Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition

Report Raises Questions About Alternative To Foster Care Program In San Diego County

The San Diego County Administration Building downtown is shown in this undated photo.
Alison St John
/
KPBS
The San Diego County Administration Building downtown is shown in this undated photo.
A recent report raises questions about the effectiveness of the county’s so-called voluntary services program, which serves as an alternative to foster care.

San Diego County’s child welfare system is coming under scrutiny.

A recent county working group report raises questions about the effectiveness of the county’s so-called voluntary services program, which serves as an alternative to foster care.

The program offers social services to families while keeping kids, who have likely been abused or neglected, at home. County officials say the program spares kids the potential trauma of being separated from their parents.

Advertisement

One of the main concerns outlined in the report is that the program may be keeping kids in dangerous situations and exposing them to abuse and neglect for longer periods of time.

Morgan Cook, an investigative reporter with The San Diego Union-Tribune's Watchdog team, discusses the report's findings Tuesday on Midday Edition.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.