Nov. 21, 2025
Holding child welfare agencies accountable while navigating immunity rules
Despite broad discretionary immunity for child welfare agencies, California law provides critical avenues for holding social workers and counties liable when they fail to follow mandatory duties to investigate, report and protect abused children.
Carly L. Sanchez
Booth LawPhone: (310) 515-1361
Fax: (310) 540-0433
Email: csanchez@booth.law
Southwestern Univ SOL; Los Angeles CA
One evening, a neighbor hears a child screaming, "Stop hitting me!" and the next day sees bruises on the back of the child's calves. A teacher grows increasingly concerned when a student continually shows up hungry, in clothes smelling of urine and with disheveled hair. Worried family members repeatedly call the child abuse hotline to warn that their niece is unsafe around her mother's new boyfriend. Can anything be done when these individuals call county child welfare ag...
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