(This is a copy of the original story on the AJC site.)
Reprinted with the permission of the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution.

State moves to bolster child protection unit
Ron Martz - Staff
Thursday • December 9

Alarmed at the high number of children in Georgia who have died after their families were reported for mistreating them, the state Department of Human Resources said Wednesday it will beef up its Child Protective Services Unit with 171 workers from other depart- ments.

DHR Commissioner Audrey Horne told the agency's board of directors she also is trying to find $2.8 million in the budget to boost the pay of child welfare workers in the Division of Family and Children Services, and has authorized an independent review of the entire child protective services system.

"We hope to err on the side of children. We hope to correct any mistakes that are found," Horne said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday that an examination of state records revealed 844 children died from 1993 to 1998 after their families were reported for abuse or neglect.

"You can't justify any child's death," Horne said, but told the board she believed among the 844, as many as one-third may have occurred while the child was outside state supervision.

"That's still a lot of deaths," she said.

The 171 workers will be moved and trained as quickly as possible, according to Horne. Some are volunteering to be reassigned while others will be reassigned from departments not as overworked as DFACS. Horne said DFACS caseworkers have a 21 percent turnover rate because of job stresses and a difficult working environment.

"We are having workers saying, 'This is too hard and this is too stressful and I can make more money at the mall,' " Horne said.

In an effort to attract new caseworkers and retain experienced ones, Horne said she wants to boost pay for entry-level workers from $21,000 to $22,044 and from $23,712 to $26,646 for those with experience.

Horne said she hopes to name the management review team by Dec. 16. Judges, law enforcement personnel, welfare workers and members of the medical community will be assigned to teams that will work to examine all aspects of the child protective system and make recommendations for improvements within 90 days.