Child Services Chief Quits Under Fire After 6 Months : Board Cites Turmoil in Her Agency

The embattled director of Los Angeles County’s new Department of Children’s Services resigned today under mounting pressure from the Board of Supervisors.

Under an agreement approved by the board without comment this morning, Lola Hobbs, who was named to head the department just six months ago, will get severance pay of $37,300, or about six months’ salary. Her resignation was effective immediately.

The board appointed Chief Administrative Officer James C. Hankla as acting director of the troubled department while a search is conducted for a new director. Hankla in turn announced that Robert L. Chaffee, an administrator in the county Department of Public Social Services for the last 20 years, will oversee the department’s day-to-day operations.

From San Diego County

Hobbs, a former top administrator in the San Diego County welfare department, has been criticized by some board members and county managers for her management style and slow progress in gearing up the department. Some key management positions, for example, are still unfilled in the 2,000-employee department, which was created in response to growing concern over child abuse and mishandling of children in county custody.

During Hobbs’ tenure, the department was beset by continuing revelations of mistreatment of children at MacLaren Children’s Center, the county’s primary emergency shelter for abused and neglected children, and friction between Hobbs and a board-appointed advisory commission on children’s services.

Focus of Controversy

A prepared statement issued jointly today by the board and Hobbs said that her position “had become the focus of controversy and media attention which has detracted from the mission of the new department in providing services to children.”

In the statement, Hobbs said she was stepping down because “I feel that there should be a fresh start, which will hopefully allow the department to move forward with the resolution of substantive issues.”

However, Hobbs had insisted last week--in the face of reports that she was under strong pressure to resign--that she had no intention of stepping down. “I took the job with the expectation that it would be a tough job, and it has, and with the understanding that there were many problems, and there are,” she told The Times then. “I’m committed to this department.”