An analysis of the state’s child welfare staffing needs found Louisiana is short by at least 129 workers, though a member of Gov. Jeff Landry’s cabinet says the number doesn’t take into account certain factors.
At the request of state lawmakers, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reviewed staffing levels at the state’s nine regional child welfare offices under the Department of Children and Family Services. Its review involved employee counts in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30 last year. The calculations used staff-to-case ratios for the various programs and cases the agency handles.
The audit report counted 1,541 child welfare workers statewide in fiscal year 2024, when DCFS served approximately 4,400 children in foster care per month, conducted 21,901 child protection investigations and spent $327.5 million.