Los Angeles Times

Audit faults county child services

After two high-profile killings, state finds the agency’s shortcomin­gs left vulnerable youths at risk of danger.

- BY HANNAH FRY AND MATT STILES

A long-awaited state audit of Los Angeles County’s troubled Department of Children and Family Services has uncovered shortcomin­gs that often place vulnerable children in harm’s way.

The audit found that the department’s social workers didn’t initiate or complete investigat­ions of neglect accurately or quickly enough, used “inaccurate” assessment­s to determine child risk and didn’t always conduct criminal background checks of those living in homes where children were placed.

“The department has allowed children to remain in unsafe and abusive situations for months longer than necessary because it did not start or complete investigat­ions within required time frames,” the state auditor’s office concluded.

Although wide-ranging in scope, the audit was prompted by the high-profile slayings of two boys — Anthony Avalos and Gabriel Fernandez — who were both subjects of abuse investigat­ions in L.A. County and, according to prosecutor­s, may have come out as gay.

Investigat­ors specifical­ly reviewed whether the department had adequate protection­s in place for LGBTQ youth, who are disproport­ionately represente­d in the

foster care system and who face additional trauma because of having been rejected by their families for their sexual orientatio­n or gender expression.

Though the audit did find that the department is working to improve conditions for LGBTQ children and teens under its supervisio­n, citing an internal county study from 2014 that indicated a need for improvemen­t, investigat­ors found far less progress in other areas.

For example, the department’s safety and risk assessment­s — used to gauge a child’s immediate safety and need for services — have often been late and inaccurate, making it difficult to mitigate risks to children’s safety, according to the audit. Investigat­ors found several instances in which social workers submitted the assessment­s without having visited the child’s home.

Social workers also did not consistent­ly conduct required home inspection­s and criminal background checks before placing children with relatives. Despite budget increases that allowed the department to hire more social workers and reduce caseloads, department workers did not always conduct monthly visits to homes to assess the wellbeing of children on their caseload, according to the report.

Reunificat­ion assessment­s, which document caretakers’ behavioral problems and evaluate risk, were also not completed in a timely manner in all but one case the state auditors reviewed.

“Not completing these assessment­s properly could lead the department to inappropri­ately return a child to a parent or guardian,” the state auditor’s office concluded.

Issues with the speed and quality of investigat­ions and the failure to conduct background checks before placing children have been longrunnin­g problems for the department. Those same deficienci­es were brought to light in a report released by the state auditor in 2012.

In one case highlighte­d in the report, a social worker tried once — without success — to contact a family within a day of receiving a report of possible abuse and then waited 151 days to follow up.

“Once the department made renewed attempts, it removed multiple children from their mother’s care after discoverin­g she had been abusing illegal drugs,” the audit states. “Throughout those five months, the department risked the health and safety of the children by leaving them in an unsafe situation.”

Bobby Cagle, the director of DCFS, said social workers are focused on improving the way they conduct safety assessment­s for children and families. Cagle also said the department hoped to hire more supervisor­s to help manage the more than 2,000 new caseworker­s hired in recent years. Those supervisor­s are crucial for training and mentoring, but also for holding caseworker­s accountabl­e for meeting deadlines for case assessment­s.

Of the audit, he said, “We’ve welcomed it, we will make use of it and we will comply with the recommenda­tions to make a better agency.”

Hilda Solis, a member of the county Board of Supervisor­s, which oversees the department’s policy priorities and budget, said the department must work harder to train new caseworker­s and seek to reduce their caseloads so they have more time to spend with families.

“Our residents deserve a child welfare system that ensures their safety, serves their unique needs in a culturally competent manner and provides them with opportunit­ies to succeed,” Solis said in a written statement. “That is the standard of care that I expect of our county and child welfare system.”

She noted that the board recently approved plans for a new family treatment court for cases involving substance abuse. Supervisor­s this week also approved a motion calling for a new Office of Equity that would focus on racial disparitie­s in the department and specifical­ly address the needs of LGBTQ youths.

The treatment of LGBTQ youths was a catalyst for the investigat­ion by the state. After the death of Anthony Avalos — a 10-yearold who had been the subject of 13 calls to the department — the California legislativ­e audit committee last year approved a request for the investigat­ion. Then-state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) made an emotional appeal.

In demanding the audit, legislator­s, citing reporting in The Times, noted that Anthony may have come out as gay before he was killed.

“As an openly gay man who had to endure bullying … using my home as a place to shield myself from that and having a welcoming environmen­t where I felt protected was my only reprieve,” Lara said in August. “Seeing and hearing the grotesque and inhumane way these parents treated their children for being gay or being perceived as gay shocked me.”

Anthony’s mother, Heather Barron, was arrested in 2018 and charged with murder, child abuse resulting in death and torture. Her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, faces the same charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for a pretrial hearing in July, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

In the Fernandez case, four social workers are facing criminal charges related to 8-year-old Gabriel’s death. A judge concluded that “red flags were everywhere” before Gabriel was killed by his mother and her boyfriend, and that the social workers mishandled evidence of escalating abuse and failed to file timely reports. Gabriel died in May 2013 after months of torture and abuse that prosecutor­s alleged was motivated by the boyfriend’s belief that the boy was gay.

Supervisor Janice Hahn said the audit revealed “disturbing gaps” in the department’s work, saying it’s unacceptab­le for caseworker­s to “fudge” paperwork or miss deadlines in child welfare cases.

“It is up to us to protect these children, and the thought that we are not taking every precaution to ensure every child in danger is placed into a safe home is maddening,” according to a written statement. “I appreciate that our social workers do difficult work, but we rely on their judgment to protect our children.”

The auditor’s office also found positive news, saying that “despite its problems, numerous indicators point to a department positioned to overcome its challenges.”

It noted that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor­s has developed a long-term strategic plan to improve DCFS and that its overall staff turnover rate was lower than national averages. DCFS workers interviewe­d by auditors “were generally positive about their work environmen­t.”

 ?? Family photo ?? ANTHONY AVALOS, 10, was the subject of 13 calls to L.A. County child services before he was killed last year.
Family photo ANTHONY AVALOS, 10, was the subject of 13 calls to L.A. County child services before he was killed last year.
 ?? Family photo ?? BEFORE Gabriel Fernandez was killed by his mother and her boyfriend, “red f lags were everywhere,” a judge said.
Family photo BEFORE Gabriel Fernandez was killed by his mother and her boyfriend, “red f lags were everywhere,” a judge said.

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