City employees commended for [too] rapid closures of child-abuse complaints

As Richmond’s Department of Social Services rushed to clear a backlog of reports of child abuse and neglect, certificates of recognition were presented to those who closed the most cases, workers were beneficiaries of an “anonymous gift card donation” to commend their efforts and employees were paid to work Saturdays to get old cases off the books, according to city documents.

“Most importantly, there is consistent evidence to suggest child safety was either never assessed or assessed at a point in time far after the (the complaints were validated),” the unnamed experts noted in the auditor’s report.

In the current fiscal year, less than a quarter of CPS investigations in Richmond have been completed within the 45- to 60-day timeframe mandated by the state, according to the December report, the latest available. Link