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Foster‑care oversight committee welcomes removal of County DSS licensing item amid pending audit
Summary
The board removed Item 51 from the agenda; members of the Foster Care Oversight Committee urged caution about a proposed county plan to create a licensed foster family agency while a state audit into Department of Social Services practices is pending.
The board had deleted Item 51 from the agenda, and members of the Foster Care Oversight Committee used the public‑comment period to request continued board caution before moving forward on structural changes to how the county licenses and operates foster‑placement services.
Rosemary Alaniz, chair of the Foster Care Oversight Committee, said Item 51 proposed "a substantial structural change" including designating the Department of Social Services director as CEO of a new agency. She asked whether the county was prepared to pay initial licensure and application fees and whether the county would maintain required staffing ratios. Kevin Liston and Lorraine Ramirez, who identified herself as a whistleblower and a former DSS employee, said a state Department of Social Services audit prompted by whistleblower concerns is ongoing and urged the board to consult the oversight committee before any licensing changes.
The board had removed Item 51 earlier in the meeting; speakers asked for transparency and for audit findings to be considered before granting the much broader authority that Item 51 would have created.
What’s next: Item 51 remains off the agenda; oversight committee members requested that the board delay any structural action until the audit findings are reviewed and the committee is consulted.
