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Board approves contract talks with San Diego State team for independent review of Kern child‑welfare services
Summary
The Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized staff to begin contract negotiations with San Diego State University’s Social Policy Institute for a six‑month independent review of the county’s child welfare system, including document audits, case reviews and public listening sessions.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Oct. 7 to authorize contract negotiations with the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at San Diego State University to conduct an independent, comprehensive review of the county’s child welfare services.
Lito Murillo, director of Kern County Department of Human Services, told the board SPI was selected after a vetting process and proposed an enhanced scope that includes in‑depth document review, random case audits, data analysis, 1:1 interviews with staff and leadership, and community engagement such as parent cafes. "Their proposal reflects a comprehensive, rigorous and collaborative approach that aligns with the goals for conducting this review," Murillo said.
SPI representatives outlined a timeline and methodology. Lori Clark, SPI director, said the review will combine policy and data analysis with stakeholder interviews and will return an interim staff briefing in April followed by findings to the board in May. Margo Fudge, SPI child‑welfare consultant, described planned audits of hotline call triage and risk‑and‑safety assessment fidelity and said the review will examine training and onboarding practices. Roger De Leon, a SPI team member with lived‑experience expertise, said SPI will prioritize lifting parent and caregiver voices through focused listening sessions.
Murillo told the board the review is intended to identify strengths and system gaps and produce "actionable recommendations" with implementation timelines. If approved, Murillo said the review would begin within about a month and aim to conclude within six months, subject to final scope. Supervisor Jeff Flores moved the motion to authorize negotiations; the board approved the motion 'All ayes.'
The board directed staff to return with a contract and timeline and said members would support community engagement measures that elevate lived experience. The contract negotiation motion was recorded as item 24 and will be returned to the board for final approval if negotiations proceed.
Provenance: The presentation and vote on the SPI contract negotiation were introduced at SEG 2172 and concluded with the board vote at SEG 2840.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are identified in the meeting transcript and listed below; all numbers and timeline estimates reflect statements made to the board and are reported as such.
