Mecklenburg County outlines plan to improve child welfare system

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mecklenburg County is working to improve the social services system after the tragic death of a six year old revealed gaps in the system. A new Corrective Action Plan outlines four key findings and actions to get better results and hit targets.

Dominique Moody was living with a guardian in a dirty East Charlotte home where she was starved, beaten and forced to stay in a dog crate. She died in December of 2025.

Documentation showed a lack of home visits from child protective services and no reporting to law enforcement agencies. The corrective action plan says the county should communicate in a “timely” and “consistent” manner with agencies, but State Representative Carla Cunningham says that’s not enough.

“It’s very important that specifics are in there because that way you can see if the improvements are happening. You also can evaluate where you need to improve at. If you’re doing a report quarterly,” Representative Cunningham said.

The plan also says the county is working on reducing the backlog by balancing caseloads and adding staff capacity.

“If it’s a backlog, that need to be tackled because that could mean that other children are in jeopardy, and so I think that that’s major, as well as the training,” Representative Cunningham said.

Cunningham sponsored the Dominque Moody Safety Act that starts in October. The new law also includes an escalation team that will monitor cases regionally.

“I think that in itself would relieve some of the pressure, but give them an additional resource that they can collaborate with, and that can give them some additional insight with their expertise,” Representative Cunningham said.

Representative Cunningham says the plan is a start but improvements are needed.

“Teeth are not there. That’s mostly what sticks out to me,”

The newest county budget includes a $2.5 million investment in child, family and adult services, with funding for up to 18 new child welfare positions. Representative Cunningham says the Department of Health and Human Services will review the corrective action plan and if it’s not acceptable the state will work with the county to make it more solid.