Damion Wright, director of Santa Clara County's Department of Family and Children’s Services, resigned following intense scrutiny over the agency's handling of child safety cases. Wright cited the recent death of his father as the reason for his departure. His resignation comes a year after an investigation by the Bay Area News Group revealed the agency's troubling practice of keeping children in unsafe homes, highlighted by the fentanyl-related death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro.
The director of the Santa Clara County’s child welfare agency, which drew intense scrutiny following the fentanyl-related death of a 3-month-old infant that brought to light the agency's troubling practice of keeping children in unsafe homes, announced this week that he is resigning.
Damion Wright, who became director of the Department of Family and Children’s Services several months after the infant's death in May of 2023, said in a letter to his staff that the recent death of his father prompted his decision to accept another position in Southern California, the Mercury News reported Thursday. Wright, who previously served as assistant director of the agency that is responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect throughout the county, said he believed the agency had made significant strides over the past year toward 'enhancing workplace practices that prioritize child safety.' 'I firmly believe that by adhering to the pathway forward we have laid out for safe children and safe communities, we can continue to uphold the safety of our vulnerable populations during this transition and beyond,' Wright's letter read in part. Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas issued a brief statement following Wright's announcement, saying she wished him well in his new job and that she remains 'committed to continue working with the County’s Administration and the Department of Family and Children’s Services on the reforms started together.” Wright's resignation comes roughly a year after the agency came under the eye of Bay Area News Group, which launched an investigation into the agency following the death of Phoenix Castro, a 3-month-old infant who died from ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl and methamphetamine in San Jose. The newspaper found that hospital officials notified the child welfare agency amid health concerns for Phoenix
CHILD WELFARE RESIGNATION SCANDAL SAFETY CONCERNS INVESTIGATION
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