DCFS outlines investigation priorities, staffing strains and plans for forensic interview coordination

The Department of Children and Family Services told the Senate Committee on Women and Children that it conducts separate child‑welfare investigations under the Louisiana Children’s Code and that its findings do not always mirror law‑enforcement outcomes.

Rebecca Hook, interim assistant secretary for child welfare and medical director for DCFS, told senators DCFS assesses reports to determine whether an allegation meets the agency’s legal authority to investigate. Hook said DCFS can request custody, ask for protective orders, or refer cases to district attorneys for petitions seeking child‑in‑need‑of‑care relief.

Hook said DCFS investigations should be simultaneous with law enforcement: ‘‘Yes, that is a criminal offense and it should be reported to law enforcement,’’ she told the committee. Hook described policy reminders DCFS circulated in November 2024 to emphasize that forensic interviews at Child Advocacy Centers should be coordinated so that both DCFS and law‑enforcement staff can be present.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mona Chapman told the committee DCFS handles a large volume of calls: mandatory reporters accounted for roughly 70–76 percent of incoming reports in the materials discussed. Hook and Chapman reported 1,790 reports labeled as child sexual‑abuse in 2024, about 7.86 percent of DCFS’s total investigations that year.

DCFS staff described its response time priorities: immediate responses when a child is in immediate danger, Priority 1 contacts within 24 hours, Priority 2 within 48 hours, Priority 3 within 72 hours and Priority 4 within five business days. The agency said centralized intake handles initial calls; two regions use contracted night coverage for after‑hours intake.

Senators pressed DCFS on staffing and capacity. Hook said DCFS caseworkers carry caseloads above national standards and that agency calculations show roughly 120 additional positions would be required to meet demand across the state. The department has recruited foster‑care recruiters and is piloting foster‑care collaboratives regionally; DCFS said some recruitment progress is under way but vacancies remain.

On forensic interviews and coordination with law enforcement, Hook said interviews should generally include law enforcement and DCFS when DCFS is investigating; DCFS said some cases in the recent past were handled without joint presence and the practice reminders were sent to prevent that. Hook acknowledged variation across regions and said DCFS is working on policies to ensure consistent practice.

Senators asked DCFS to provide data about NGOs that receive state funding and to report program results and expenditures; DCFS staff agreed to return materials. Committee members also asked for a facility‑level breakdown of recreational and programming budgets; DCFS said it would attempt to identify where such line items exist within operational budgets and provide a historical spend breakdown for committee review.

DCFS officials said the lifting of a statute of limitations (referred to in testimony as Act 662, effective 2024) is expected to increase reports and investigative follow‑up for older allegations; they said reporting procedures with OJJ and law enforcement are under development and that the agency will coordinate next steps.

DCFS closed its session by saying it will provide requested follow‑up on staffing calculations, the scope of contracts for night‑coverage intake, foster‑care recruiter placements and the list of contracted community providers who receive state funds.