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Board asks for study session on county child‑welfare system to review best practices and corrective actions
Summary
Supervisors approved a referral to host a study session that will gather experts and stakeholders to examine child‑welfare reforms, evidence‑based practices and data needs. The item aims to inform ongoing corrective action plans and system improvement work.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously referred a study session to examine Santa Clara County’s child‑welfare system, its corrective‑action work and evidence‑based approaches to improving outcomes for children and families.
Supervisor Ellenberg introduced the referral, asking the board to use the study session to ‘‘bring long‑standing systemic challenges into full view and ensure decisions are grounded in evidence‑based policy.’’ She said the session should engage academics, subject‑matter experts and community stakeholders to review prevention, early intervention and case‑management practices.
Public comment included both support for the study session and an urgent plea from a parent asking for immediate case attention. Staff and the board discussed how the study session would complement, not replace, the corrective action plan the county is already implementing with state oversight. County staff said they would integrate findings with the System Improvement Plan and ongoing CDSS corrective actions, and that the study session should highlight where additional work would help the county’s improvement efforts.
The board adopted the referral and asked staff to consider scope and presenters. The item is intended as a learning and information‑gathering session rather than an immediate source of board directives; staff signaled they will ensure the session complements current improvement work and identify concrete follow‑ups as appropriate.
Next steps: staff will work with County agencies and external experts to scope the study session and present a proposed agenda and list of speakers to the board for scheduling.
