12 Democratic lawmakers asking for audit of Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare due to backlog

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Twelve Democratic state legislators are asking for an audit of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare because of a large backlog of unresolved child abuse and neglect cases.

Rep. LaTonya Johnson is among the Milwaukee area lawmakers who say the backlog is putting thousands of children at risk. Johnson says the death of a six-year-old autistic boy is a case in point. Raul Espinoza was killed last spring when he ran out of his house in Milwaukee and was struck by a bus.

Johnson says the initial call to the bureau for help with Raul was in December, but the assessment that's required within 60 days didn't come until some 150 days later.

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families says the 2,800-case backlog has nearly been cut in half since July.