Report 2021-112 Recommendation 10 Responses

Report 2021-112: The Child Abuse Central Index: The Unreliability of This Database Puts Children at Risk and May Violate Individuals' Rights (Release Date: May 2022)

Recommendation #10 To: Social Services, Department of

Until the Legislature amends state law and DOJ develops processes to use CWS/CMS, Social Services should immediately develop a process to collaborate with DOJ and counties to review the list of 27,000 reports of substantiated child abuse that were not in CACI and ensure that all eligible missing reports are forwarded to DOJ.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2023

CDSS has partially implemented the recommendation to immediately develop a process to collaborate with DOJ and the county child welfare agencies to review the list of 27,000 reports and continues to engage with the counties and DOJ to implement this recommendation. All County Letter (ACL) No. 23-66 was published on August 9, 2023, providing instructions and guidance to county child welfare agencies on reconciling the 27,000 reports, and also provides details on new Special Projects Codes (SPC) counties must enter to confirm completion of each record listed as part of the CACI Audit Reconciliation. CDSS will monitor the reconciliation progress by pulling a quarterly report from the child welfare case management system that will show which records have a completed SPC and compare that to each county's audit list. Counties are expected to complete reconciliation of the 27,000 records by February 15, 2025.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Per Social Services' response, it has not fully implemented this recommendation.

1-Year Agency Response

The CDSS has partially implemented the recommendation to immediately develop a process to collaborate with DOJ and the county child welfare agencies to review the list of 27,000 reports and engaged with the counties and DOJ to implement this recommendation. As shared in the Department's prior responses, the CDSS facilitated workgroups with county child welfare services agencies to develop and establish criteria and procedures for the reconciliation, the prioritization of reports for the reconciliation, how existing data and automation may be leveraged to support reconciliation efforts, and to discuss guidance, technical assistance, and resources necessary to implement these processes. In addition to county workgroups, the CDSS developed and planned a reporting method to verify and capture county compliance with completing the reconciliation, including making sure the smaller number of high priority cases would be reconciled first. Each county received their list of reports identified by the CACI audit as needing to be reconciled on March 6, 2023. Additionally, criteria and procedures for the reconciliation of the 27,000 reports that require qualitative case reviews to determine which reports may be appropriately submitted to the CACI are being disseminated to counties via an All County Letter (ACL). The CDSS has explored methods for the reconciliation process for county child welfare agencies to complete and track their reconciliation as they proceed with completing the reviews of the reports identified as possibly missing by the audit. A second alternative process was decided and through the meetings with the County Welfare Director's Association and county leadership, the CDSS has developed a tracking method through the use of Special Projects Codes that will be selected for each of the 27,000 reports in the Child Welfare Services Case Management System (CWS/CMS) which is discussed in an upcoming ACL expected to be completed by July 1, 2023.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

Per Social Services' response, it has not fully implemented this recommendation.

6-Month Agency Response

CDSS has partially implemented the recommendation to immediately develop a process to collaborate with DOJ and the county child welfare agencies to review the list of 27,000 reports and is currently engaging with the counties and DOJ to implement this recommendation. CDSS developed a reconciliation process in partnership with the County Welfare Director's Association and county child welfare agencies through a workgroup which met on July 12, 2022. The workgroup has established criteria and procedures for the reconciliation of the 27,000 reports that require qualitative case reviews to determine which reports may be appropriately submitted to the CACI and the prioritization of reports considered "high risk" for reconciliation. The CDSS met with DOJ on July 8, 2022 regarding CACI submission and resubmission processes and prioritization of reports for reconciliation to inform the county reconciliation process. The CDSS is in process of creating a portal for county child welfare agencies to complete and track their reconciliation as they proceed with completing the reviews of the 27,000 reports identified as possibly missing by the audit. The estimated time of completion for developing the portal that is able to track completion of the reviews is expected by the end of the first quarter in 2023.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

Per Social Services' response, it will not fully implement this recommendation until March 2023.

60-Day Agency Response

CDSS agrees and has partially implemented the recommendation to immediately develop a process to collaborate with DOJ and the counties to review the list of 27,000 reports and is currently engaging with the counties and DOJ to implement this recommendation. CDSS is engaged in ongoing discussions with the County Welfare Directors Association and counties, and has established and facilitated a workgroup with county child welfare services agencies to develop and establish criteria and procedures for the reconciliation of the 27,000 reports that require qualitative case reviews to determine which reports may be appropriately submitted to the CACI, prioritization of reports for reconciliation, how existing data and automation may be leveraged to support reconciliation efforts, and to discuss guidance, technical assistance, and resources necessary to implement these processes. The CDSS is also engaged in ongoing discussions with the DOJ regarding CACI submission and resubmission processes and prioritization of reports for reconciliation to inform the county reconciliation process. Estimated Time of Completion for developing a process by the end of the third quarter of calendar year 2022.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

Per Social Services' response, it will not fully implement this recommendation until September 2022.

All Recommendations in 2021-112

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.