9 Investigates: Former DSS director raises concerns on department

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — More than 600 children are in foster care in Mecklenburg County, a system that's supposed to take care of them.

But an Eyewitness News investigation uncovered serious concerns and the former director of the Department of Social Services, Mary Wilson, said it's putting young people at risk.

"I believe I have an obligation to speak up," Wilson said.

Wilson revealed to Channel 9 what she says she saw on the inside.

"There are children who have 20, 30 and 40 placements," Wilson said. "That's doing a lot of harm to a child."

She said a child should have no more than two placements in foster homes before being placed in a permanent home.
Eyewitness New dug deeper and found much more.

In the most recent federal government review, which included Mecklenburg and two smaller North Carolina counties, the systems did not meet federal standards regarding the welfare of children in foster care.

That resulted in a $1.2 million fine for the state.

Wilson shared documents dating back years, exposing something she calls "disturbing."

"We were putting children in homes that were no longer licensed or that had a violation in place and it was not appropriate," Wilson said.

"So, if something happened to a child while in one of these unlicensed homes?" Eyewitness News asked.
"I think there would be great liability for the county," Wilson said.

An unlicensed home can be one where background checks were failed, not even completed or other problems.
Wilson said county expense is not reimbursed by the feds or state for such unlicensed homes.

"I think it's easily millions of dollars over the last five to seven years," Wilson said.

She said another financial drain for taxpayers was a voucher system social workers used to buy emergency food and clothing for children.

Wilson said the voucher system was abused.

"You see here someone bought a thong," she said.

Auditors noted inappropriate purchases, missing receipts and a huge increase in spending in 2009.

"For a whole year it was $25,000 then it jumped to $135,000 then to $180,000," Wilson said.

Since Wilson's termination nearly six months ago, the DSS director position has been vacant.

"That concerns me," said commissioner Pat Cotham.

Eyewitness News took the findings to Cotham, who is the newly-seated Mecklenburg County Commission chairwoman.

The commission oversees DSS and Youth and Family Services. Cotham said she's already pressing county staff about why a replacement hasn't been hired.

"Having no leader, to me, shows it's like it's not that important and DSS is critical. It's critical," Cotham said.

Wilson added it's critical for commissioners to regain control by bringing back subcommittees that were cut.

"Some would argue you were there, you were in charge, why didn't you change it?" Eyewitness News asked.
"I changed a lot of things," Wilson said.

Wilson said she tried to report serious problems to the board, but her county managers would not allow it.
She thinks only commissioners can bring change.

Cotham told Channel 9 it will happen.

"I want the public to know we're going to have committees," Cotham said. "I want the public to know we are going to look into this and it's not not going to stop."

During her time as Mecklenburg County DSS director, Wilson said she saw a lot that gave her concern, but one thing troubled her the most.

"We were giving Gardasil shots to children without parental consent," Wilson said.

Gardasil is a relatively new vaccine to prevent a sexually transmitted disease.

By law, DSS has the authority to consent to medical treatment for children in its care. The Centers for Disease Control recommends Gardasil for boys and girls, but it is not mandatory and the federal government is still reviewing potential side effects.

"To me that's a slippery slope," Wilson said. "If we start to make those decisions without involving parents, where does it stop?"

The vaccine is a series of three shots. Wilson said some children were eventually reunited with their parents, and may not have gotten all three.

"Have their immunization systems been compromised because they got one shot and not the whole series? We just don't know," Wilson said.

Wilson showed Channel 9 memos where she said she ordered staff to stop giving the shots until they could develop proper protocol.

She said months later she was told nothing had been done to improve the process.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham said, "I found it alarming, disturbing and shameful," when Eyewitness News told her about children getting vaccines without parental consent.

She said for her and fellow lawmakers, it's personal.

"Foster care children in NC are wards of the state," Tricia Cotham said. "That means I'm their parent. I wouldn't want my child to be treated this way, and therefore, we shouldn't treat other children this way."

Tricia Cotham said she wants to create a Foster Care Children's Bill of Rights and to draft a separate bill to make sure that before shots like Gardasil, biological parents are informed and giving consent.

"There seems not to be a standard form of communication for that now, so based on your report and you bringing it to my attention that is something I'd definitely like to prepare for legislation," Tricia Cotham said. "I will make sure it's a priority."

WSOC