Photo by Brooke Thorington
The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare will meet Tuesday morning to discuss concerns of the child welfare division at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. Committee Chair Senator Fred Mills said they want to know how the department will address recent failures, mainly a toddler overdose death and alleged child sexual abuse by a foster parent.
“Hopefully at this meeting, we’ll have some to-do’s from the department and we’ll be having some additional meetings to see if things have been executed, so it’s not going to be a one-time meeting and this is over with,” said Mills.
Mills said the committee wants to know the department’s plans going forward and they’ll also review personnel to see if Secretary Marketa Garner Walters’ statements of staffing shortages are a contributing factor.
“We’re going to talk about where the last ten years of budgeting has been, how many employees are needed. I’ve been looking at the attrition rates, I’ve been looking at how long people stay in those positions,” said Mills.
He said the committee will also investigate why employees have left the department.
Mills said he expects committee members to directly question Secretary Walters along with division heads at the first oversight committee meeting.
“Traditionally she brings in her entire staff, so I think they’ll have all of the leadership at DCFS at the table. It’s going to be a working meeting for sure,” said Mills.
Mills also encourages members of the public to reach out to committee members with any concerns about the department and if residents are unable to attend the 10 o’clock meeting it can be viewed on the legislature’s website.
To view the meeting click here.
For the agenda click here.
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