The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has temporarily assumed leadership of child welfare services at the Vance County Department of Social Services. VCDSS staff received a letter last year that said the department's social work practices didn't align with state laws or policy.
NCDHHS found several violations, including:
- Inadequate child safety checks
- Screening nearly a third of its cases inappropriately
- Case decisions were not supported by documentation and were not appropriate in 50% of the cases reviewed
Vance County was put on a corrective action plan on July 29, 2024, and still failed to address its deficiencies. According to the letter, the county didn鈥檛 hire and maintain staff at the necessary level to provide protective services for children.
Last month, the state Health Department deployed staff to Vance County and added staff through contract agencies. Since then, 40 existing cases have been identified as high risk, but no contact was made with families by Vance County. The director has been fired.
鈥淭o all DSS Partners, in spirit together we stand successfully, divided we will continue to fall. We can achieve climbing this mountain,鈥� said Leonard Freson Sr., Vance County Department of Social Services Board Chairman.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is still investigating ongoing problems at the Vance County jail. DHHS told the county to appoint 20 deputies to support nine existing jail staff members. It was supposed to go into effect last month.
