"The report admonishes the Alameda County foster care system for ongoing structural deficiencies, including short staffing and poor record-keeping, while also noting that the agency's plan to address service gaps may still not be enough to bring it up to standard. "Without timely investigations and thorough documentation," Parks wrote, "the department runs the risk of leaving youth in potentially unsafe circumstances or of not providing vital services that youth in its care require for their well‑being, family connections, and successful transition into adulthood.""
"Alameda County's foster care system has faced significant controversy over the past decade for multiple deaths of children in their care. In 2015, 3-year-old Mariah Mustafa died from an overdose of methamphetamine in her foster home. Her older brother, just 7-years-old at the time, sued over her death, and Alameda County and a nonprofit paid a $3.5 million settlement. An investigation by Bay Area News Group of the 2022 death of 8-year-old Sophia Mason found that social workers were alerted seven times to her abuse yet failed to adequately intervene."
"This news agency also published records showing the agency's failure to remove 23-month-old Kristofer Ferreyra from her family's home after social workers noted drug paraphernalia. Ferreyra died in Oct. 2024 of a fentanyl overdose. State Sen. Aisha Wahab penned a letter in April 2024 to the state auditor requesting an investigation of the Alameda County Children and Family Services Department, citing, "years of issues... especially concerning foster youth.""
Alameda County's Department of Children and Family Services failed to meet state deadlines to investigate alleged child abuse, provide physical and mental health care, and maintain family connections. The foster care system exhibits structural deficiencies including short staffing, poor record-keeping, and corrective plans that may be insufficient to close service gaps. Delayed investigations and incomplete documentation risk leaving youth in unsafe circumstances and depriving them of essential services for well‑being, family ties, and transition to adulthood. Multiple child deaths have occurred, including a 2015 methamphetamine overdose and later cases in 2022 and 2024 where social workers missed intervention opportunities. A state senator requested a formal investigation citing years of issues, especially for foster youth.
Read at The Mercury News
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