8legs: Department of investigation

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Why we may never know of child-welfare workers’ fatal mistakes

The DOI cannot access two key categories of child-welfare records, limiting oversight.
Critics say withholding unfounded case records prevents learning from early warning signs.
CARES diverted many cases from formal investigations, potentially masking risk.
DOI logged 18 fatalities in 2025 with prior ACS involvement, but complete histories were largely unavailable.
OCFS blocked access to records of workers accused of sexual misconduct citing privacy.
The report calls for state legislation to fix transparency and oversight gaps.
The piece links high-profile fatalities to insufficient data access for DOI to review.
The piece catalogs several fatalities with prior ACS involvement as examples.
The author argues public outrage over lack of transparency is warranted.
Advocacy for better oversight includes greater access to records and accountability.

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