Since being established in the state of Louisiana, the Department of Children and Family Services has had to deal with some disturbing cases. The department routinely handles the area’s most underserved children and is apparently in need of a tremendous overhaul according to State Senator Jay Luneau
Twelve children have died in DCFS custody this year alone according to Senator Luneau. “The department’s stated purpose is to take in neglected and abused children to provide them with a safe environment and living conditions until they can be taken care of within the court system,” noted the state senator. Apparently, many children are falling through the cracks.
“This is too important when we’re dealing with these kids. They’ve been through hell already and now we’re putting them in further abusive situations,” emphasized Luneau. He points to a number of factors contributing to the consistent problems at DCFS in Louisiana: low pay, a lack of training, and a high turnover rate when it comes to staff and leadership.
“These children are already in trouble when they get to the department. When you’re looking at removing them from their family, it’s self-explanatory the issues they’re facing,” Luneau points out.
The Louisiana senator adds that neglect is a major issue when it comes to keeping the kids in DCFS safe. “A child died swimming when he couldn’t swim and the worker wasn’t trained to protect the child. Where they took the child swimming, there was a big sign that said ‘NO SWIMMING’ … it’s just heart-wrenching to tell you the truth,” adds Luneau.
While the state senator believes higher pay and better benefits will draw more (and better) job candidates to take on the role, Luneau doesn’t think Louisiana can simply throw money at the problem to solve it. He adds that additional training and resources are crucial and, while he’s hesitant for the government to intervene, it’s necessary to protect these vulnerable children.
Multiple children have died in DCFS custody
