1,000 calls, 174 kids in foster care. Durham’s DSS issues plea for more funding.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- DSS logged 1,069 suspected abuse calls in November and accepted 651 assessments.
- Durham holds custody of 174 children amid court delays and mental health gaps.
- DSS leaders urged commissioners for increased funding to fix systemic failures.
CORRECTION: An initial version of this story incorrectly reported the time period during which Durham County received 1,069 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Those calls came in from July through November 2025.
Between July and November, the Durham County Department of Social Services received 1,069 calls of suspected child abuse or neglect.
Of those, the department accepted 651 case for assessment, based on strict state and federal criteria. Right now, the county has 174 children in its custody.
On Monday morning, the department’s leaders described to county leaders a “broken” child welfare system amid a national crisis in behavioral health access and a sluggish court system.
“I have been very transparent that the child welfare system in this country is broken; that’s a fact,” DSS director Maggie Clapp said. “It is not just broken here. It is broken throughout the country, and so it is something that I continue to work on.”
A system under strain
Clapp was blunt about the systemic failures hindering Durham’s progress.
While state policy aims to complete investigations of alleged abuse or neglect within 45 days, Clapp said cases often drag on for two years or more. During this time, children and parents face massive hurdles, including month-long waitlists for court-ordered mental health or substance abuse services.
Recently, the county has transitioned to PATH NC, a statewide system launched by the state Department of Health and Human Services, designed to ensure that every case is screened consistently across the state.
DSS is one of Durham County’s largest departments with over 500 employees, according to County Manager Claudia Hager. As of last year, the county had over 350,000 residents, about 20% of them under the age of 18. For 46% of renters, rent is unaffordable and 12% of the population lives in below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census data.
Residents criticize DSS
Amanda Wallace, founder of Operation Stop CPS (Child Protective Services), attended Monday’s meeting with signs to speak out against the department’s presentation. A former DSS employee, she has criticized the department’s handling of child welfare cases and the impacts on families of color.
Wallace said she was concerned about the commissioners hearing the DSS presentation “without reaching out to anyone other than the problem.”
“If you truly wanted to understand what role this system or these actors are playing in your community, you would ask those directly impacted by the problem,” she said, adding that the department was “lying” about its presentation urging the county to stop funding it.
During the public comments portion of Monday’s meeting, other speakers described their experiences with the child welfare system. Walidah Burns, a Durham resident, said she lost her newborn to CPS custody. After a year, she said she is still waiting for a judge to be assigned to her case to regain custody of her baby.
Sheryl Smith, a community advocate, said her court order allows her two visits a month with her child but she is only getting one.
“There’s always an excuse,” she said. “I’ve asked for more visits with my daughter, my adopted daughter, who has already been in your system [but] there’s nothing.”
Last month, Wallace was served with a no-contact order filed by Clapp, who said Wallace accused her of being a “kidnapper of Black children.” At the end of the DSS presentation during Monday’s meeting live stream, Wallace can be seen speaking to the commissioners, but the audio is muted. County Commissioner Chair Mike Lee gave two warnings to Wallace before asking her to leave the meeting due to interruptions.
Poverty and the legal maze
DSS officials said the current financial crisis many people face is blurring the lines between neglect and economic hardship.
“We have parents who are working three jobs and are taking their kids with them on Uber drives and things like that,” Clapp said. “People call in, and that’s not something necessarily that we’re going to take, but people call in for that because they feel that that’s not safe. So you have a lot of parents right now struggling.”
Clapp said the department’s funding is “very restricted,” and it has to follow federal and state law in how it allocates resources.
“In the majority of our cases, the biggest problem is suitable housing,” said Patrick Kuchyt, a county attorney. “We have multiple cases where the parents have done every service, but they don’t have a home”
For the 174 children currently in Durham County’s care, DSS serves as the “petitioner” while a District Court judge decides on custody, placement and visitation.
The News & Observer has contacted DSS for the number of children who are currently in the county’s custody but need placement.
Jacinta Jones, a county attorney, said once a petition is filed, the process is y guarded by confidentiality laws and constitutional protections. In Durham County, parents can be represented by court-appointed attorneys rather than spending thousands on a private attorney. Critics argue this method is flawed, however, with public defenders being underfunded with high caseloads and a lack of specialized training for complex family dynamics.
Still, many cases DSS investigates don’t end up in court, as the department is mandated to work with families through in-home services when possible.
Clapp reminded the board that while DSS administers the policy, it relies on the commissioners for funding to ensure adequate staffing as numbers climb.
“It takes a community to raise a child,” she said. “It takes a community to support a family.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 8:22 AM with the headline "1,000 calls, 174 kids in foster care. Durham’s DSS issues plea for more funding.."