DENVER — A community’s mourning turned to outrage with news of 23-month-old Javion Johnson’s death after the family said Denver Human Services was aware of problems in the home.
A month later, Mayor Michael Hancock announced new initiatves aimed at helping children like him.
“All of us from the city safety net could have done more to protect Javion,” Hancock said Wednesday.
Standing in front of his newly created impact team, the mayor announced new policies human services will enact to help protect at risk children.
“When it comes to children and families we know that the best place to create an impact is in our communities,” said Don Mares Director of Denver Human Services.
The team hopes the city’s current employees in all departments like Parks and Recreation may help identify in danger children and refer them for help. The Parks and Recreations department welcomes 50,000 children each year.
“These employees need to recognize when a child is struggling and when a child is in danger,” Mares said.
Absent from the discussion was increased staffing at the department—something the administrator says he’s working on.