AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As Richmond County students return to classrooms, the state agency responsible for protecting children is investigating its own local office after receiving complaints. The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services confirmed it received specific complaints about the Richmond County DFCS office, triggering a comprehensive review announced last week. The state says it is expanding community partnerships — starting with local schools — to better identify children at risk. “We see it all the time.,” said Kari Viola-Brooke with Child Enrichment. “We see it all the time. A lot of reports come directly from schools.” The review comes as child abuse cases in Richmond County and across Georgia continue to rise. Statewide, child abuse cases have jumped nearly 50 percent since 2020 — climbing from 8,700 cases to more than 12,000, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At the local level, the Child Enrichment Center handles forensic interviews when abuse allegations are made. “We are written into the child abuse protocol where kids have to come for interviews,” said Viola-Brooke. Augusta’s long-delayed zoning rewrite is moving ahead, but only after city leaders agreed to spend more money to finish the work and give residents another chance to weigh in. The center said demand for those interviews is at an all-time high. “Last month we did 80 forensic interviews — our demand is the highest it’s ever been during my time here.” The…
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