SAN JOSE, Calif. — The beleaguered head of Santa Clara County’s child welfare agency announced his resignation Thursday, a year after damning investigations by the Bay Area News Group and the state of California found numerous child safety failures that led to the death of an infant and put other vulnerable children in harm’s way.

In a letter to staff, Damion Wright, director of the Department of Family and Children’s Services, said the recent death of his father prompted his decision to move back to Southern California to be close to family and accept another position. His resignation will be effective Jan. 17.

“As I take on the responsibilities associated with coordinating my father’s affairs, I recognize that this is an opportune moment for me to transition out of my role,” he wrote.

News of Wright’s resignation was greeted by relief — and frustration — by some social workers who had hoped for more accountability.

“There’s no acknowledgment regarding the tragedy that took place,” said Alex Lesniak, a county social worker and union representative.

Indeed, Wright’s resignation letter did not mention baby Phoenix Castro, who died last year of a fentanyl overdose at 3 months old after being sent home from the hospital over the objections of social worker Matthew Kraft, who already had removed her two older siblings from the home after finding the drug-abusing parents unfit. His warnings, however, went unheeded by leadership that valued keeping families together over keeping children safe, reporting by this news organization found.

Last December, dozens of social workers showed up at the county’s Board of Supervisors meeting to voice their concerns over the leadership of Wright and former agency director Dan Little, who now runs the county’s Social Services Agency and implemented the family preservation policy in January 2021. Wright was hired shortly after as an assistant director. He was acting co-director when baby Phoenix died and later was promoted to director.

Supervisor Sylvia Arenas was among the first to call for an overhaul of the child welfare agency. At the same time, the state Department of Social Services was releasing the first of two investigations of the agency, as well. The second called for “immediate corrections” after finding that children were left in abusive homes despite clear evidence that the only way to keep them safe was to remove them. In more than half the cases the state reviewed, between July 2022 and March 2024, no safety plans were created for parents that could have helped keep children safe.

Arenas has been an outspoken critic of Wright and Little, calling them out at an October board meeting and insisting they both write “letters of reflection” about their leadership failures that led to baby Phoenix’s death. Wright never wrote one. In a statement Thursday, she took a more conciliatory tone.

“I wish Damion well in his next endeavor and share my deepest condolences to him and his family following the passing of his father,” Arenas wrote. “I will remain committed to continue working with the County’s Administration and the Department of Family and Children’s Services on the reforms we started together.”

In his letter, Wright emphasized that “we have made significant strides” toward enhancing practices that “prioritize child safety.”

Despite Wright’s letter being released the day after the Christmas holiday, it flew through the welfare agency staff channels Thursday, where morale has plummeted over the past year. Social worker Lesniak says she hopes Wright’s resignation will usher in better leadership.

“I think people are wondering what’s next,” she said.

(Reporter Molly Gibbs contributed to this story.)

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