When the Raimondo Administration finally commented on the scandal plaguing the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, & Families (DCYF), it wasn't to explain her lack of leadership, why she hired unqualified individuals to lead the agency, or why she ignored previous recommendations to fix its many problems.
From The Providence Journal:
In a response to the ad, the governor’s spokesman Mike Raia described the safety and well-being of children as a nonpartisan issue.
“The governor’s a mom, and it rips at her heart that any child — in Rhode Island or elsewhere — could suffer from abuse or neglect,” Raia said. “As governor, she’s pushed for reforms of DCYF, hired more social workers, and expanded resources for community-based services. We need to keep working to end child abuse and ensure that every child has a safe and loving home.”
Remember: Gov. Gina Raimondo has called DCYF "dysfunctional" before and called for restructuring. What's more, a report issued earlier this year by the Rhode Island Office of the Child Advocate said many recommendations made to fix DCYF had "yet to be executed." Here's more from the RGA:
Unfortunately for Rhode Island’s at-risk youths, Raimondo still shows no signs of matching her action with her words. Just last week, WPRI-TVreported that shortfalls in Rhode Island’s new budget will leave the state unable to prevent what will likely be millions in budget cuts to the DCYF after Raimondo abdicated any leadership role in passing Rhode Island’s budget during the state legislature’s nearly month-long stalemate. While Raimondo continues her pattern of talking instead of taking action, ignoring recommendations to fix the DCYF’s scandalous failures with unmanageable caseloads and persistent group home problems, Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children continue to pay the price for her shameful lack of leadership.
Previously:
