Reforms Seem to Be Working

Still relatively new, legislative reforms that seek to protect children by strengthening the communities around them appear to be reducing widespread complaints about the child protective services system across the country. Preliminary reviews of comprehensive systemwide reforms, such as those in Florida and Missouri, show families are better off and children remain safe, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver.

In Jacksonville, Fla., for instance, calls to the child abuse hotline are referred to the family’s nearest “full service school,” which can direct the parents to local services. Also, under a “community support agreement,” a community volunteer--a friend, a minister or a relative--commits to helping the family. When the agreement to accept responsibility is signed, the case is officially closed. So far, 300 citizens have signed such contracts.

In Missouri, the state’s child protection agency operates a triage system in which troubled families are screened for either a formal investigation in collaboration with police or an informal assessment with community-based services. The less serious cases are not recorded in a central registry.

Elsewhere, multidisciplinary teams of professionals have been stationed in different sectors of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; trained volunteers are paired with at-risk families in Macomb County, Mich.; and in Washington, anonymous reports are investigated only under the most serious circumstances.

While many reforms are not fully implemented or evaluated, they are spreading quickly, says Susan Notkin, director of the children’s program at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in New York, which is funding some of the reforms. To work, she says, reforms must include a safety plan for each child, a strong network of local organizations and citizens, an evaluation plan, and a recognition by child protection workers that they must share decisions with their new community partners.

“It’s very exciting,” says Notkin. “But it’s tough. It’s very tough.”