Our View: : Small steps
Like a lost hiker cresting a hill only to find a huge mountain in the way, the state agency charged with preventing child abuse recently absorbed dispiriting news on how far it has to go to.
A state-sponsored study estimated that the Division of Children and Family Services needs 1,200 more workers to keep up with caseloads, according to the Seattle Times. That would be a staffing increase of 70 percent, which dwarfs the 300 new hires since 2005. Those additions reduced caseloads from 24 to 20 per social worker, but the study says the optimum target is 12. The National Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children recommends 18 cases per worker.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” said Cheryl Stephani of the Children’s Administration, which commissioned the study and learned of the results last month.
That’s probably true, but the study shows that the journey could be longer than expected. Whatever target the state shoots for, it’s clear that it still needs considerable resources in its effort to protect vulnerable children and it won’t get them right away.
Part of the problem is that in the last three years, there’s been a 16 percent increase in children living in foster homes or with relatives. Another hurdle is that most of the cases involve neglect, which is more difficult to detect and takes longer to resolve than outright physical abuse.
The news of the study is going to test the resolve of lawmakers and the public to address the protection of children. It’s one thing to pass laws and urge prosecutions in response to the most heinous and newsworthy cases. It’s quite another to come up with the money.
It’s possible that DCFS could make up some ground with efficiencies, but it will need cooperation from the courts to avoid long delays that tie up social workers. Plus, the agency has been authorized to hire another 100 workers as part of 2005 legislation. But those actions will still leave the state considerably short of the recommended number of caseworkers.
In addition, better staffing could head off costly litigation, such as the $95 million lawsuit filed on behalf of 7-year-old foster child Tyler DeLeon, who died two years ago of dehydration and starvation. The state has been accused of failing to effectively respond to many complaints of abuse in the Stevens County home of Carole DeLeon, including incidents of broken bones and knocked-out teeth.
It would be tragic to squander the momentum on this issue. It was just last spring that key players in Spokane came together for the Our Kids: Our Business project.
We’ve always known that this would be a daunting journey. The results of the study tell us that it just got harder, but it doesn’t tell us to give up. While it is unrealistic to hire 1,200 workers at once, we must maintain our commitment to the state’s vulnerable children. They have nowhere else to turn.