Central Valley Daily

May 29: Kern County Grand Jury Calls Out Problems At Child Protective Services Agency

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published May 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT

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A recent Kern County Grand Jury report is highlighting problems within Child Protective Services. High staff turnover, inadequate funding and employee burnout are among the issues. We hear from a veteran social worker about what it’s like on the ground.

Plus, the latest news headlines: Federal government investigates California as a trans athlete plans to participate in championships; a Bakersfield family is fighting a deportation order.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

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