Turpin siblings case: Riverside County statement on changes
"No one wants this to happen again," Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said.
Statement issued by Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen: Summary of Changes to Improve Outcomes for Vulnerable Children
January 30, 2026
The trauma endured by this family is heartbreaking. The abuse these children suffered in both their biological and adoptive homes was tragic and unacceptable.
Their experiences, and those of other vulnerable children, led the County to initiate the independent investigation by former federal Judge Stephen Larson in 2021, which resulted in significant reforms to how the County serves and protects children in its care. This review was driven by difficult lessons and guided by a commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
No one wants this to happen again.
Our purpose is to safeguard the safety, health, and well-being of those we serve, especially vulnerable children and adults.
Riverside County is committed to the well-being and long-term healing of all thirteen siblings. We continue to stay in touch and provide ongoing support to many of the family members. We are grateful to the many people and organizations who have partnered with us to provide resources.
While California law prevents child welfare agencies from discussing any specific details involving any child or family (Welfare and Institutions Code 827 (a)(1)), we can share that since the 2021 investigation, the County has made significant improvements. We strive to operate as one coordinated system: sharing information lawfully, aligning decisions earlier, escalating high risk situations faster, and expanding safe placements and services. We know there is more work ahead, and the work will never end, but we believe Riverside County is in a different position today than we were four and a half years ago, because of these sustained, multi-year changes:
1. Leadership, Oversight, and Accountability
What changed: In December 2021, the Board of Supervisors created an oversight committee to ensure departments coordinate, follow through, and stay accountable over time.
A key early lesson was that improving protection for vulnerable children and adults cannot be left to one program or one department working alone.
This committee matters because it is a standing forum where leadership consistently:
- Raise problems quickly (for example: legal barriers, staffing constraints, placement gaps, or operational breakdowns).
- Require cross department solutions, instead of isolated fixes.
- Track implementation over time, rather than treating corrective actions as one-time responses
To support implementation across departments, the County added dedicated Executive Office staff to help coordinate and sustain progress across agencies. This commitment drives meaningful change, identifies systemic challenges, and advances solutions to improve safety.
2. Working Side-by-Side with Law Enforcement
What changed: Riverside County strengthened how child welfare and law enforcement coordinate so that high-risk situations are handled quickly, clearly, and consistently.
Since 2021, we have:
- Updated investigation protocols: County partners updated guidance on suspected abuse reporting and joint investigations.
- Clear expectations when law enforcement is involved: Policies were strengthened to help social workers know when to request law enforcement in high-risk neglect investigations.
- Regular leadership coordination: Child welfare leadership participates in law enforcement coordination meetings and ongoing communication with the Sheriff, District Attorney, Probation, County Counsel, and other law enforcement partners, to prevent delays and confusion in serious cases.
The intent is simple: when risk is high, the system must act fast, share information (within the law), and unite as a seamless team, not rely on chance or informal relationships.
3. Team-Based Decision-Making for Complex Cases
What changed: Riverside County expanded team-based decision making so that complex cases are a shared responsibility, not "someone else's job."
Some situations, especially those involving significant trauma, are too complex for any single department to manage alone.
Since 2021, the County expanded team decision making so that major decisions are less likely to be made in isolation. This includes:
- Multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs): Teams that bring together child services, adult services, behavioral health, public health, housing, law enforcement, and other partners to identify solutions for children and adults.
- Routine coordination: Not just collaboration after something goes wrong, but regular communication, even if there is not currently a case under investigation.
The goal is a clear move from individual responsibility to shared responsibility.
4. "No Wrong Door" Approach
What changed: Riverside County focused on improving how departments share information lawfully and coordinate services so that families aren't forced to navigate the maze of programs and resources alone.
A long-standing challenge in California, not just in Riverside County, is that privacy laws and separate systems can lead to an overly cautious "need to know" mentality, even when coordination among providers is legally allowed and critically important.
Since 2021, the County has pushed forward in two ways:
- Improving the rules and tools for lawful sharing: The County advocated for changes to state law to allow coordination among safety net departments. Child and adult serving agencies now share information for prevention, intervention, and care coordination. In parallel, the County developed practical tools, including client consent, to streamline screening, referrals, and care coordination.
- Making services easier to access: The County launched an integrated system to provide residents with coordinated care, so that we can better meet their holistic needs. Employees are empowered to remove barriers and ensure that there is no wrong door when residents seek help. With one simple registration, we can spot needs early, make warm handoffs and work as one team.
This is one of the most significant system improvements since 2021, because it targets what the public reasonably expects: a County that can coordinate on behalf of residents.
5. Stronger Policies, Training, and Quality Checks
What changed: Riverside County updated policies and day-to-day practice in areas where failures can occur.
System reform is not only about "big structure." It is also about strengthening routine practices that directly affect safety, such as interviews, escalation and oversight.
Since 2021, examples of changes include:
- Staff are trained and guided to conduct interviews with awareness of cameras and recording devices and avoiding interview locations where others may overhear or record.
- The County strengthened performance through reporting tools and improvement practices that track staffing levels, hotline activity, case workload, high risk cases, and improvement goals.
In addition, the County has continued to strengthen social work practice and legal consultation support.
6. More Foster Care Options, Especially for the Most Vulnerable Children
What changed: Riverside County increased foster care options and strengthened therapeutic short-term support, because a system becomes unsafe when it runs out of appropriate placements.
One of the toughest ongoing challenges is the shortage of appropriate placements, especially for young people with complex behavioral health needs, substance abuse history, sibling groups, or significant trauma. Lack of capacity can force poor decisions.
Since 2021, the County has focused on expanding and stabilizing placements, including:
- Investing in more specialized foster placements and support.
- A licensed, short-term shelter designed to provide temporary, trauma-informed care while appropriate placements are arranged.
More options mean safer, stable and supportive housing for those children in greatest need.
7. Relative Care and Foster Care Support
What changed: Riverside County increased focus on loving family connections and strengthened support for relatives.
Placement with relatives, when safe and appropriate, is often better for children than placement with someone they don't know. Since 2021, the County has taken steps to:
- Prioritize relative/kinship options when it is safe to do so.
- Strengthen placement searches aimed at increasing relative and caregiver placements.
- Provide additional support to improve relative placement success and stability.
At the same time, the County continues to strengthen the broader foster care system so that those children who cannot safely be placed with relatives, still have a safe and supportive home.
8. Court Services
What changed: Riverside County improved timeliness and quality of court work because courts depend on complete, accurate and thorough information to provide oversight and make decisions.
The Superior Court of California plays an important role in safeguarding children under its jurisdiction. Since 2021, the County has worked to strengthen court-related practices, including:
- Focused internal improvement efforts to submit court reports timely, as well as improve consistency and quality.
- More structured engagement with key partners such as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), to align expectations and improve feedback.
9. Increased Staffing and Decreased Caseloads
What changed: Reform does not work without enough trained people to do the job. Investing in trained social workers is an investment in safer outcomes.
Key strategies to address recruitment and retention since 2021 include:
- Compensation increases to compete amid a national social worker shortage.
- Caseload reductions, including operational changes and workload monitoring.
- Additional adult protection roles, such as Deputy Public Guardian staffing, and recruitment strategies for hard to fill positions.
- Training, mentoring, and wellness support to reduce burnout and turnover, because high turnover is itself a safety risk.
At the end of Fiscal Year 2021/22, the Children Services Division had 573 social workers. Today, there are 740 social workers focused on child welfare. As a result, we have seen investigative social worker caseloads decrease by 27%. Social workers are better able to complete timely home visits, gather information, coordinate services, and escalate concerns when risk is high.
Riverside County continues to invest in these staffing and workforce solutions, because the workforce is the system.
Challenges Remain
Riverside County is proud of the progress made, but we are also realistic. This is hard work and the need for services is only increasing as we continue to be one of the state’s fastest growing counties, with a population of more than 2.4 million residents, with up to 25,000 new residents moving here each year.
Key challenges include:
- Lack of available placements, especially for young people with complex behavioral health needs or high supervision needs. Recent state changes also reduced options.
- Workforce pressure continues (recruitment, retention, training, and experience). The County must constantly balance urgent workload demands with the time it takes to recruit and develop skilled practitioners.
- Information sharing will always be a work in progress that requires ongoing training and disciplined practice.
- Housing and treatment services are limited throughout Southern California, which impacts vulnerable adults and youth who need stable options.
Riverside County's commitment remains firm: to protect children, elevate their voices, and ensure every decision is grounded in protection, compassion and stability. We hold ourselves accountable for the responsibility entrusted to us and will continue improving our systems so that children, families, and communities are safer and better supported.
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