A new report released today is highly critical of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services after the death of child.
"DCFS personnel took no action whatsoever to ensure the safety of the child," the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General concluded in the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, III on June 26, 2022.
The child died after two reports to DCFS that he had overdosed on opiods, and had to be revived in the hospital.
"There is no factor more significant than the critical nine-day period between June 17, 2022 and June 26, 2022, during which DCFS personnel, including the assigned case worker and supervisor, had specific knowledge that Mitchell Robinson III had tested positive for fentanyl."
The toddler died after DCFS received two calls - on April 12, 2022 and June 4, 2022 - from Our Lady of the Lake North Emergency Room in Baton Rouge after the child was brought in unresponsive.
"On each occasion the child was administered Narcan1, an opioid reversal medication, to which he responded."
Robinson was in the hospital the second time until June 6, 2022.
"A doctor and a social worker at Children’s Hospital contacted a DCFS Prevention Team Supervisor at the Baton Rouge regional office, because the child was about to be discharged from the hospital."
Robinson was not removed from his family at that time. Less than three weeks later, the two-year-old boy was dead from what investigators say was a third fentanyl overdose.
The investigation also found what it called multiple other failures by DCFS, Robinson's caseworker and that employees supervisor.
The report lists those "failures" as including:
-allowing the caseworker to be overburdened with assigned cases requiring prompt contact;
- failing to assist with that caseload;
- failing to check on whether initial in-person contacts were made in newly-assigned cases; and
- failing to manage the caseworker’s assigned cases while she was out on sick leave for an entire week.
In a response to the findings, DCFS Secretary David Matlock said that the department is "continuously working to improve."
He outlined that much has been learned about fentanyl since this tragedy and talked about how after the Narcan was administered, Robinson had tested negative for opiods in his system. The negative tests led to confusion at DCFS.
"We instituted a policy change," Matlock wrote.
The DCFS secretary also pointed to an overworked staff.
"This report illustrates the overwhelming workload and schedule that our staff are juggling."
He insisted, however, that his department can do better with help and cooperation from the public, families, police, the healthcare system and others.
"Together, we can create a safety net to help struggling families and prevent harm from coming to children."