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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
San Bernardino County Grand Jury
• 2022-2023
San Bernardino County Children and Family Services
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 12 findings
F1
Page 148
San Bernardino County Children and Family Services has no proactive outreach unit with strategies or services to assist those families in need, so that they do not become part of Children and Family Services in the future.
F2
Page 148
There is no independent watchdog group which oversees the San Bernardino County Children and Family Services.
F3
Page 148
There are no proactive/preventive measures for effectively vetting and background checking San Bernardino County Children and Family Services Resource Family Homes and foster settings.
F4
Page 148
There is no data interfacing between Children and Family Services and law enforcement which would capture, track, and maintain data on all foster child abuse allegations and investigations.
F5
Page 148
Children and Family Services does not share information with a Foster Family Agency in a timely manner. This causes delays in foster children being evaluated by medical/behavioral health providers, and the 30-day requirement to see a primary care physician is delayed.
F6
Page 148
Social workers do not visit all children monthly or make frequent unannounced visits and there are insufficient and inadequate home inspections during visits.
F7
Page 148
There is insufficient, inconsistent, and a lack of continuous education and training for social workers, resource families, and foster children within the San Bernardino County Children and Family Services.
F8
Page 148
There are insufficient mental health services and resources for the foster children.
F9
Page 148
Children placed in any Resource Family Home or foster setting are not routinely evaluated mentally and physically before going into another foster setting. A baseline is not established for the new foster setting.
F10
Page 148
The younger foster children, aged birth - four, have very limited access for reporting abuse. San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
F11
Page 149
The requirement for how many times babies and toddlers, ages birth to four, are seen by their SWs is unclear and babies and toddlers are seriously at risk for abuse and neglect in Resource Family Homes or other foster settings.
F12
Page 149
Children removed from a biological or foster setting do not have a Temporary Sheltering Center in which to stay while placement is determined. The children must sleep on a cot in the Social Worker’s office or an area in the Children and Family Services building for days or weeks at a time.
Recommendations 19
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R1Page 149Disband the current San Bernardino County Children and Family Services organizational system and create, build, and implement community-based one-stop shop centers where all services are centralized, integrated, and interconnected for all foster care services. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R2Page 149Children and Family Services to create a community outreach proactive services unit to provide services and resources to those in-need families without any governmental intervention or regulation. Services provided to include food, babysitting services, clothes, respite care, parenting classes, child development classes, medical referrals, etc..., without documentation. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R3Page 149San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to form an independent watchdog group/children commission to oversee Children and Family Services social workers in San Bernardino County. Members of this group would be authorized by the court and have full access to all confidential documentation. The commission would report to the County Board of Supervisors quarterly. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R4Page 149Before the initial placement of any child into the foster care system, or subsequent placement, there will be a mental and medical examination. To be implemented by June 2023.
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R5Page 149Law enforcement to classify reports indicating that they are part of the foster care system so they can be referenced. Children and Family 130 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report Services and law enforcement to capture, track and maintain data on all foster child abuse allegations and investigations. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R6Page 150Children and Family Services Social Worker to visit the Resource Family Home or foster setting four times a month, two announced and two unannounced, perform a complete home inspection, and interview foster children alone every visit. No field visit to be accomplished by any form of virtual technology. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R7Page 150All Resource Parents to have monthly mandatory training online. Children and Family Services to require resource parents to complete continuing education in the fields of child abuse, foster childcare and resource services at least two hours per month. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R8Page 150Children and Family Services to write, implement and maintain a checklist of mandatory attendees at all Children’s Assessment Center child abuse interviews. Checklist to be maintained in the foster child’s case file. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R9Page 150Children and Family Services to hire two additional mental health specialists per region, called “Child Life Specialists”, for the foster children. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R10Page 150Every initial foster child to see a Child Life Specialist during the first 30 days of placement in a Resource Family Home or foster setting, two unannounced and two announced. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R11Page 150Children and Family Services and law enforcement to meet quarterly and review their child abuse allegations and investigations in order to easily identify and track all foster children abuse allegation cases, as a form of checks and balances. To be implemented by June 2023.
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R12Page 150Reduce the Children and Family Services Social Worker’s caseload to no more than forty per month. For example, utilize one-stop shop to eliminate excess travel, hire support staff for Social Workers to reduce their collateral duties and hire more Social Workers. To be implemented by June 2023. San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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R13Page 151Create a protocol and guidelines to ensure every child receives the same written review from their Social Worker during their monthly interviews, which should be included in the child's case file. Questions should focus on any potential child abuse indicators. For example, has anyone new visited or moved into the home, how have you been disciplined and how was your visit with your family. To be implemented by June 2023.
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R14Page 151Babies and toddlers to be seen four times a week for the first 30 days, after that twice a week while in foster care until the child is four years old. A nurse is required to attend every visit. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R15Page 151Create, build, and implement new innovative community-based temporary sheltering centers where all removed foster children can go and be housed during the transition time until suitable placement is located, vetted, and determined by foster care services. To be implemented by July 2023.
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R16Page 151Children and Family Services to train foster children in identifying grooming behaviors, predatory practices, child abuse, and how to report to officials. Training to include in-person role-play scenarios. Also, provide a list with all contact information to the child/children for their use when they need to call for help or support. To be implemented by June 2023.
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R17Page 151Implement a 20-day requirement to pass along medical cards and behavioral issues to the Foster Family Agencies, regarding foster children assigned to their care. To be implemented by July 2023. .
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R18Page 151Children and Family Services to complete initial vetting process of any and all foster and visitation settings. Include in-person interviews of all extended adult family and friends, all potential adults who would come into contact with the foster child, and all adults who live or will reside in the Resource Family Home or foster setting. To be implemented by July 2023. San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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R10-14Page 131years old: 75 abused children, 15-18 years old: 46 abused children, and unknown age: 19 abused children. Of special note, the review of the data provided by CFS included one physical abuse case resulting in the death of a child that was investigated in 2022. Additionally, the 2022 data only covers a portion of the year. It creates an imbalance in the ability to compare like data. Without a complete years' worth of results, the GJ recognizes that the 2022 data could indicate a decrease. However, no one is able to predict what will happen in future months. Preventative Measures