Thirteen children in Colorado who were supposed to be under the protection of social services died last year.
A comprehensive state review of their deaths released this week pointed out disturbing flaws in the safety net that is supposed to protect Colorado’s most vulnerable children.
The system is riddled with weaknesses and problems so glaring they cry out for immediate intervention.
Gov. Bill Ritter was right to take a passionate stand on the matter Wednesday, saying all Coloradans should be “outraged.”
And then he appointed a committee to study it further.
Perhaps another committee is the right way to approach a system as complicated as the child welfare program, which is overseen by the state but carried out by counties.
But we can’t help but think about the efforts of other recent blue ribbon committees that quietly toiled only to produce reports that, for all practical purposes, were shelved. Ritter wants to spend $550,000 over two years for a child welfare committee that won’t finish exploring solutions until the end of 2009.
However, the state report also included four pages of recommendations for change, and we hope many of them are acted upon swiftly.
The governor, to his credit, also has asked the state legislature for $475,000 to hire six new child-welfare workers. Marching orders for the new state employees are to monitor care programs and data entry, which have been identified as problems.
Some 25 “stakeholders” will be appointed to Ritter’s child welfare action committee, including county commissioners and social services representatives, educators and people with judicial experience.
They will be charged with examining whether the current state-county system is the best way to protect children. They’ll also look at the effectiveness of caseworker training. And they’ll explore whether oversight bodies can provide more accountability.
Given the gravity of the lapses documented in the state’s look at the deaths of 13 children last year, these appear to be appropriate areas to explore.
We also hope this committee, which is supposed to deliver an interim report by Oct. 31, makes it a priority to offer realistic solutions that quickly can be put into practice and will make a difference in children’s lives.
In the meantime, we’re glad to see state legislators also expressing interest in fixing the child welfare system. Joint Budget Committee chairman Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said he is interested in measures that would examine worker caseloads and training needs for child-protection workers.
The deaths of 13 children last year are a call to action that must be answered in a timely and effective way.
