State agency admits errors leading to child's death

EAST POINT - The state child welfare agency said its caseworker made several mistakes, including not even reading the file, in the case of Alexis Headspeth, a three-year-old girl who died of head injuries on the agency&#39;s watch. <br> <br> Her grandmother, Beverly Headspeth, has been charged with five counts of cruelty to children stemming from how she cared for Alexis, her siblings and her own children. <br> <br> The Division of Family and Children Services had been monitoring the family since 1999. <br> <br> But the caseworker did not know Beverly Headspeth had asked not to be saddled with her grandchildren, and did not know another grandparent wanted the children. In fact, officials said, the caseworker had never read the family&#39;s file. <br> <br> William Hamm, the state&#39;s social service director, said no one will be disciplined for the mistakes because the caseworker had been on the job only three months. <br> <br> Hamm said the supervisor should have caught and corrected the new hire&#39;s mistakes, but did not. A statewide no-hire order will be issued for the supervisor, who left the Fulton County child welfare office in June. <br> <br> Hamm said the recent addition of 100 new caseworkers statewide is not enough to create a dent in the workload in counties like Fulton, where caseworkers juggle an average of 45 case each, compared to the national average of 17. <br> <br> Between March and July of this year, a caseworker was sent to the home three times, the last time just days before Alexis was admitted to the hospital with water in her lungs and head injuries. <br> <br> Beverly Headspeth took Alexis to the hospital July 29 and said the girl nearly drowned in the bath. Doctors said the toddler had suffered massive head injuries. She was taken off life support August first. <br> <br> Police are still waiting for the medical examiner to release the cause of Alexis&#39; death before deciding whether additional charges will be filed.