I-Team: Caseload Continues To Increase For DCF Workers
BOSTON (CBS) - Prosecutors say a little boy from Hardwick on life support was nearly starved to death by his father.
Prosecutors say a therapist noted in May that Jack Loiselle's father, Randall Lints was limiting what he fed the boy, but the therapist believed that was being dealt with.
A WBZ source says multiple agencies were involved with Jack's family including the Department of Children and Families. Jack's mother, Amber Loiselle, says she last saw her son two weeks before he went into the hospital.
This case echoes what happened with Jeremiah Oliver, the little boy who was being supervised by DCF when he vanished.
The agency never knew and his body was found months later. Authorities still haven't said how he died. After the death, lawmakers promised that DCF would be fixed and case workers wouldn't be overburdened.
But the I-Team has learned the situation has just gotten worse.
WBZ-TV's Katie Brace reports
In December of 2013 the average caseload for a social worker was 17.03 cases. This March - it jumped to 21.26 cases - a 25 percent increase.
In the Worcester West office, where Jack's case would have been handled, each worker has 19 and a half cases.
As Jack's abuse was allegedly happening, a statewide survey of DCF workers had them sounding alarms.
One worker said, "DCF continues to fail completely at bringing down caseloads."
And another said, "I have been over caseload every single month for approximately three years."
The recommended caseload is about 15 per worker. Twenty is considered a crisis level.
Experts and social workers say the state has started to make some changes - but it is just not enough yet.
