Wednesday, Senator Jon Ossoff convened the first public hearing amid an ongoing investigation into the safety of foster children. Ossoff, who is the chair of the U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee heard testimony from parents, former foster children, and experts.
An audit showed that while DFACS initiated timely investigations in nearly 90% of reviewed cases, those probes often led nowhere, with the agency failing in 84% of cases in assessing risks to children in care. OCA (Georgia's Office of the Child Advocate) found 15 breakdowns within Georgia DFACS.
UGA law professor Emma Hetherington testified in her personal capacity as an expert in child welfare law.
There are about 11,000 children in foster care in Georgia. The subcommittee is taking submissions from members of the public on the topic until November 15th.
