Child Protective Services
Date: Mar 1st, 2005 1:19:10 am - Subscribe
Mood: insightful
Protecting Children From Abuse, Neglect
News-Register
When a child dies under suspicious circumstances, the response of child welfare authorities to questions usually is a non-response: We can't talk about that. Confidentiality, you know. Investigation in progress, you understand.
Well, it's time for West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources officials to begin talking about problems in their Child Protective Services division. Specifically, the DHHR needs to explain the extent of problems that may hamper efforts to safeguard children from abuse and/or neglect - and to suggest how those concerns can be addressed.
A Berkeley County Circuit Court judge apparently has become fed up with lack of responsiveness from the DHHR. Judge David Sanders has ordered the the agency to take specific action to improve operations at the Child Protective Services office in Martinsburg - and he has threatened some agency officials with contempt of court penalties if they do not act within about two months. Among actions ordered by the judge is implementation of geographic pay differentials for workers at the Martinsburg office. In that, the judge may be reacting to complaints by some in the DHHR that pay for West Virginia Child Protective Services workers isn't competitive with that offered in other states.
We agree that something needs to be done about the abysmal pay scales offered for Child Protective Services workers. Gov. Joe Manchin sees the problem, too; he has asked legislators for more money for the agency.
But we doubt that higher pay is, by itself, the answer. More caseworkers may be needed. More attention by their supervisors may be necessary. And, frankly, the DHHR needs to look into whether some caseworkers haven't done their jobs properly.
In other words, it's time for a comprehensive review of Child Protective Services in West Virginia. The agency has too many good, dedicated people working conscientiously for low pay to have its reputation tarnished by a few irresponsible co-workers and/or bad policies.
More important - much more important - it is vital that children in West Virginia be protected from neglect and abuse to the very maximum extent that is possible.
Comments: (1)
anonymous - January 28th, 2009 |