The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Child welfare fixes expected to be costly

Reprinted with the permission of the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution.

Child welfare fixes expected to be costly
Rebuilding crippled system could take three years, says state's Human Resources commissioner.
Ron Martz - Staff
Thursday, July 20, 2000

It will cost more than $20 million next year to begin fixing the flaws in Georgia's child welfare system, a state official who oversees the agency said Wednesday.

Human Resources Commissioner Audrey Horne, whose department includes the troubled child welfare system, said it may take up to three years to fix all the problems.

Horne on Wednesday presented her board of directors with a program she called a "Special Child Welfare Initiative" as part of the agency's budget package for fiscal 2002.

Hundreds of children have died in the past five years after coming to the agency's attention. And the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, in probing 13 recent deaths of abused children, said the child welfare agency's sloppy work, bad decisions and widespread inefficiency contributed to 10 of those deaths.

Horne said the initiative must be funded.

"It's a major step and a step we need to take because we need to build credibility to get us where we need to be in this department," Horne said at a board meeting at Lake Lanier Islands. DHR has an annual budget of about $1.2 billion.

The initiative leans heavily on many of the recommendations made by the Child Protective Services Task Force that earlier this year called for sweeping reforms in how Georgia protects its children.

Among the proposals in the initiative:

More comprehensive in-home visitor services for at-risk families.

A statewide toll-free number for reporting child abuse and a centralized reporting system like those used in many other states.

An increase in the number of child welfare positions to reduce caseloads to about 14 per worker, which is the national recommendation of the Child Welfare League of America. Some Georgia caseworkers say they are now burdened with 30-40 cases each.

A two-year plan to revamp the child welfare salary structure to attract more qualified applicants and retain experienced workers. The plan includes increasing starting salaries by $10,000 a year to about $31,000; providing supplements for high-pressure jobs such as investigators and placement workers; and giving salary increases for those workers who obtain advanced degrees or professional certification.

A regional training system for child welfare workers.

Creation of specialized child fatality reviewer positions serving all the state's 48 judicial circuits. These people would work closely with law enforcement officials when a child dies to determine if abuse or neglect was to blame.

A transitional living program for foster children ages 18-21 to help them become independent adults.

The initiative won praise from board members and child advocates.

"This is the best child welfare budget I've seen in years. It addresses the whole system rather than just pieces," said Normer Adams, executive director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children.

Todd Jarrell of Columbus, vice chairman of the DHR board, said the initiative is designed to elevate the level of child welfare services.

"This has been our No. 1 priority for the year," Jarrell said.

Kenneth Jones, budget director for DHR, said the proposals are still being fine-tuned and the $20 million estimate for the first year is subject to change before a budget is presented to the board in mid-August.

According to Jones, the governor's Office of Planning and Budget has asked state agencies to limit their fiscal 2002 budget requests to no more than 3 percent over their current base budget.

DHR's target, he said, is $39 million, but the $20-plus million for the child welfare initiative would have to come from other funds allocated by the General Assembly.

DHR BUDGET GOALS The Department of Human Resources board discussed major budget items for fiscal 2002. In addition to a $20 million child welfare initiative, other items, not yet with price tags, include:

Increased funding for the Family Planning program to strengthen families and reduce abuse and neglect and welfare dependency. Increased funding for the Legal Abuse Hotline for fraud prevention education and legal assistance for the elderly. Expansion of community services for the elderly that will allow them to live independently and avoid nursing homes. Expansion of services for the disabled to allow them to live independently through supported employment. Increased funding for community services for people with mental retardation. Funding for additional epidemiologist to better track and monitor disease outbreaks. Use of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds --- no longer needed because of the reduction of welfare rolls --- to expand shelter services to victims of family violence. Jail diversion pilot programs for people with serious mental illness. A pilot program to establish a drug court to take drug cases out of the main court system. Pilot programs in Fulton and Chatham counties that will target the homeless with mental illness to provide services and housing.

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