The abrupt retirement of Department of Human Services Director Ryan Yamane last week comes at a pivotal time when the troubled state Child Welfare Services system tries to cope with staff vacancies, and lawmakers try to stand up some new reforms.
Yamane, a former social worker who led DHS for almost two years, last summer took on direct oversight of the troubled CWS branch in the wake of high-profile reports by the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group and the Hawaiʻi State Auditor that were sharply critical of the agency.
Under Yamane the agency launched a new system of unannounced, after-hours visits to foster homes to provide additional checks on foster children, and pushed for improvements in foster home licensing. It is unclear exactly how much his efforts accomplished, or where they stand now…