A new leader for Georgia's troubled child safety division

Georgia's troubled child protection agency is getting a new leader.

Gov. Nathan Deal said Thursday that Bobby Cagle, who now heads the state's early care department, will take control of the Division of Family and Children Services. The former head, Sharon Hill, is taking a job in the governor's budget planning agency.

The shakeup, first reported yesterday, also requires Cagle to report directly to the governor's office. It's the latest move to steady the department after the highly publicized deaths of two metro Atlanta children and reports in the AJC that mistakes by DFCS workers contributed to at least 25 deaths in 2012.

In an interview, Deal said he hoped Cagle would bring about a broader cultural change in the troubled agency that shifts the focus from reuniting families to the welfare of a child.

"It’s going to take someone who is coming in from the outside who can change that direction," he said. "It sounds like a subtle distinction, but it’s not."

Deal has previously backed a plan to spend $27 million over the next three years to hire more than 500 caseworkers and supervisors for the agency. He also formed a council comprised of lawmakers, health care workers and experts to study changes, including the privatization of some foster care services.

Arizona’s child safety agency underwent a similar overhaul in January, and the move here could be a precursor for a push to create a standalone child safety division. Deal ruled out a special legislative session to create a separate division, but said he would back a proposal to make it more independent if the next six months are successful.