(The Center Square) – Louisiana is using 15 investigators working overtime to address overdue child protection investigations in Baton Rouge, where nearly three-quarters of the state’s backlog is concentrated.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services outlined the effort Monday in a presentation prepared for the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Experienced investigators from Greater New Orleans, Thibodaux, Shreveport and Monroe are handling Baton Rouge backlog cases through a project that began Sept. 28 and runs through year’s end.
The department’s presentation and accompanying news release did not identify the project’s budget or funding source. Baton Rouge had 1,200 overdue investigations as of last Saturday, accounting for about 72% of the statewide backlog.
The Center Square reached out to Family Services for information about overtime costs, the recent increase in overdue cases and safeguards for closing investigations but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Family Services reported 1,666 overdue investigations statewide, down 55% from the October 2025 peak of 3,690. However, the backlog increased by 111 cases, or about 7%, from August through last Saturday.
The department reported 6,265 open child protection investigations statewide, including the overdue cases. Its presentation identifies a 60-day policy timeframe for completing investigations.
Cases involving unresolved safety concerns remain with Baton Rouge staff for immediate action rather than being assigned to the overtime project, according to Family Services.
The effort comes as the department faces vacancies and rising staff departures. As of Oct. 6, the child welfare division had 188 vacant positions out of 1,540 authorized positions, a vacancy rate of 12.2%, according to the presentation. The division accounted for nearly three-quarters of all vacancies across the department.
Between Jan. 2 and Oct. 10, 244 child welfare employees left the department while 163 joined, a net loss of 81 employees, the agency reported.
From September 2025 through March, an average of about 1.5 out of every 100 child welfare employees left every four weeks. That rate rose to about 2.3 out of every 100 from April through August, an increase the department calculated at 51%.
Baton Rouge had the highest share of departing child welfare staff among the regions, according to the presentation. Of its 111 employees in August 2025, 32 left over the following year. Its overall staffing fell to 89.
Family Services said it is working with State Civil Service on a salary study, exploring a workforce development and training partnership with the University of Louisiana System and investing in its training academy. The release did not provide costs or a timetable for potential salary changes.
Alongside the overtime effort, Baton Rouge is adopting case review procedures used in Greater New Orleans to prevent investigations from becoming overdue, Family Services said.
Under those procedures, caseworkers and supervisors identify outstanding tasks, assign responsibility and set deadlines. Unfinished cases receive additional management review as they approach the 60-day mark.
Family Services said Greater New Orleans has used the approach since January. As of last Saturday, the region had 25 overdue cases among 863 open investigations.
Baton Rouge is now using weekly case reviews and leadership oversight, according to Family Services. The department said investigations are not closed solely to meet a numerical target.
