State to take over child welfare services at Vance County Department of Social Services

In a letter from NCDHHS sent to the director of VCDSS, the Vance County manager and the chairman of the Vance County Social Services Board, which WRAL News obtained a copy of, the state said it would take over VCDSS after an investigation found that it violated several policies
Posted 5/14/2025, 6:08:08 PM Updated 5/15/2025, 12:58:23 AM

AND THE CONDITION OF THE DRIVER

INVOLVED.

>> A CHILD WELFARE SERVICES

DIVISION IN OUR AREA IS BEING

TAKEN OVER BY THE STATE.

IN A LETTER, THE DEPARTMENT

OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

SAYS POOR MANAGEMENT AND

OVERSIGHT WITHIN VANCE

COUNTIES. DSS HAS LED TO

CHILDREN BEING HARMED. THE

LETTER DESCRIBES THE LENGTHS

THE STATE TOOK TO SUPPORT VANCE

COUNTIES, DSS, INCLUDING

PUTTING THE AGENCY UNDER A

CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN BACK

IN JULY 2024, BUT THE STATE

DESCRIBES SIGNIFICANT FAILURES

SINCE THEN. THAT INCLUDES 40

EXISTING CASES IDENTIFIED AS

HIGH RISK WHERE NO CONTACT HAS

BEEN MADE WITH THOSE FAMILIES

BYTEDANCE DSS STAFF. THE

CO-CHAIR OF THE STATE'S CHILD

FATALITY TASK FORCE CARE.

MCLEOD DESCRIBES HOW SERIOUS

IT IS TO HAVE THE STATE TAKE

OVER.

>> THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IN THE

EYE AS YOU ARE AWARE, DOESN'T

HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. SO THERE

HAS TO BE VERY SIGNIFICANT

DEFICIENCIES FOR THAT TO TAKE

PLACE.

>> MCLEOD SAYS SMALLER COUNTIES

LIKE VANCE ARE AT A

DISADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO

HIRING SOCIAL WORKERS BECAUSE

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES PAY MORE.

THE LETTER FROM DHHS DIRECTS A

LOT OF ITS CRITICISM AT VANCE,

DSS DIRECTOR SANDY WEAVER.

FOR MORE ON THE LETTER, GO TO

WRAL DOT COM. THIS IS HAPPENING

AFTER WRAL'S DOCUMENTARY BROKE

IN FOSTER CARE IN NORTH

CAROLINA IN THE DOCUMENTARY WE

EXPOSED MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE

SYSTEM. THE QR CODE THAT YOU'RE

SEEING ON YOUR SCREEN WILL TAKE

© WRAL