Board orders external review of Kern County Child Protective Services after death of child; unanimous vote

The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with contracting to conduct an independent external review and gap analysis of Kern County Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Protective Services (CPS) following public testimony about apparent systemic failures and a recent grand jury report.

DHS Director Lito Murillo told the board the department requested the review to identify gaps, strengths and opportunities for improvement after "the tragic loss we've all endured," referring to the child whose death prompted public outcry. Murillo said the department would return to the board with a provider recommendation if the board approved exploring contracts.

"This is just more than a procedural step. It's a pledge to closely examine our processes and procedures, identify ways to improve, and do everything possible to safeguard the children in our community," Murillo said.

Nut graf: The review will document operational processes, staffing capacity and case-level procedures; it will include interviews with staff and community stakeholders and produce written recommendations for board consideration. Murillo said DHS has previously worked with national child-welfare experts (the Child Welfare League of America, CWLA) and that many best practices remain in place, but the department seeks a fresh independent assessment.

Key details DHS provided to the board: since January 2022 county social worker salaries have been increased (Murillo cited a 27% overall increase and up to a 37% increase in hard-to-fill roles), CPS vacancies declined from 41 to 29 (overall vacancy rate 9.82%), and emergency response vacancies dropped from 10 to 5 (7.94% vacancy rate). Murillo acknowledged staffing and budget pressure and said the department continues to prioritize retention, training and workload reduction.

The public hearing drew dozens of speakers, many who said multiple reports to CPS had gone unaddressed. Family members and child-advocates recounted cases they described as missed opportunities to protect children, including the high-profile recent death of an 8-year-old identified in public comments as Genesis Mata. Speakers included child welfare advocates, attorneys, medical and educational professionals and relatives demanding accountability and a prompt external investigation.

Child psychiatrist Dr. Albert Ma described a model he said has worked in other jurisdictions: a Child Assessment Team that rapidly convenes psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to evaluate high-risk cases and offer immediate treatment and court recommendations. He offered to help the county develop a similar program.

Multiple speakers pressed for stronger oversight and faster responses, including regular unannounced checks of foster homes, better coordination with courts, and legal support for relatives seeking guardianship. Several family members described long, traumatic interactions with the CPS process and asked the board to require more thorough investigations.

Action taken: The board voted to explore contracting with qualified independent experts to conduct the external review and to return with a recommended contract. The motion passed unanimously (recorded "all ayes"). Several supervisors publicly thanked DHS staff and community members for their testimony and pledged to pursue all possible administrative, budgetary and legal remedies within the county's authority.

What happens next: DHS will identify potential vendors, work with county counsel and the juvenile court on any required court orders to allow case-level review, and return to the board with a proposed contract and scope of work. Supervisors requested follow-up with individual families who raised specific case concerns.