Santa Clara County, CA – Frontline county workers represented by SEIU Local 521 are again raising urgent concerns about systemic failures and dangerous understaffing conditions in the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS).
Social workers and community allies held a press conference on January 14 outside the Board of Supervisors chambers to demand an immediate action plan to protect the safety and well-being of vulnerable children and families.
One of the issues highlighted by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in December 2023 was management’s decision to exclude frontline social workers and supervisors from meetings with County Counsel regarding legal action to remove children from dangerous situations. The voice of social workers and supervisors in those critical meetings has been restored. However, since then, the staffing situation has continued to deteriorate. Chronic understaffing and lack of resources in child and family services have led to unsafe working conditions, service delays, and are putting at risk the well-being of vulnerable children and families. Dependency Investigations (DI) units that manage all incoming court filings/initial court cases on the abuse of children, are outrageously at a 50% vacancy rate. Social workers demand systemic changes to prioritize safety, equity, and justice for the most vulnerable members of our community.
“I am here today to implore the executives, the Board of Supervisors and Santa Clara County to prioritize child safety and family wellbeing. The heart-wrenching loss of Baby Phoenix highlights the devastating consequences of a broken system that desperately needs investment, attention, and urgent changes to care for children and families who are paying the price with their lives. We must have immediate intervention and reform and our local elected leaders, managers and system must be transformed. We must have these changes to ensure no family or child is left unprotected in Santa Clara County’s care.”
— Pa Chang, Santa Clara County Social Work Supervisor and SEIU 521 union member, 20 years of service
“The failure of Santa Clara County leadership is harming our workforce and community. We need to hire more social workers otherwise children are left at risk. When social workers are burnt out, sleep deprived, and forced into roles they are not trained for, children and families are left at risk. When crises are not being responded to in a timely manner, children and families are left at risk. We demand DFCS leaders address social workers’ burnout and turnover. Our community and families deserve better.”
— Karlie Eacock, Santa Clara County Social Worker and SEIU 521 union member
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 53,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
