Bedy had to "[hold] her down" because she didn't want the pictures to be taken.

Her parents were unaware that the pictures were being taken, and when a prosecutor asked Bedy if she took the photos with knowledge that Maya was uncomfortable, the documentary states her reply as: "Unfortunately, yes."