Louisiana leads nation in child homicides; who will answer for their deaths?

Louisiana lawmakers grilled the leaders of the agency charged with protecting children most at risk following a summer of two tragic toddler deaths and reports of sexual abuse by foster parents.

"We question the leadership now," said Republican Abbeville Sen. Bob Hensgens during a Senate Health and Welfare hearing Tuesday where the top administrators for the Department of Children and Family Services testified. "What are you going to do?"

The deaths of Michael Robinson III, a 2-year-old from Baton Rouge who suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose after multiple warnings of his endangerment to the agency, and Ezekial Harry, a 2-year-old from Houma who died from head trauma and was found in a trash can after a neighbor may have reported his endangerment to the agency, sparked the hearing.

But their deaths aren't isolated.

Louisiana led the nation in child and teen homicides in 2020 with 130, which at 11.4 deaths per 100,000 was the highest per capita rate in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Kids Count.

Family and Child Services Secretary Marketa Walters blamed the COVID pandemic, hurricanes and untenable work loads for case workers as reasons for a mass exodus of employees that has weakened the agency's ability to provide a safety net for children.

Walters, an appointee of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, said employee turnover rates had decreased in the early years of her leadership beginning in 2016.

"And then COVID happened," she said. "The world changed. And let's not forget five named storms hit last year affecting our employees and the families we serve. These are not excuses; they are just the reality we live within."

But even before the pandemic and storms, the agency's budget since 2007 had been cut by 40% and its workforce by about 30% by the Legislature and two governors' administrations beginning with former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal.

"In 2008 (as an assistant secretary) I had 500 more people to do the work," Walters said. "It makes a big difference."

But lawmakers noted as state revenue has increased and budgets stabilized Walters has been unable to replenish the agency's workforce.

"Clearly, the glaring problem is a lack of employees," Republican Senate President Page Cortez of Lafayette said. "When did we start the wheels in motion to get (more) people in the door? To me, it's now a question of when did you know and how urgently did you work to fix it?"

Other lawmakers like Republican Houma Sen. "Big Mike" Fesi of Houma said lower-level employees have reported a "toxic atmosphere" in the workplace.

Democratic New Orleans Rep. Jason Hughes, who has repeatedly called on Walters to resign, said the agency's leadership has fostered a "culture of fear and retaliation" for employees who speak out for change. Hughes was invited to sit in on Tuesday's Senate committee hearing.

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"I've expressed my direct views," Hughes said. "It's nothing personal. I want to reiterate ... I think there needs to be a new direction."

Walters agreed that staff morale is low, but blamed it on a shortage of employees. "We are working people beyond their capacity," she said.

"Child welfare agencies across the nation are facing this, struggling with staffing," Walters said. "When your caseload is two times what it should be you feel all the pressuring of knowing you're not performing at peak level and knowing when that happens ... horrible things can happen."

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Walters said the agency has developed strategies to expand recruiting and retention, increasing training and coaching, creating employee assistance programs, exploring contractual private partnerships and increasing pay, among others.

"This is not a witch hunt," Cortez said. "This is an effort to find solutions."

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1 

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Louisiana leads nation in child homicides; who will answer for deaths?