DCFS Archives | The Chronicle of Social Change

Appeals Court Refuses to Reconsider Dismissed Charges Against Social Workers in Child Death Case

January 28, 2020 Sara Tiano, Staff Writer, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

A California appeals court has denied a request by the Los Angeles County District Attorney to reconsider dismissing charges against the social workers overseeing the case of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old Antelope Valley boy who […]

Months After Promising an Audit, L.A. Police Fail to Explain Why 4,000 Child Abuse Reports Weren’t Investigated

January 10, 2020 Sara Tiano, Staff Writer, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

Nearly three months after the Los Angeles Police Department vowed to find out why the department had not investigated 4,000 reported cases of child abuse, an in-depth audit of the cases is still not ready […]

Virginia Pryor Joins Team Cagle Again, This Time at Los Angeles Department of Children and Families

November 22, 2019 Jeremy Loudenback, Senior Editor, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

Virginia Pryor, the chief of staff to Bobby Cagle when he served as Georgia’s child welfare director has been hired in the same capacity for his team at the Los Angeles County Department of Children […]

Los Angeles Wants to Turn More Probation Officers into Social Workers

November 20, 2019 Susan Abram Comments Off

Los Angeles County leaders want more probation officers to pursue social work degrees, and more social workers to pursue careers in probation. A motion approved by a 5-0 vote of the county’s Board of Supervisors […]

Bobby Cagle: A Letter in Response to Chronicle Coverage of Noah Cuatro Case Last Week

November 19, 2019 Bobby Cagle Comments Off

On November 13, The Chronicle of Social Change reported that in the weeks before the tragic death of Noah Cuatro, a 4-year-old Los Angeles boy, social workers with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) pleaded for […]

EXCLUSIVE: New Details Reveal How Two Social Workers Fought, But Failed, to Save 4-Year-Old Noah Cuatro

November 13, 2019 Daniel Heimpel, Publisher, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

This summer, a 4-year-old boy named Noah Cuatro was allegedly tortured and killed by his parents in Palmdale, a high desert exurb of Los Angeles County. The tragedy is still sending shockwaves through the county’s […]

L.A. Police Failed to Investigate 4,000 Serious Child Abuse Reports in 2018 and 2019

October 20, 2019 Daniel Heimpel, Publisher, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

The first recorded sign of trouble in the brief life of Noah Cuatro came before he was even born. In August 2014, when his mother was nine months pregnant with Noah, she allegedly threw her […]

It Takes Partnerships to Recruit and Retain Foster Parents

October 18, 2019 Bobby Cagle Comments Off

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) operates the largest child welfare agency in the nation. With this comes a great responsibility, and I am extremely grateful to work each day with […]

Controversy Over 4-Year-Old’s Death Intensifies at L.A. County Child Welfare Meeting

September 23, 2019 Daniel Heimpel, Publisher, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

On Monday, the tension that has gripped Los Angeles County’s child welfare establishment since the mysterious July death of 4-year-old Noah Cuatro spilled out into public view. At a meeting of the county’s Commission for […]

Critical Report on 4-Year-Old’s Suspicious Death Remains Hidden from the Public

September 10, 2019 Daniel Heimpel, Publisher, The Chronicle of Social Change Comments Off

On August 30, the Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection (OCP) submitted a potentially explosive report on the mysterious July death of 4-year-old Noah Cuatro to county attorneys. Despite being requested by the county’s […]