Eyewitness Newsmakers: Children at higher risk of abuse in Antelope Valley than rest of LA County

ANTELLOPE VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- The High Desert is a dangerous place to be a kid. The sprawling Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County is where children die of neglect and abuse at a much higher rate than the rest of the county.

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services divides the county into what it calls "Service Planning Areas." The Antelope Valley, which includes the communities of Lancaster and Palmdale, has the fewest children. However, according to DCFS data, the area also has the highest rate of child abuse and neglect.

Captain Paul Bartlett from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Lancaster Station says his office receives roughly 1,400 calls for child abuse every year. Two deputies respond solely to those reports. Captain Bartlett believes there are several factors for the increased number of child abuse and neglect cases in the Antelope Valley, from gang violence and drug abuse to mental health issues. The sheer size of the Antelope Valley is an added challenge for law enforcement.

That's something echoed by Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, who focuses on prosecuting child abuse cases. He blames staffing shortages at the District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, along with a lack of resources for people living there who need help. Fentanyl is a growing problem and he believes more programs should be available to help parents and caregivers in need.

This following statement was given to Eyewitness News from Brandon T. Nichols, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

"When violence claims the life of a child, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) grieves with the community and we carry the weight of such tragedies every day. In spite of lessons learned and continuous improvements made by our department, there are regions in the county that are disproportionately afflicted by poverty, untreated mental health needs and substance use, such as the Antelope Valley.

For more than a decade, the Board of Supervisors has made meaningful investments in this geographic area and DCFS' two local offices in Lancaster and Palmdale today have more social workers and fewer child abuse and neglect cases than ever before. The trend we have observed, however, is that the cases in the Antelope Valley are among the most complex in the county. In general, families have more complicated dynamics and experience greater needs in this vast, under-resourced area.

It's critical for viewers to understand that DCFS cannot do this work alone. The well-being of children and families is a responsibility we all share and families must be able to readily access quality services - without judgment or bureaucratic barriers - in their communities before their problems become unmanageable.

For this, DCFS needs to continue building stronger partnerships with other government agencies, community and faith-based organizations, and anyone in Los Angeles County who cares about the safety and well-being of children."