Report: Caseworker In Boy's Abuse Case Was Unlicensed

A state social worker monitoring a 7-year-old Hardwick boy now hospitalized after allegedly being beaten and starved by his father was among those who didn't meet a July 1 deadline to get a license.

The Boston Globe reports officials confirm the worker is among about 20 percent at the Department of Children and Families who didn't meet the deadline set last year.

Twenty-six-year-old Randall Lints is held without bail after pleading not guilty to assault and endangerment. The DCF took custody of his son July 14 after the boy was found unconscious. He is expected to recover.

Erin Bradley, executive director of the Children's League of Massachusetts, said caseworker licensing is likely less important in this case than how the social worker was supervised.

The case is being reviewed by the DCF and independently.