[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6325042,"mediaKeyId","2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8","parentId",2335044,"title","DCFS outlines investigation priorities, staffing strains and plans for forensic interview coordination","audioSeconds",539,"startMs",2765000,"endMs",3304000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8&start=2765&end=3304","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8/thumbnail_2765000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6325042/Louisiana/DCFS-outlines-investigation-priorities-staffing-strains-and-plans-for-forensic-interview-coordination","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325042-9d20ae6573b1f681e7c48d1098467a2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190120&Signature=OvhpATXYfZ231BHCG5TkRJN8XxmwemxkmwwKbjT9jsP-v-3BOxpnbsivB1ALryDmk1c54fdK4TvfWQ1-YNI0gqUbfGHZzWlnIk7lyVfcxcd55pYO5x9CZGl08yMzi3vHdnwPR-tWv5GbsGX~3ilNFw1-vSnjaohDVjKcgo9YHsgqgYN91iilxvrAAJJMA7bQwhd-QCWs5C7R6uNsmHtNuat~3UFaJctHxxnduCGp7U2CI-DSZhnAh0kjFYyi952tEc0MMeWlakwDO8NjVlGUazV36wwz5unthw8o6DyQcZ-Tj~HiwNinHm1uIo7QtnM5Za-Fi0-MnqDcs4V-6idX~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Department of Children and Family Services told the Senate Committee on Women and Children that it conducts separate child‑welfare investigations under the Louisiana Children’s Code and that its findings do not always mirror law‑enforcement outcomes.

Rebecca Hook, interim assistant secretary for child welfare and medical director for DCFS, told senators DCFS assesses reports to determine whether an allegation meets the agency’s legal authority to investigate. Hook said DCFS can request custody, ask for protective orders, or refer cases to district attorneys for petitions seeking child‑in‑need‑of‑care relief.

Hook said DCFS investigations should be simultaneous with law enforcement: ‘‘Yes, that is a criminal offense and it should be reported to law enforcement,’’ she told the committee. Hook described policy reminders DCFS circulated in November 2024 to emphasize that forensic interviews at Child Advocacy Centers should be coordinated so that both DCFS and law‑enforcement staff can be present.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mona Chapman told the committee DCFS handles a large volume of calls: mandatory reporters accounted for roughly 70–76 percent of incoming reports in the materials discussed. Hook and Chapman reported 1,790 reports labeled as child sexual‑abuse in 2024, about 7.86 percent of DCFS’s total investigations that year.

DCFS staff described its response time priorities: immediate responses when a child is in immediate danger, Priority 1 contacts within 24 hours, Priority 2 within 48 hours, Priority 3 within 72 hours and Priority 4 within five business days. The agency said centralized intake handles initial calls; two regions use contracted night coverage for after‑hours intake.

Senators pressed DCFS on staffing and capacity. Hook said DCFS caseworkers carry caseloads above national standards and that agency calculations show roughly 120 additional positions would be required to meet demand across the state. The department has recruited foster‑care recruiters and is piloting foster‑care collaboratives regionally; DCFS said some recruitment progress is under way but vacancies remain.

On forensic interviews and coordination with law enforcement, Hook said interviews should generally include law enforcement and DCFS when DCFS is investigating; DCFS said some cases in the recent past were handled without joint presence and the practice reminders were sent to prevent that. Hook acknowledged variation across regions and said DCFS is working on policies to ensure consistent practice.

Senators asked DCFS to provide data about NGOs that receive state funding and to report program results and expenditures; DCFS staff agreed to return materials. Committee members also asked for a facility‑level breakdown of recreational and programming budgets; DCFS said it would attempt to identify where such line items exist within operational budgets and provide a historical spend breakdown for committee review.

DCFS officials said the lifting of a statute of limitations (referred to in testimony as Act 662, effective 2024) is expected to increase reports and investigative follow‑up for older allegations; they said reporting procedures with OJJ and law enforcement are under development and that the agency will coordinate next steps.

DCFS closed its session by saying it will provide requested follow‑up on staffing calculations, the scope of contracts for night‑coverage intake, foster‑care recruiter placements and the list of contracted community providers who receive state funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Select Committee on Women and Children Feb 18, 10:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Children and Family Services told a Senate committee it investigates abuse allegations under the Louisiana Children’s Code, coordinates forensic interviews with law enforcement and child‑advocacy centers, and is operating with high caseloads while planning recruitment and procedural changes.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325047,"State police, East Baton Rouge detectives describe steps to improve child sexual‑abuse and trafficking investigations",6581,1175000,7756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8&start=1175&end=7756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8/thumbnail_1175000.jpg","/articles/6325047/Louisiana/State-police-East-Baton-Rouge-detectives-describe-steps-to-improve-child-sexualabuse-and-trafficking-investigations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325047-04d10f7cf923970cdb5925c8c57f8998/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190120&Signature=UAjgjutWjAJcJYHff9LRfjfamCFJnwu--AMEC-o~ogTakJrOi29g0X-z19zHMEBsag0mXdVraiwpKE4p3ruvrXJXYxPe808TFaROnfVIWG3gCAdNN93FZYzZS~VkCoO8zPoPi0VdjJzy0WzEVPjXik-xuKuAsky0wb9Y~2UJ09~urv8caLJzvlRdbVl~KF4a8CKKoo5GwK-EnT3bffd53IqUjwwaQPkoBM5122ZEsCrkOzFdamBTSzDHTH40GdqS0ETdmDb7iAWTeTgHVcCK6erHT87la7B05eyD~~g3QLnEkLjfbw5Dtgv9u4nIkXdYbWZuxsr7ipFvkueBeo3nnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish detectives described steps and limits to their work on child sexual‑abuse and human‑trafficking cases at a Feb. 2025 meeting of the Senate Committee on Women and Children.

Captain Belinda Murphy of the Louisiana State Police told the committee that LSP does not serve as the ‘‘first reporting agency’’ for child abuse: local police or sheriff’s offices initially receive 911 calls and reports. She said LSP will assist when a local agency asks or when members of the public contact state police directly through the LSP website (LSP.org) or the agency’s online complaint system. Murphy said the State Police returned 31 human‑trafficking arrests for 2024 that had been logged by state police alone, and that the agency is beginning to track sexual‑assault evidence kits so prosecutions can be followed from collection through disposition.

Lieutenant John Turquine of LSP’s Special Victims Unit described how tips and cross‑parish cases are routed through the state fusion center so investigations “don’t fall through the gaps,” especially when offenses cross parish lines. Turquine said DCFS referrals and fusion‑center entries are documented to show whether local agencies are already addressing a report; if they are not, state detectives will evaluate whether state police have authority to investigate. He also noted the unit’s limited size: the SVU team has seven investigators plus two troopers and two sergeants for statewide work.

East Baton Rouge Parish Captain Don Dortez and Lieutenant Lisonbee Garofalo explained their department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) handling and partnership with the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and DCFS. Garofalo said her unit handled 922 tips through NCMEC last year and closed 902 for insufficient leads; the unit reported 34 arrests from that caseload and said task‑force work helped secure long sentences in at least one high‑profile case.

Both the state police and local detectives told senators they sometimes receive reports that other agencies have already investigated and closed. Capt. Murphy and Lt. Turquine described routine practice of contacting the local agency to offer assistance rather than supplant it. Turquine said LSP will take the lead when the case requires state jurisdiction or crosses parish lines; otherwise LSP documents contacts and offers investigative support.

Committee members pressed officials on response times and follow‑up. Murphy described LSP’s public intake paths and said investigators attempt to contact complainants; Turquine said the fusion center allows the state to document referrals from DCFS and others so nothing is missed. East Baton Rouge detectives described monthly multidisciplinary reviews that include DCFS, the DA’s office, medical staff and the CAC to look for investigative gaps and child‑safety problems.

Both agencies said staffing levels limit capacity and can slow turnaround: Turquine noted the limited number of statewide investigators, and Murphy and Dortez both said some smaller local agencies need to call state resources when their own investigators are short on personnel. Senators asked whether police compile statewide prosecution and conviction data; LSP said it tracks only LSP cases and that no statewide, multi‑agency disposition database exists now beyond ad hoc Fusion Center compilations.

Committee members and detectives also discussed evidence‑tracking improvements. Murphy said the new tracking of sexual‑assault kits should allow authorities to follow kit submissions and later dispositions, but that the program is new and will take time to show results. Turquine and Garofalo recommended keeping multidisciplinary teams active to examine cases from multiple angles and to detect system failings earlier.

Asked what lawmakers could do, law‑enforcement witnesses cited funding for investigators and better channels for compiling statewide data. Dortez urged continued legislative support for specialized units and for coordinated, cross‑agency reviews that can identify problems beyond individual criminal cases.

The committee received printed materials and asked LSP and the East Baton Rouge detectives to provide follow‑up details on staffing and on how the fusion‑center referral counts were assembled.","Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish detectives told the Senate Committee on Women and Children that they are increasing tracking, cross‑agency coordination and investigative capacity for child sexual‑abuse and human‑trafficking reports, while acknowledging staffing and data‑sharing gaps.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325034,"Attorney urges law change after DCFS findings undermine child‑abuse claims in custody battles",384,14877000,15261000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8&start=14877&end=15261","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8/thumbnail_14877000.jpg","/articles/6325034/Louisiana/Attorney-urges-law-change-after-DCFS-findings-undermine-childabuse-claims-in-custody-battles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325034-a1d7c5f209b1286e7bd48cb8a82076f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190120&Signature=DiEYVt9pVygeS467bb9MmMiy5lMeJfmKkxUn2EltMV36ldZjtLvu6SPS50kTFcq~VmMwxok8xRJEM3CEg44xEwDq3qorg1jG6mFnt~G06heC13tyrZxPEqp8TrAcWdnYtEciqYhedcnQ0fM0a92QykpO45cO8Zdl4RkKec03rXXhlagb53JS~ynTSRKjulycOmhrpjwr~mJHtNQA7m9m3q6BcdDtUq~vVJDTv48lyhZHogsxb9jWvl7vEcGeyhZSBEr9P0r3D2RNfPOXsTcmffP8FSRitdlaPIA-0FZ52IFKYzQ9WffOzedY8LMmNLMly8~kvGRZUtTZdHBy2U9VYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richard Decote, an attorney who has worked on juvenile and child‑welfare law in Louisiana for decades, urged senators to correct what he described as a recurring procedural problem: DCFS investigative findings used as dispositive evidence in family‑court custody disputes.

Decote told the Senate Committee on Women and Children that, in his experience, judges sometimes give disproportionate weight to DCFS determinations that an allegation is ‘‘unfounded’’ or ‘‘not substantiated’’ when the same family is litigating custody. He said that practice allows defense strategies that characterize protective parents as vindictive or manipulative and can result in courts awarding custody to alleged perpetrators even when other evidence—forensic interviews, medical findings or corroborating testimony—favors protection of the child.

To address the problem, Decote proposed legislation he described as a narrow, procedural fix: exclude a DCFS case finding from being admitted in family‑court custody hearings as proof that abuse did not occur. The change would, he said, allow family‑court judges to weigh the totality of evidence presented in the custody case—medical findings, validated forensic interviews, witnesses and other documentation—without treating a DCFS operational finding as dispositive.

Decote said the change would not strip DCFS of its investigatory role or its obligation to refer criminal matters to law enforcement; instead, it would reduce the incentive for litigants to use DCFS contact and reports as a litigation tactic. He told senators the idea has institutional support from some leaders who participated in the committee session and asked lawmakers to consider introducing the measure in the coming session.","Richard Decote, an attorney with decades of juvenile and child‑welfare experience, urged the committee to pass legislation that would prevent DCFS investigative findings in custody disputes from being used to discredit other evidence of child sexual abuse in family‑court proceedings.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325039,"Juvenile facility staff report increased programming but cite staffing shortages, background‑check delays and placement limits",5295,3781000,9076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8&start=3781&end=9076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335044-97991a9f98ac7c66dae66f78351a30f8/thumbnail_3781000.jpg","/articles/6325039/Louisiana/Juvenile-facility-staff-report-increased-programming-but-cite-staffing-shortages-backgroundcheck-delays-and-placement-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325039-0ef2a6e8922a1c867a30787de5cfc2d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190120&Signature=MBEBnVwAJ-8aEAo~x711FDbM6P3Up9yJyU~-fl~uw2TanT7zJ5gmR49lL4I1OkcZhRQBXaTxcgrd8yZUg87SIOzc-fGIBdb0PD8DVNEa4-JKkIXZ7ouu7aJAQs4en5-~Yi0OyJDU-nN~-Qoo1P7~5vWozLo9FwP7~JGanlPKqj0CCJF9gTqKSCfCPEXNIevQzAD2HTzR5COhULFCAZ4d-zXhKTkM5pL3ybXL1g3gjY4~wJXM5oTv8kSwYiT~WBbNHW9JtOGVonw4xHQnmgogwcE-Mg4AWO8KoaqKk7wEmbpGZXH5Hl49wyltsmLfEh2761Bd2g12bw8n8qZ22NuTzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Directors and social‑services staff from Office of Juvenile Justice facilities described day‑to‑day operations, education and recreation programming, and how the agency responds to allegations that a youth was abused while in custody.

Courtney Myers, assistant secretary for the Office of Juvenile Justice, told senators family‑and‑community liaisons serve as the facility connection to families and community resources, and that OJJ has three statewide liaisons (with one vacancy at Acadiana Center for Youth). Myers said the system has moved to a tiered placement model based on security and treatment needs and that OJJ is working to provide more beds closer to youths’ home communities through partnerships with local detention centers.

Facility directors described available programming. Kevin Lewis, director of the Swanson Center for Youth, said the center provides Monday‑through‑Friday tutoring after school and recreation and seasonal intramural sports; Columbia and other Swanson campuses have partnered with Delta‑area technical programs to deliver vocational training such as heavy‑equipment operator classes. Linda London, director of Bridge City Center for Youth, described on‑site clubs, community‑service outings and organized sports.

Several directors said extracurricular programming is limited by staffing ratios and by security protocols for higher‑tier youth; Columbia and Bridge City reported sports and intramural competition when staffing allows. James Wesley, director at Acadiana Center for Youth, said facility staffing turnover remains a major obstacle to offering consistent activities that require stable staff supervision.

Social‑services staff explained how OJJ handles allegations of sexual abuse in custody. Colonel Roosevelt Johnson, director of investigative services, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Chad Wells said PREA standards preclude treating any custodial sexual contact as consensual; OJJ separates alleged victims and alleged perpetrators during an investigation, refers the matter to investigative services, notifies medical and mental‑health staff, and provides follow‑up monitoring. Investigative services said substantiated PREA allegations are referred to the district attorney for prosecutorial review and that the agency maintains an internal alert system to flag a youth’s record if allegations are substantiated so future placements and staff access are restricted.

Directors and social‑services staff also described barriers to volunteer programs and partnerships. They said background‑check turnaround times vary by parish and by sheriff’s office; several directors reported slow parish background results that limited the number of screened volunteers per week and slowed restarting of volunteer‑led religious and mentoring programs.

OJJ staff and facility directors asked the committee for financial support for staff recruitment, retention and for programming budgets. Senators pledged to review line items and requested budget coding and historical spending details for recreational and programming purchases so the legislature could evaluate targeted investments.","Facility directors and Office of Juvenile Justice staff told the committee they are adding educational and vocational programming but struggle with staff retention, background‑check bottlenecks for volunteers, limited placement beds for juveniles and the need to keep victims separated under PREA procedures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DCFS outlines investigation priorities, staffing strains and plans for forensic interview coordination

State police, East Baton Rouge detectives describe steps to improve child sexual‑abuse and trafficking investigations

Attorney urges law change after DCFS findings undermine child‑abuse claims in custody battles

Juvenile facility staff report increased programming but cite staffing shortages, background‑check delays and placement limits