Fresno County has a new Social Services director. What are some of her priorities?
Fresno County has a new social services director, nearly six months after it was revealed that children in the county’s child welfare system were living in an office building.
Sanja Kovacevic Bugay was appointed this week by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to serve as the director of the Department of Social Services. Bugay has more than 20 years of experience in social services, and most recently served as the director of the Kings County Human Services Agency. She started that job in September 2015, according to a news release from the county.
She also previously served as a deputy director for the Fresno County Department of Social Services from 2012 to 2015. She had worked in the department in other roles since 2001.
Bugay said she feels proud of the work she was able to accomplish in Kings County, and feels “privileged” to now be able to lead the social services department in her “home community.”
Her top priority, she said, will be to learn and understand where the Fresno County Department of Social Services is with its current operations and plans for news programs.
“Fresno County DSS serves over half a million people in our community and administers over 14 major programs that serve some of the most vulnerable kids, adults, and families in our community,” she told The Bee in an email.
The Fresno Bee in October reported foster children were sleeping on the floor and on top of tables in conference rooms at an office in downtown Fresno where social workers report to work. Social workers expressed concerns about the living conditions of the youth, who were awaiting permanent placement or had “blown” their previous placements.
The Bee also found that many of the children under Fresno County’s care go missing or run away.
Fresno County ordered an immediate review of the child welfare agency by a retired Fresno County Child Protective Services director.
In November, Fresno County announced its then-director, Delfino Neira, would be leaving the department in December. Maria Aguirre, a 30-year veteran employee in the department, assumed the role as interim director.
Bugay declined to say what she thought about the foster children sleeping in the downtown office, or what she would do to make sure that didn’t happen again.
“While I have seen stories in the media, I’d be commenting on stories rather than what’s actually happening and that’s really not appropriate,” she said in a written response by email to The Bee.
But she said she was encouraged by the collaboration of the county’s Board of Supervisors; County Administrative Officer Paul Nerland; Cathy Huerta, who was brought on board to review the child welfare system after the scandal became public; the Social Services Department; and others such as the Foster Care Oversight Committee, “to do everything possible to help the foster youth” in the county.
“When there are that many individuals all centered on the right set of values, then I have absolute faith that we can address any challenges we may face in our child welfare system,” Bugay said.
Workers within the department hope the new leader will tackle remaining challenges, and especially help address an “extremely high turnover” rate among employees as the Fresno County agency sees a “brain drain,” a union leader said.
“As employees, we’ve kind of taken the wait-and-see approach to see if she is going to be willing to listen to and address concerns that employees have, especially when they bring them up to management,” said Riley Talford, SEIU 521 Fresno County chapter president who works as a supervising juvenile correctional officer for the county. “Especially issues that affect our community and our most vulnerable citizens.”
The top three issues workers would like to see prioritized, he said, include employee retention, training and supporting information that comes out of salary studies that are currently underway for several job classifications in the social services department. The studies are expected to be completed by June.
Talford said he believes those studies will show that Fresno County is behind on wages compared to the surrounding counties. He said workers are leaving for employment in those neighboring counties, and veteran workers are choosing to retire as a result of low pay.
“Fresno County is having, if you will, a brain drain,” he said.
Bugay said she’s open to working with employees, clients and community partners to move the department forward.
“I believe in team work,” she said. “Staff voice across the department is incredibly important in everything that we do and is key to successful program operations and outcomes.”
Talford said employees will trust that Bugay will do what she says she will do, but will also not shy away from taking their concerns to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors if issues aren’t being addressed.
“We will hold (her) accountable... if things are being said they will be done and are not being done,” he said.
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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