The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) will temporarily assume leadership of child welfare services at the Bertie County Department of Social Services (BCDSS) beginning Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, according to an NCDHHS press release. This is the fifth time in state history that NCDHHS has taken over a county social services department — and the first time any county DSS has been taken over twice.
State officials said in the press release that the action follows months of intervention and oversight prompted by the December 2024 death of a child who had prior involvement with BCDSS. The release notes that after reviewing that fatality and additional cases, NCDHHS placed BCDSS on a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) in March 2025 due to “serious concerns” about its administration of child welfare services.
In an August 14 letter to county leaders, NCDHHS Secretary Devdutta Sangvai detailed multiple failures by BCDSS leadership to follow state directives, manage a critical case appropriately, or present to the court how its actions had contributed to ongoing safety risks for children. The letter also cited “serious concerns about the accuracy, integrity and transparency of information” provided by staff at all levels of the organization.
“The mismanagement of this case and failure of BCDSS to adhere to the directives of NCDHHS has magnified our concerns about BCDSS’s ability to adequately assess child safety and risk,” Sangvai wrote in the letter. He concluded that BCDSS was not providing services in accordance with law, rule, and policy, and that this failure “poses a substantial threat to the safety and welfare of children in Bertie County.”
According to the letter, effective immediately upon the state takeover, the county DSS director will be stripped of all service delivery powers related to child welfare under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108A-14. The press release states that NCDHHS staff will be on site during the interim period to stabilize operations, manage services, and develop a compliance plan.
Sangvai emphasized in the press release the urgency of the intervention.
“We take very seriously our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of every child in North Carolina. By taking this urgent action, we will work collaboratively with Bertie County leadership to strengthen the county’s practice, delivery and administration of child welfare services.”
Bertie County leaders voiced support for the move. “We care greatly for the safety of children and families in Bertie and across the state,” said Corey Ballance Sr., chair of the county’s Board of Commissioners, in the press release. “We are grateful for this work.”
The takeover is authorized under N.C. General Statute § 108A-74, which allows the state to assume direct control of county DSS operations when local agencies fail to comply with child welfare laws and policies.
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