LABOS Prioritize Sibling Placement & LA County Child Welfare Director Stepping Down

The L.A. DCFS website news announcements page has not been updated since April 17, 2025.  A separate page citing where DCFS is "in the news" presents "The Imprint" a outside news article from April 16, 2026 which details the resignation of Child Welfare Director Brandon Nichols based on "sources".   "He has told the county’s board of supervisors that he will be departing by Aug. 1."

Elsewhere on the DCFS website it describes his responsibilities as "Director Brandon T. Nichols works closely with an executive team and nearly 9,000 staff across 20 regional offices, specialized bureaus, and administration that cover a broad array of services and programs to support children and families in crisis."

There is no mention of his resignation in the 4/14/16 agenda or meeting notes. 
 However, item #15 

"Prioritizing Sibling Connections in Out-of-Home Care 
Recommendation as submitted by Supervisor Mitchell: 
Revised Motion by Supervisor Mitchell
Public Comment/Correspondence

Direct the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to prepare recommendations for proposed policy changes and departmental actions that would result in a measurable increase in the co-placement of siblings in resource homes.

Additionally, when co-placement is not possible, measure and recommend strategies to increase sibling visitation, while maintaining and where possible, enhancing scheduled visits, services and administrative requirements, and report back to the Board in writing in 120 days. Prioritize sibling placement and visitation in all recommendations.

Note: Under federal and California law, child welfare agencies are required to prioritize placing siblings together whenever possible.

During the meeting the Director addressed the issue as being reviewed in 2017, nine years prior!

The conclusion 4/14/26 was the State is providing homes for Foster Parents specifically to house siblings and to recruit Foster Parents to live in those homes.

Director Nichols responded to questions: 1206371_041426.pdf

".... couldn't have said it better. Our system can cause trauma. When a kid is removed from the ones they love, from their siblings or brother or sister. Breaks their heart, it hurts them.

We have to be very judicial when we remove kids then we owe to it those kids, like a moral obligation to try and address that trauma and keep them connected to their loved ones.  

We did a report a report I believe 2017 in response to a motion by supervisors at the time Kuhel and Antonovich. The numbers are dated but we can pull them easily. We do four million visits a year, two million staff hours.  To give you an idea of the scope of this problem, it is a problem, we put a lot of things into place since that report to try to address this issue. I will say we still struggle with it. 

We're in troublesome times at the courts with it, the courts are not happy in those cases with our ability connect children to their parents or their siblings. It is a place we need to continue to focus on and develop...........

We're looking at individual projects to place siblings together at a higher success rate. One of those is happening right now in Antelope Valley, together California, building from the ground up housing to handle large sibling sets....."  

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