Utah DCFS Audit Finds Thousands of Child Abuse Reports Neglected

Legislative audit uncovers major oversight issues leading to delayed responses and lack of accountability at the state's child welfare agency.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new legislative audit of Utah's Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) has found major oversight problems that led to thousands of child abuse and neglect reports being mishandled. Auditors reviewed over 23,000 cases and discovered that caseworkers failed to respond to children within the required 24-hour timeframe over 3,200 times. The audit highlighted several egregious cases where children were left in dangerous situations for months due to caseworker inaction and lack of accountability.

Why it matters

The audit findings raise serious concerns about the ability of Utah's child welfare system to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. With thousands of reports going unaddressed, there are clear risks to child safety that need to be urgently addressed by DCFS leadership.

The details

The audit found multiple instances where caseworkers failed to respond to reports of child endangerment, abuse, and neglect. In one case, a caseworker waited over three months to respond to an initial report, only acting after two more urgent reports came in about a severely injured child and a newborn who had tested positive for methamphetamine. The audit states that the case 'languished' for months, with the child sustaining severe injuries and exposure to illegal drugs. Auditors said this case should have triggered a 'near fatality review' but never did.

  • The audit reviewed over 23,000 child abuse and neglect reports handled by DCFS during fiscal year 2025.
  • Auditors found caseworkers failed to meet the 24-hour response standard over 3,200 times.

The players

Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS)

The state agency responsible for investigating and responding to reports of child abuse and neglect in Utah.

Tonya Myrup

The director of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.

Tracy Gruber

The executive director of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees DCFS.

Brian Dean

The legislative deputy auditor general who presented the audit findings to lawmakers.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We believe that the root cause of the shortcomings described…is an organizational culture in which some case workers and supervisors feel it is acceptable to cut corners without meaningful oversight or consequences.”

— Brian Dean, Legislative Deputy Auditor General (kslnewsradio.com)

“Striving for perfection…has to be the goal, and nothing else, given the importance of this role, is acceptable.”

— Tracy Gruber, Utah Department of Health and Human Services Executive Director (kslnewsradio.com)

“The poor outcomes in the data are extremely concerning and we take this seriously. The outcomes are unacceptable and DCFS is fully committed to making these improvements.”

— Tonya Myrup, DCFS Director (kslnewsradio.com)

What’s next

DCFS leadership has said they have already begun addressing the issues raised in the audit and are on track to implement the auditor's recommendations by July 1.

The takeaway

This audit exposes serious systemic failures within Utah's child welfare system that have put vulnerable children at risk. DCFS must urgently address its culture of lax oversight and accountability to ensure timely and effective responses to all reports of child abuse and neglect.