Patchwork protection - Inconsistency and inequity in child welfare policies across North Carolina.North Carolina is one of few states whose child protective services are run locally with limited state oversight. Funding and pay levels vary widely, as does implementation of policies. Some counties remove children from families at several times the statewide rate, while other are counties remove children at less than half the rate statewide. Patchwork Protection is a four-part investigative series exploring these issues, being published serially in June 2021.