Children’s Ombudsman lays out FY2025 findings, urges workforce investments and centralized intake

Eric Reynolds, director of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman, told the Commission on Youth the office received 466 complaints in fiscal 2025 and that 88 of the state’s 120 local departments of social services were the subject of at least one complaint. Reynolds said most contacts come from parents and relatives and that many matters are outside the office’s authority, including private custody and child-support disputes.

Reynolds described the office’s case process: many complaints are screened out; 315 advanced to preliminary assessment and 32 met the threshold for full investigation in FY2025. He said investigations are opened when practice issues are significant, recurring or may affect a child’s health or welfare. "We have the power to investigate actions of child welfare agencies," Reynolds said, explaining the office’s statutory mission and limits.

Reynolds…