DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Children’s Services Division

Chloe recently celebrated her 18th birthday with her father and a sibling, both from whom she had been estranged for years. They opened gifts, shared cake and, for the first time in a long time, simply enjoyed being together. To an outsider, the moment might have seemed ordinary. But to those who knew Chloe, it was anything but.

Chloe was alive, off the streets and slowly re gaining her health because social workers, therapists, court advocates, Riverside County executives and others refused to give up on her. They’d fought an uphill battle to secure the intensive resources her severe addiction de manded, pushing through barriers, delays and setbacks to keep her safe. Their persistence carried Chloe through years marked by sexual exploitation and dangerous, high-risk behav iors. These were the forces that threatened to make her a statistic of violence, another toll in Riverside County’s war on drugs. To those who cared, Chloe’s birthday was more than a mile stone. It was proof of what relentless advoca cy and a community’s determination can make possible.

Since entering Riverside County foster care in 2021, Chloe had always been a flight risk, chas ing drugs and alcohol to mask her trauma and anger, unable to take psychotropic medication because of instability and substance use. Over nearly four years, she was placed on involuntary psychiatric holds at least 21 times and moved through 23 homes and facilities. She overdosed and was revived with Narcan at least twice, like ly more. California’s Family Code § 6929 permits mi nors 12 and older to decide whether they will accept medical care for a drug or alcohol-re lated problem, including inpatient or outpatient treatment, medication assisted therapy and counseling. Chloe’s social workers and thera

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Riverside County Department of Public Social Services | Annual Report 2024 - 2025