Child Services Staff to Refuse New Cases

More than 500 Los Angeles County children’s services workers, citing a “critical staff shortage that is endangering innocent children,” announced Tuesday that they will stop accepting new cases next week.

“We have a professional and ethical obligation to serve and protect the children in our care from abuse and neglect,” the social workers said in a letter addressed to Robert Chaffee, director of the county Department of Children’s Services.

“Unfortunately, our ability to fulfill this obligation is increasingly compromised by caseloads which are so high that we are effectively forced to leave our children in vulnerable situations.”

The letter was presented to Chaffee at a meeting of the county Commission for Children’s Services. Chaffee said the letter and accompanying petition signed by more than 500 children’s service workers would be reviewed.

“As far as emergency services are considered, children are not at risk because of staff shortages,” he said.

The social workers’ refusal to assume new cases, he said, “could be looked at as insubordination and could lead to firing.”

Phil Ansell, a spokesman for Local 535 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents the workers, said those who signed the petition are “prepared to accept the consequences” of being cited for insubordination.

“There is a critical staff shortage that is endangering innocent children,” Ansell said. “There are children who are being abused and because of the shortages they are not getting the care they deserve. The workers refuse to have the blood of these children on their hands.”