Link below for CAPTA statement. Media availability with the DCFS director will follow the CWLOP hearing.
Salt Lake City—The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) respects the right to privacy of every child and family we serve, and we make every effort to abide by our laws. State and federal law protects the privacy of children and families who become involved with the child welfare system.
In cases that involve a child fatality or near-fatality because of abuse or neglect, the law allows the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) to publicly release a limited summary of the division’s involvement with the victim once the investigation is finished. This is issued in compliance with the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and is referred to as a CAPTA statement.
In response to the department’s unwavering commitment to transparency and in recognition of the public interest in this information a CAPTA statement summarizing DCFS involvement with Gavin Peterson is now publicly available. DCFS will continue to protect the privacy of Gavin’s extended family and siblings, as required by Utah law. Visit https://dhhs.utah.gov/news/ to read the statement in full.
At this time, DCFS has conducted a thorough internal review of its involvement with Gavin Peterson and his family. The DHHS Fatality Review Committee also conducted an in-depth external review to look at the child welfare system response as a whole. While DHHS remains confident in its DCFS staff, it uses these internal reviews to learn from critical incidents and make changes to its operations when necessary.
As part of our commitment to transparency, Tonya Myrup, DCFS director, will be available for an interview after the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel (CWLOP) hearing is completed today. Availability will begin 15 minutes after the hearing is adjourned, and will conclude after 1 hour.
DCFS receives about 40,000 reports of abuse or neglect each year. We take each of those reports seriously.
“DCFS caseworkers are responsible for some of the hardest—and most important—decisions a public servant ever has to make. They must decide if the government should intervene with a family in the privacy of their home to protect a child. We must carefully balance state law and facts known at the time of an investigation, when we make decisions that may forever change the lives of a child and family,” said Tracy Gruber, DHHS executive director.
Gruber continued by saying, “It affects everyone in a community when heinous acts of abuse and neglect happen to children. The senseless death of a child is an outrage and should not be tolerated. As a community, we should be working together to protect children from abuse and neglect. ”
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Interviews will be available to members of the media during this one-time media availability window.
Who:
- Tonya Myrup, director, Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS)
When:
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Availability will begin 15 minutes after the conclusion of the legislative hearing
Where:
Utah State Capitol
350 State St
Salt Lake City, UT, 84103
*DCFS will not provide information specific to Gavin Peterson or the extended Peterson family that is not contained in the published CAPTA statement.