California Joint Legislative Auditor 2024-108 Alameda County Department Of Children & Family Services: Delayed Investigations & Support Services Risk The Health & Safety Of Youth

The report was released by the California Joint Legislative Audit Committee on September 23, 2025. The audit of the Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) focused on DCFS's role in ensuring the health and safety of youth in the county’s foster care system. The audit found that DCFS did not always initiate investigations of alleged child abuse and neglect referrals within the prescribed time frames, did not always ensure that foster youth received timely critical physical and mental health services, and did not always ensure that youth maintained connection with family members . . .