CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County officials have unveiled a plan to address what state investigators called “systemic” problems within the county’s social services department following the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody.
The state Department of Health and Human Services ordered the county to develop a corrective action plan in May after a review of child welfare cases found “a broad, systemic lack of appropriate safety planning.”
According to the Charlotte Observer, the state review found adequate safety plans in only 43% of the cases examined.
It also found that four of five previous reports involving Moody “met the definition of abuse and neglect” but were screened out without further safety assessments.
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On Tuesday, county staff presented commissioners with a yearlong plan developed with state DHHS officials. The plan focuses on four areas identified in the state report:
- Improving child safety assessments and decision-making
- Increasing supervisory oversight
- Strengthening case reviews, documentation and escalation of high-risk cases
- Improving notifications to law enforcement and the district attorney
The county also plans to increase training for social services employees and supervisors, regularly review cases for trends and establish clearer procedures for notifying law enforcement and prosecutors.
Mecklenburg is also adding staff. The county’s new budget includes a $2.5 million investment in Child, Family and Adult Services, including funding for 18 additional child welfare positions.
“We know there’s no perfect child welfare system, but we are working diligently to improve ours,” Deputy County Manager Kimm Campbell said.
Campbell said the county will provide regular updates to the state on its progress over the next year.
Commissioner Arthur Griffin called for a color-coded dashboard so commissioners can track the county’s progress.
“That’s the governance role for the board,” Griffin said.
Commissioner Leigh Altman said she remains “really concerned” about the state’s findings, particularly the number of inaccurate case decisions that resulted in no services being provided to protect children.
“I don’t have clarity about how this happened and how it existed systemically,” Altman said.
Commissioners did not discuss the specifics of Moody’s case during the public meeting. They later voted to enter closed session to discuss confidential matters.