(NECN: Ally Donnelly, Fitchburg, Mass.) – As law enforcement continues to investigate the disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver, 5, the Department of Children and Families is investigating how the case was handled.
Oliver’s mother and her boyfriend are behind bars due to child abuse charges.
The DCF has already fired two employees in connection the case.
“We had a worker who did not follow policy and a supervisor that did not enforce the policy,” said CMSR. Olga Roche of the Mass. DCF.
The DCF has had contact with the family since 2011.
Most recently, the case worker was notified that Oliver was moving to Florida to live with his grandmother and did not verify the claim. The case worker had also not been making the required monthly visits to check on Oliver and his siblings.
The DCF has not seen Oliver in 6 months.
Local
“This was not a work load issue. This is not a case load issue. This is a social worker being experienced and knowing her role and her responsibility as a protective worker, failed to do so and a supervisor to enforce it,” Roche explained.
Investigations into this DCF supervisor show other similar patterns.
The commissioner has ordered a review of thousands of DCF cases.
