Santa Clara County, Calif: The union representing Santa Clara County DFCS Social Workers released the following statement in response to the County’s investigation and disciplinary update:
“From the outset, our union has called for a full and comprehensive investigation to ensure accountability wherever it is warranted,” said Riko Mendez, SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer. “We continue to believe that accountability must be thorough, transparent, and guided by the facts established through the investigative process.
At the same time, we will continue to fulfill our legal and moral responsibility to represent our members throughout disciplinary proceedings, ensuring they receive the representation and due process to which they are entitled.
Our members remain committed to protecting children and supporting families. They also continue to call for the systemic changes needed through comprehensive reform, including addressing chronic understaffing, high vacancies, and unsustainable caseloads, to help prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future. Lasting improvements will require a commitment to strengthening both the child welfare system and the workforce entrusted with carrying out its mission.
“SEIU Local 521 continues to extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Jaxon Juarez and to the community that continues to grieve this heartbreaking tragedy.”
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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.
