SEIU 521 Union Members on the frontlines and courtrooms of the child welfare system can help identify practical, cost-effective solutions that improve outcomes and ensure public resources are used wisely.
Bakersfield, Calif., – Monday, July 27, 2026
During the Tuesday, July 28 public meeting, the Social Policy Institute at San Diego State University will submit a child welfare system assessment report to the Kern County Board of Supervisors. The following statement can be attributed to Patricia Gomez, Kern County Administrative Coordinator, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 521 member, and Fix Kern advocate.
“On behalf of the Social Workers, Social Worker Supervisors, and office support staff represented by SEIU Local 521 in Kern County Child Protective Services, we commend the Social Policy Institute at San Diego State University for its thoughtful analysis and commitment to improving outcomes for Kern County’s vulnerable children and families.
For frontline workers, the report’s findings are not surprising; they are validating. For years, the employees who respond to child abuse referrals, support families in crisis, and work to keep children safe have raised concerns about chronic understaffing, excessive caseloads, high turnover, and inadequate workforce training and support. In addition, workers report that they often feel that management is looking to silence or dismiss their expert opinion. This makes effective collaboration to find solutions difficult or impossible.
This is not the first time the Kern County Board of Supervisors has been warned about these challenges. In March 2025, thousands of county workers, including many from Human Services, participated in a 24-hour unfair labor practice strike to demand action on staffing and working conditions that directly affect the quality of public services, and on April 22, 2025, The Board of Supervisors received a Grand Jury report, which found that Kern County CPS “faces challenges of recruiting and retaining social workers due to high caseloads, emotional stress, and competitive job markets.”
During the meeting, we are submitting a letter for the public record documenting the many occasions these concerns have been brought before county leaders and urging immediate action.
We call on the Board to move beyond acknowledging the problem and begin implementing the solutions identified in this independent assessment. That means investing in the workforce, partnering with frontline employees and SEIU Local 521, and ensuring the people closest to the work have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of Kern County’s child welfare system.
Every child deserves a safe, stable future. With county resources available today to strengthen Child Protective Services, there is no reason to delay the investments that will better protect children, support families, and deliver the accountable, effective public services Kern County taxpayers expect and paid for.”
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 73,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
