"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, according a report published Tuesday by State Auditor Grant Parks. 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"
"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."
"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. There are clear systemic failures and a lack of administrative planning to support foster youth with emerging and complex needs, Wahab added."
Alameda County 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 agency displays structural deficiencies including short staffing and poor record-keeping, and its remediation plan may be insufficient. Delayed investigations and incomplete documentation risk leaving youth in unsafe circumstances and deprive them of necessary services, family connections, and transition supports. The foster care system experienced multiple child deaths, including Mariah Mustafa (2015) and Sophia Mason (2022), and the failure to remove Kristofer Ferreyra preceded a 2024 fentanyl death. State Sen. Aisha Wahab requested a state audit, citing systemic failures and insufficient administrative planning.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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