Troubles in Children’s Services Dept.

Several months ago, I left the Department of Children’s Services after 17 years as a child social worker for a new career with less stress. I never thought that I would be writing in defense of DCS, but here goes.

It is very easy for state officials to say that they have “no confidence” in DCS. We didn’t have much confidence in them either.

Child social workers have caseloads in excess of 65 children per worker; Spanish-speaking social workers have a lot more. That is far above the negotiated contract levels. It takes money to hire qualified social workers and the state is forever screaming how poor it is when asked for money. One cannot expect social workers to cover every child. There just aren’t enough of them to go around. That also includes licensing workers. Administrators, including Robert Chaffee, have been asking for money both from the county Board of Supervisors and the state. Each of those entities blames the other for lack of funds.

Administrators can only do a job when they have adequate staff to cover the bases.

I can speak from experience. At one time I had a caseload in excess of 100 children. When I left several month ago, it was 56 and climbing. There is no possible way one person can cover that many children in a month, particularly if some of those children are placed at the far corners of the county.

There are reports to write that are mandated by law; paperwork required by the Feds; paperwork required by the state; paperwork required by the county. It takes 10 pieces of paper to place one child and almost as many to remove him/her. On a good day, you are lucky that only one of your caseload children elects to run away.

If there is trouble in a foster home, it could be months before a worker finds out, simply because they don’t have the time to see that child.

Usually the only time a worker discovers a problem is because the child ran away, trashed the foster parents’ home, or a brave child calls and complains to his teacher or law enforcement.

Blaming Chaffee is not going to change anything. The problem is not Chaffee. The problem is not having enough staff with smaller caseloads to see the children on a regular basis.

NICOLLE GLOVER

Los Angeles