DFCS updates corrective action plan, plans community roundtable and pilots school‑based social workers

The Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) updated the County’s Children, Seniors and Families Committee on April 24 about progress on a state‑mandated corrective action plan, plans to create a community roundtable for child‑welfare policy and a pilot to place DFCS community social workers in school districts.

Corrective action plan and practice changes DFCS leaders said they had organized corrective‑action work around three pillars: safeguarding children, partnerships, and workforce development. The department said it has: - Built a custom dashboard with California Department of Social Services (CDSS) technical assistance to track compliance with mandated assessment timelines and Structured Decision Making (SDM) tools used at the hotline and in subsequent safety, risk and reunification assessments; DFCS said those dashboards are being refined and will be shared with the board and stakeholders. - Revised operational policy and procedure templates to separate state/federal requirements (policy) from county expectations (procedures) and augmented staff assigned to policy review. - Continued training and coaching: DFCS reported ongoing training on safety planning, SDM, family engagement and a supervisor coaching program; training and coaching are intended to standardize practice across teams and shifts.

Community roundtable and co‑creation approach DFCS described plans to invite community forum members to participate in a community roundtable pilot. The department said it will survey interested forum members about availability and representation and expects to select about 15–20 diverse countywide participants to co‑create goals, meeting times and priorities. DFCS plans to engage a third‑party consultant to facilitate roundtable sessions and to host an initial meeting as soon as June.

Community‑based social worker pilot (schools) DFCS described a pilot that places DFCS community social workers in schools to improve reporting, resource navigation and family engagement. Franklin‑McKinley School District in San Jose is the first committed partner; DFCS said the pilot intends to build on local “no wrong door” practices and to coordinate with prevention staff, school district staff and labor representatives. DFCS noted it will be mindful of community concerns, particularly among immigrant families, and will work with districts on how to place social workers in schools in ways that promote trust and access to services.

Public comment and oversight Public commenters asked for clearer accountability and for use of social‑worker input. Supervisors asked DFCS to summarize themes from prior listening sessions and to tie CAP actions to concrete changes that staff and the public can track. DFCS said it will produce a top‑themes summary and continue co‑creation with staff and community participants.

Committee action The committee received the CAP status update, the community roundtable briefing and the community‑based social worker pilot report. Supervisors requested a written summary of listening‑session themes and an ongoing briefing plan for fatality tracking and related case review learning.

Next steps DFCS will refine the compliance dashboard, circulate a short survey to community forum members, engage a facilitator for the roundtable pilot and continue co‑creation sessions with staff and Franklin‑McKinley to finalize pilot logistics and staffing.