Ashley Deckert sails through first approval to lead troubled DCYF. Here's what's next.
PROVIDENCE – The state Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday unanimously approved the governor’s nomination of Ashley Deckert to be the next director of the often-troubled Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Deckert, who is 39 and was most recently director of public policy and government affairs with the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, won the hopeful praises of several stakeholders who work with, or for, the child welfare agency.
They included Tanja Kubas-Meyer, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families, which contracts with the agency to provide children's services, and Matthew Gunnip, president of the union representing DCYF social workers.
Both told the Senate committee members that Deckert had been meeting with them since Gov. Dan McKee nominated her last month and that she had expressed a willingness to collaborate to tackle the challenges facing an agency plagued in recent years by leadership turnover and ineptitude, according to at least one review.
More: New DCYF director nominated – what we know
What's next for Deckert?
If approved by the full Senate, which is now expected, Deckert will have her work cut out for her.
Just last week the state Office of the Child Advocate announced it will convene a review panel to investigate28 deaths and an equal number of “near fatalities” since 2019 among children who had some involvement with the child welfare agency.
Said Sen. Jessica de la Cruz at Thursday’s hearing: “As I’m sure you know, it has been a dysfunctional department and not because there was a lack of trying ... These children are our most vulnerable and yet we keep failing them in this state. And many in Rhode Island have lost hope when it comes to DCYF.”
More: Since 2019, 28 RI children known to DCYF have died. Now, the state's child office is investigating.
The Burrillville Republican said it was her opinion the department “needs to be rebuilt in its entirety” and that she was hopeful Deckert would consider “an entirely new strategy.”
Deckert responded that she planned to continue meeting with all parties to “understand the needs of Rhode Island” and to develop a strategic plan for DCYF moving forward. “While I do that, the ship has to continue to sail.” But she said she welcomed “outside-of-the-box approaches.”
In her nomination questionnaire from the Senate, Deckert answered that she was a named defendant in two court cases in Illinois due to her child welfare positions, a situation not uncommon for agency supervisors anywhere.
If confirmed, Deckert would replace veteran DCYF administrator Kevin Aucoin, who has served as DCYF's interim director since August 2019. Aucoin was the department's deputy director and executive counsel when he agreed to become the acting director while the state conducted a search for a successor to Trista Piccola.
Piccola, appointed by Gov. Gina Raimondo in January 2017, announced in July of 2019 she was stepping down following the release of an investigation by the state child advocate and a panel of child-care professionals that found that years of ineptitude by the DCYF had contributed to the death of a 9-year-old Warwick girl.
The DCYF director's salary is currently set at $162,737, according to the Department of Administration.
Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI DCYF director nominee heads to Senate for confirmation
