The Department of Children and Family Services admits they were contacted three times by hospital staff about the well-being of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson of Baton Rouge before he died from a fentanyl overdose on June 26th. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says a case worker assigned to Mitchell’s case was on sick leave when he died and a supervisor failed to follow up on the third report.
“That is just deep, deep regret, we are very, very sorry we did not get back to the house in time,” said Walters.
The supervisor has resigned and the case worker who was on sick leave has been suspended.
Walters says in response to this tragedy, the department has made several policy changes. She says if a small child consumes or ingests a controlled dangerous substance it will warrant an immediate trip to the home.
“If a medical doctor calls about a child three and under, we will immediately go that will be a top priority response,” said Walters.
Walters says they are also taking immediate steps to shore up the staff, which means robust training and coaching of staff and also increasing staffing, so they are hiring, if you want to help out children in need.
“Like nurses or former school teachers, people who are mission driven and called to work with families that’s kind of staff we need, so that’s who we are looking for,” said Walters.
But New Orleans Representative Jason Hughes says increased staffing will not solve the problems within DCFS, he’s calling for changes in leadership.
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