Former DCFS employee calls Utah’s child welfare system ‘broken’ and pushes for reforms

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A former Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) employee speaks out about systemic problems that she says hinder Utah’s ability to protect children.

Their concerns come as public outrage grows following recent child abuse cases, including the tragic death of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson, who allegedly starved to death in his West Haven home.

In an exclusive interview with 2News, the former caseworker, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that she left the agency after struggling with overwhelming caseloads and a “tick-box” culture. We will refer to her as “Sarah” throughout this article.

Sarah explained that while she left DCFS on good terms – she received a letter of recommendation describing her work as “outstanding” and “extraordinary” – she ultimately felt that the system benefited both families and families Let social workers in Utah down.

“I felt like I had reached a point where I was no longer able to do thorough work,” she said. “The number of cases was far too high and the fluctuation was also high.”

Culture of “Sure Enough”

One of the main problems Sarah pointed out was the internal attitude towards calling cases “safe enough”. While high priority cases that require immediate attention are typically addressed, other cases that show warning signs would often be dismissed too early.

“There are cases where we could probably prevent something bad from happening. You can see there are concerns, but they are marked as ‘safe enough,'” Sarah said.

She explained that this approach stems from a “box-checking” culture within DCFS, where cases are closed based on a checklist rather than a thorough investigation.

“You have a case closure checklist, and then you go out,” she said. “You can just close the case if all of those boxes are checked.”

DCFS response

DCFS Director Tonya Myrup acknowledged these concerns in an interview and emphasized the agency’s commitment to improvements.

“I think it’s important for me to understand what our practice is, what we train for and then what actually happens on the ground,” Myrup said.

Myrup also discussed the agency’s onboarding process. In its annual report, DCFS received more than 48,000 reports, but fewer than half met the criteria to open an investigation.

“The cases received through CPS intake must meet the standard that the information provided, if true, would meet the legal definition of abuse and neglect,” Myrup said.

She also noted that DCFS recently underwent a review by state agencies to evaluate its protocols.

“They really walked us through looking at our process to see what we could do better to evaluate that intake information,” she said, adding that the agency has implemented recommendations for improvement.

Need for cultural change

Sarah believes it takes more than just procedural changes to solve the deeper problems.

“We need a complete change in the culture within DCFS,” she said.

Myrup expressed hope that employees will raise concerns and suggestions.

“It breaks my heart to hear this,” Myrup said. “I hope that people who have concerns or suggestions will share them so we can continue to make these improvements.”

What’s next?

Part two of this story will air on Tuesday, in which the whistleblower shares her thoughts on how to address these issues and what steps need to be taken for meaningful reform.

Myrup will also explain what the agency is currently doing to improve the system.

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