Because we cannot yet look back in hindsight, it is impossible to know whether abolishing or reinvigorating the Department of Children and Family Services (“DCFS”) is the Louisiana Legislature’s better choice. With only a two-year renewal of its sunset bill, the matter is still on the legislature’s radar. Their concern is safety, especially regarding the deaths of children when DCFS…
Posts tagged as “DCFS”
Louisiana understands infrastructure. Our land is traversed by pipelines, roads, train tracks, levees, and power lines. We see refineries, chemical plants, bridges, power stations, ports, tank farms, airports … you get the idea. Our infrastructure is everywhere. Sitting on our eroding soil, even our dirt is considered infrastructure. We understand that our state’s commercial infrastructure is a valuable asset. We…
News: 10/23/2024 Louisiana Task Force on Child Sexual Abuse Investigation Processes met about the handling of child abuse cases by Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services. According to Nolan McKendry’s report in The Center Square, Task force expresses concerns over handling of child abuse cases, “The hearing featured testimony from Kathleen Stewart Richey, a former juvenile court judge in…
The number of Louisiana children in foster care is on the rise. Following a remarkable three-year decline in the number of Louisiana children in foster care from August 2018 to August 2021, the number of children in Louisiana’s foster care system has returned to numbers that were normal ten years ago. Following a significant decline from Fall 2018 to Summer…
On the Friday before Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl weekend, Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services released a statement regarding the decision of two Louisiana governors to refuse Summer EBT funds for our state’s hungriest children. “Every child deserves a safe home, first and foremost, and families deserve a pathway to self-sufficiency. That is our primary mission,” said…
The following open letter to Louisiana’s Governor and Legislature relates the root cause of DCFS’s current condition to Louisiana’s long history of underfunding and understaffing our state’s child welfare program. Open Letter to Governor and Legislature Regarding Department of Children and Family Services From analyzing information recently published in The Advocate, it seems clear that during the last 15 years,…
Open Letter to Louisiana Legislature Regarding DCFS Funding Thank You Letter to Louisiana Legislature Regarding DCFS Funding Dear Honorable Senators and Representatives of Louisiana, This morning you will begin your fourth day of the 2017 First Extraordinary Session called by Governor John Bel Edwards. You are working diligently to address the necessary adjustments to appropriations. If I follow correctly, the…
This morning I heard Mr. Jan Moller, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, make a comment that instantly altered my understanding of Louisiana’s State Budget: “The budget is a moral document.” Yes! What I take away from that brief statement is this: our state budget reflects the morality and ethical values which inform the decisions made by our legislature. Louisiana’s…