Reforms made to Suffolk County Child Protection Services in aftermath of Thomas Valva case

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Suffolk County sees slew of changes in aftermath of Thomas Valva case

Chantee Lans reports from Suffolk County.

HAUPPAUGE, Long Island (WABC) -- Suffolk County officials on Thursday announced key changes to its child protective services unit in the aftermath of Thomas Valva's case.

The changes come after recommendations from the special grand jury that investigated Valva's death.

Valva, 8, froze to death after his father forced him to sleep in a freezing garage back in January 2020.

Officials acknowledged they heard from 27 witnesses over six months, which culminated in an exhausting 80-page report with several changes on how to protect children.

"There has to be transparency in the way we conduct our work and there has to be accountability," Suffolk County Social Services Department Commissioner John Imhof.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine says the goal is to lower caseloads for CPS workers from 15 to 12, hire more CPS workers, give them a raise from the $60,000 they make yearly and provide them with mental health treatment.

Romaine said he's hoping to raise the salaries by this time next year.

"We've only just started," he said. "There's so much work to be done but we've scratched the surface."

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney says 11 separate reports were made to CPS by Valva's teachers before his death. They were all unfounded.

Suffolk County leaders want to see the New York State law change.

"We're hopeful that it will because we need to give law enforcement and prosecutors the ability to go after the abusers," Romaine said.

Valva's father, Michael, and his then-fiancee, Angela Pollina, were both convicted of depraved indifference murder.

"We must ensure that we never again have a tragedy like the one that befell Thomas Valva and his brother," said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

Among some of the changes being implemented are a revised process of removing a child from a family, improvements to to Suffolk's Family and Children Administration, colocation of CPS abuse to teams to the the Child Advocacy Center and more.