Valles calls for director to step down; Lovingood rebukes ‘grandstanding’
By Shea Johnson, Staff Writer
Posted: July 12, 2016 at 5:33 PM
Updated: July 12, 2016 at 5:39 PM
First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood says he and fellow board members will “collectively” go through the grand jury’s annual report that recently raised concerns about San Bernardino County’s child welfare agency.
Supervisors will use that report, released July 1, as a springboard to identify any deficiencies within the county’s Department of Children and Family Services, a review not unlike how the board has handled other inquiries or issues, Lovingood said.
“Any claims of problems with any program brought forward has the board’s — collectively my four peers — full attention,” he told the Daily Press, “and we will go through the review process and address any shortcomings that we find.”
After a year-long investigation, the grand jury found Children and Family Services was significantly under-staffed and appeared to be disconnected from law enforcement assigned to investigate crimes involving children.
The 19-member citizen panel’s findings come just two weeks after the state Department of Justice announced it was investigating the agency and reviewing its “compliance with California laws intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children, including children in the dependency system.”
Those investigations only add to recent scrutiny for the agency which had earlier come under sharp criticism in a series of Fox 11 news reports with anonymous former county social workers who claimed the agency has been negligent to evidence of abuse and even engaged in a systemic cover-up that led to foster children’s deaths.
The department had conducted its own investigations into cases detailed in Fox 11’s reports well before they aired and implemented several measures to enhance children safety, it said in response.
On Tuesday, Children and Family Services Director Marlene Hagen said the department “remained committed to the well-being of our children and will implement any suggestions that we think might lead to better outcomes for children and families in San Bernardino.”
Hagen has said she welcomed the grand jury’s findings and the state probe, but the challenger to Lovingood’s seat in November has called for Hagen to step down or be fired.
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Ha Ha Ha ….. They are going to use this report as a spring board for what?
The report address’s nothing so what type of spring board are they expecting. Now there’s a sight, those goof balls on a spring board. You could only pray Jose and Janet wear a one piece.
Where in that report does it address the problem………dead children. How did they die, why did they die and please do not tell me that they are overworked and under trained. Good question…..how many supervisors to workers do they have? Do supervisors leave there comfy desk to work cases in the field? When they go to a residence and are told that the child no longer lives there what investigation do they do? Were any of those questions asked? If they were they sure don’t address them.
The board of stupid-visors have known for years that they have had a problem in the CFS department. Unless they are asleep at their meetings, and I’m not sure that statement is not the truth, all they have to do is pay attention to the speakers.
Meeting after meeting the public have gotten up and spoken out about CFS but they have not once started their own investigation.
When channel 11 aired their story about children dying and whistleblowers what did the stupid-visors do…..there only interest was to find out who the whistleblowers were. Look at those pictures, if you can, and tell me if it is hard to figure out what happened to those children. Did they start an investigation then….no.
Read the article in the June 26th edition of the SB Sentinel regarding the CFS department and grand jury. Based on that article alone I would start an investigation into WTF is going on. It is kind of like the Hillary investigation…..all of the evidence points to this stinks but move on folks there nothing to see here.
Any of those supervisors could call in any prior grand jury member and ask them about that report. That will not happen………..
@1 the BOS will deal with this as harshly as they did the CEO covering for Lamberto.
If they were serious Hagan would be gone.
She has no civil service protections.
What is she going to do, sue and expose her or others ineptness?
Another circular firing squad has been formed.
Why didn’t Hagen stopped the retaliation? How about the BOS?
Lovingood couldn’t investigate a barking dog complaint without stepping on his Johnson.
Police Officers should unite AGAINST Harris who clearly puts political correctness ahead of facts. Cops CANNOT trust Harris. They should support Loretta Sanchez for U.S. Senate.
More information on the unraveling trails of Mike Ramos and friends.
Link: http://sbcsentinel.com/2016/07/evidence-da-his-grand-jury-adviser-obstructed-investigation-growing/