Nelson County Social Services Under Fire | Richmond News

Richmond News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 17, 2026 · 2m

Nelson County’s child welfare system is in crisis after systemic failures exposed by state and local investigations, prompting a full-scale overhaul as the county scrambles to rebuild trust and protect vulnerable children. Chronic understaffing fueled a cascade of errors, including delayed or missed reports of abuse, court-recognized “atrocious” decisions, and dangerous lapses like failing to protect an abused infant or considering returning abused teens to their homes. Despite legal rulings that sided with the department in some cases, the state imposed a corrective action plan, citing…