OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) – A scathing grand jury report found that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Circuit 5 was an “agency in crisis” that failed to protect children and vulnerable adults.
The grand jury said information provided by sources revealed systematic patterns of neglect and abuse in DCF Circuit 5, which includes Marion, Citrus, Lake, Sumter, and Hernando counties.
The list of systemic failures in the report includes adult investigators failing to respond to calls after 5 p.m. and on weekends, investigators failing to conduct proper mental capacity evaluations, and the agency failing to keep promises to improve policies…