LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Children’s Agency Now Complies With State Rules
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Closing a bitter chapter in the short history of Los Angeles County’s Department of Children’s Services, the state has notified the county that its once-embattled department is “in substantial compliance” with California regulations.
The notification, in a letter signed by Eloise Anderson, director of the state Department of Social Services, ends the threat of state takeover efforts begun in 1990, when complaints about the county department reached a fever pitch. Public hearings and other inquiries brought to light allegations ranging from mismanagement to abuse of children living in foster homes overseen by the county.
The state forced the county to relinquish its authority to license foster homes, then took steps toward a complete takeover. The county was ordered to devise a plan to correct its shortcomings. In 1991, the county supervisors replaced department head Robert Chaffee with Peter Digre. On Tuesday, Digre praised staff members for turning the department around.
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