Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services
Coverage of Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services in the Nexus archive.
- Reporter’s Notebook: A new state law comes after a WBTV investigation into a child’s death
A WBTV investigation into the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody led to a new state law. The investigation revealed systemic failures in child welfare, including over 50 police calls to Dominique’s home and questions about why mandated reporters did not intervene despite alleged severe abuse.
- NC lawmakers hammer state, county officials following ‘horrific’ abuse death of six-year-old
Six-year-old Dominique Moody died in December 2025 after years of abuse and starvation in Charlotte, with her legal guardian and caregivers charged with abuse and murder. North Carolina lawmakers criticized Mecklenburg County's child welfare system for 13 reported abuse cases and systemic failures, including a caseworker's recommendation to remove her being overruled. A review of 58 cases found widespread issues, including insufficient intake questioning and failure to notify law enforcement in abuse cases.