The embattled head of Santa Clara County’s little one welfare company introduced his resignation Thursday, a 12 months after damning investigations by the Bay Space Information Group and the state of California discovered quite a few little one security failures that led to the demise of an toddler and put different susceptible kids in hurt’s means.
In a letter to workers, Damion Wright, director of the Division of Household and Kids’s Companies, mentioned the current demise of his father prompted his resolution to maneuver again to Southern California to be near household and settle for one other place. His resignation might be efficient Jan. 17.
“As I take on the responsibilities associated with coordinating my father’s affairs, I recognize that this is an opportune moment for me to transition out of my role,” he wrote.
Information of Wright’s resignation was greeted by aid — and frustration — by some social employees who had hoped for extra accountability.
“There’s no acknowledgement regarding the tragedy that took place,” mentioned Alex Lesniak, a county social employee and union consultant.
Certainly, Wright’s resignation letter didn’t point out child Phoenix Castro, who died final 12 months of a fentanyl overdose at 3 months previous after being despatched dwelling from the hospital over the objections of social employee Matthew Kraft, who already had eliminated her two older siblings from the house after discovering the drug-abusing mother and father unfit. His warnings, nonetheless, went unheeded by management that valued protecting households collectively over protecting kids protected, reporting by this information group discovered.
Final December, dozens of social employees confirmed up on the county’s Board of Supervisors assembly to voice their issues over the management of each Wright and former company director Dan Little, who now runs the county’s Social Companies Company and carried out the household preservation coverage in January 2021. Wright was employed shortly after as an assistant director. He was appearing co-director when child Phoenix died and later was promoted to director.
Supervisor Sylvia Arenas was among the many first to name for an overhaul of the kid welfare company. On the similar time, the state Division of Social Companies was releasing the primary of two investigations of the company, as properly. The second referred to as for “immediate corrections” after discovering that kids had been left in abusive properties regardless of clear proof that the one solution to preserve them protected was to take away them. In additional than half the circumstances the state reviewed, between July 2022 and March 2024, no security plans had been created for fogeys that might have helped preserve kids protected.
Arenas has been an outspoken critic of each Wright and Little, calling them out at an October board assembly and insisting they each write “letters of reflection” about their management failures that led to child Phoenix’s demise. Wright by no means wrote one. In an announcement Thursday, she took a extra conciliatory tone.
“I wish Damion well in his next endeavor and share my deepest condolences to him and his family following the passing of his father,” Arenas wrote. “I will remain committed to continue working with the County’s Administration and the Department of Family and Children’s Services on the reforms we started together.”
In his letter, Wright emphasised that “we have made significant strides” towards enhancing practices that “prioritize child safety.”
Regardless of Wright’s letter being launched the day after the Christmas vacation, it flew by the welfare company workers channels Thursday, the place morale has plummeted over the previous 12 months. Social employee Lesniak says she hopes Wright’s resignation will usher in higher management.
“I think people are wondering what’s next,” she mentioned.
Reporter Molly Gibbs contributed to this story.
