ARTICLE TAG

Department of Social Services

The Trauma of Losing a Family Twice

11/3/2021

Indicted Former North Carolina Social Services Director Resigns from Agency, Pleads Guilty

A former social services director in North Carolina pled guilty to obstruction of justice for the department's use of illegitimate documents.

6/28/2019

Gavin Newsom Names Kimberley Johnson to Head California Child Welfare System

Kimberley Johnson has been announced as the new director of the California Department of Social Services (DSS), which oversees the state’s county-run child welfare system. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as Director of Social Services under Gov.

Youth Services Insider

4/1/2019

Struggling Under Child Welfare Lawsuit Settlement, South Carolina Hires a Leader Who Just Helped End One

South Carolina’s child welfare system is struggling to meet its goals under a class-action lawsuit settlement brought by Children’s Rights, a nonprofit litigator based in New York City. Tennessee recently exited such a settlement with the same organization after a nearly two-decade roller coaster ride.

ombudsman office

4/30/2018

South Carolina, Under Lawsuit Settlement and Needing 1,500 Foster Homes, Could Become 20th State To Create Ombudsmans’ Office

South Carolina is set to become the 20th state to establish an autonomous office to hold its child welfare agency accountable. If Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signs the bipartisan S. 805, the Palmetto State will establish a new Department of Children’s Advocacy using funds transferred from the agency it will monitor, the Department of Social Services (DSS).

8/25/2016

California Auditor Blasts Oversight of Psychotropic Medications for Foster Youth

A report from California’s state auditor found that children in the state’s foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medications without proper oversight from the counties responsible for their care. In response to a request from the California Joint Legislative Audit Committee about the use and oversight of these powerful medications, the office of the California State Auditor reviewed 80 case files for 80 foster children in Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, and Sonoma Counties and analyzed existing statewide data.

Youth Services Insider

6/24/2016

Family First Act: The California “Revolt” Against Federal Finance Reform

The Family First Prevention Services Act, which passed the House earlier this week, has garnered the sworn fealty of many national and state-level child welfare advocacy groups back when it was just a draft, much of which has been retained by the pared-down version.

    3/4/2015

    Seven Years Later: States Working Toward Promise of a Medical Home for Every Foster Youth

    by Jane Krienke Seven years after President George W. Bush signed the landmark Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (FCSA) into law, 26 states have introduced bills to improve the oversight of healthcare resources for foster youth, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures State Actions.

    5/22/2012

    A Tale of Two Fridays

    It is Friday, May 4th, at the Richmond Courthouse. Sun spills into the trash-strewn courtyard as the immediate future of soon-to-be 19-year-old foster youth David C. is decided within. On Sunday, David will turn 19, throwing into question his eligibility for benefits provided through a celebrated California law that extends foster care to age 20.