County workers used funds meant for kids

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Los Angeles County officials say child welfare workers who used gift cards meant for children to buy meals for themselves should be fired.

An audit revealed that employees of the Department of Children and Family Services used gift cards for themselves, and used entertainment tickets meant for foster children to attend musical events, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Auditors reported that the county spent $14,000 to purchase 160 tickets for the musical "Wicked" in Los Angeles, but only 53 children and about the same number of mentors received tickets. The rest of the tickets went to employees of the department and their guests.

Thousands of dollars worth of gift cards earmarked to buy clothing and food for foster children were used to pay for staff luncheons, the auditors wrote.

LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina told the newspaper the practice was a "new version of taking candy from children," and said the workers should be "terminated immediately."

"It is appalling that children who have nothing are having even this very limited amount stolen from them," said Carole Shauffer, executive director of the Youth Law Center in San Francisco. "This is a stunning lack of accountability."