The toddler died after he was trapped inside a hot car while in the custody of a worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the state’s child protective services agency
As you might expect, there are quite disturbing details in the article.
I think the idea is that the “contract worker” is at work doing a job and should not to be confused with a “parent” who is more likely to have their child at the forefront of their mind at all times.