After 33 years of dedication to children and service to the state, the Director of the Utah Attorney General’s Office Division of Child Protection, Carol Verdoia, is retiring. Her role is to guide the legal work for the state Division of Child and Family Services, which works to ensure the immediate protection of children in situations of abuse and neglect in the home.
Carol started in the office when she was just one of two attorneys handling these kinds of cases. Changes came after a lawsuit against DCFS in conjunction with legislative reform in the child welfare system. Now, the AG’s Child Protection has a staff 74, including 42 attorneys who handle these often intense, emotional, and difficult cases.
“Carol has been a respected leader in our office for many years and will be missed deeply. Throughout her distinguished career, she has been an outstanding advocate for Utah children and families who are facing very challenging situations,” Attorney General Sean D. Reyes said. “Carol has built a wonderful and dedicated team in her AG Division who will carry on her legacy of service and excellence in legal work.”
“My career with the state has been both rewarding and challenging, and I’m really going to miss the team of professionals in our office and at DCFS,” Carol Verdoia said. “Unfortunately, the number of neglect, abuse, and parental abandonment cases have grown, and the office has had to adapt as well. I’m confident that my colleagues will continue to handle these cases with care and diligence moving forward.”
To hear Carol discuss her work at the office, share how the rigors of child protection have changed, and explain how the state is adapting, listen to her interview with Rich Piatt in this Legally Speaking podcast.
