Filling Complaints - North Carolina

About this resource

Ombudsman is a Swedish word that means "representative" or "agent." Ombudsman or Child Advocates were established within states and/or Child Welfare to investigate complaints, concerns, or violations of children right's while in foster care. Sadly, not all states have created a specific office or department for the Ombudsman or Child Advocate, so the way to file a complaint or get an investigation into a case will be a little harder, but there are options!

In North Carolina, Gaston County tried to start an Ombudsman program in 2014 but does not appear to be running anymore. If you are a youth who have concerns or complaints about your experience with child welfare staff and/or your experience in care, you can do one of these options: 

Tell your caseworker or their supervisor. If you have a problem, most organizations and places that may help require that you have tried to work through the problem(s) yourself. If you're uncomfortable telling your caseworker issues or mistreatment you are experiencing, you are always okay to reach out to their supervisor! That's what their supervisor is for. 

To find a local DSS office or staff, you can look through a map of NC offices here: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/local-dss-directory

Child advocate for court. If you are involved in court activities, you may have or may ask for an advocate specifically for you and your needs.  In NC, these child advocates for court are called Guardian ad Litem. 

To find more information about Guardian ad Litem's, here's a link to their website: https://www.nccourts.gov/programs/guardian-ad-litem

Find a program or non-profit that focuses on advocating for children and youth! They would be the best option if you do not want to work with someone within child welfare. However, they may be harder to find and contact. To help you start, here is the organization, the Child Advocate (linked). They list different issues you may be experiencing and provide state or national organizations for you to contact.