A Philadelphia foster mother is charged with killing a 10-year-old girl in her care, and now the mayor has ordered a review of the entire system

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has signed an executive order creating a Child Welfare Review Committee following the death of 10-year-old Malayshia Alford, as reported by ABC News. The new group of experts is tasked with finding ways to better protect children living in foster care across the city.

Parker addressed the situation in a video posted to Facebook on November 10, 2026. She said the death of Alford “has shaken me and our city at its core,” and that the city of Philadelphia must “do more” to prevent similar tragedies.

The committee will consist of up to 15 experts appointed by the mayor, and its work will focus on the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and various foster care agencies. According to the executive order, the group will look into how the city selects foster homes, the process for licensing those homes, current oversight systems, and visitation requirements. Parker set a firm timeline, saying, “I want this investigation to be thorough, comprehensive and independent, and I want its results and recommendations to be on my desk within 120 days.”

The foster mother charged in this case has ties to Philadelphia schools

The foster parent involved in the case, 36-year-old Carprice Williams, faces charges in the “brutal murder” of the child. Williams reportedly worked as a teacher in the Philadelphia School District from 2017 through 2023 and returned to the district in 2025.

Following a search that lasted several days, Alford’s body was found in a vehicle in New Jersey. Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said the cause of death was blunt force trauma. During a news conference last week, Toczylowski said, “We do have the indication that there were instances of abuse happening, and that items were used to carry out that abuse.”

In addition to the new committee, the city will move forward with an interdisciplinary review by the Act 33 team. This process is required by child protective services law whenever a child abuse fatality occurs. The team will assess the performance of both city and state agencies in this case and provide additional recommendations for preventing future abuse.

Parker has promised to “leave no stone unturned” while seeking justice for the girl and working to improve the local child welfare system. She added, “Every child matters in Philadelphia and we are going to make sure we cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘I’ as we seek justice for Malayshia and we do everything in our power to improve our Department of Human Services and Child Welfare System.”

The committee will serve as an advisory board to the mayor and will disband once she accepts its final report.