Re: “Another study on child welfare?” Dec. 13 editorial.
To claim that Colorado’s child welfare system needs improvement is one thing, but to suggest it “is broken” is an exaggeration.
The facts are that Colorado’s child welfare system has shown marked improvement in recent years thanks to county, state and federal efforts. For example, more than eight in 10 reports of child maltreatment in Colorado result in children remaining safely in their homes with their families or kin due to good child welfare casework. In addition, since 2003, child fatalities due to maltreatment declined 12.5 percent in Colorado. Over a four-year span, Colorado ranked in the top 10 best states on the important measure of the absence of child maltreatment recurrence. Colorado also exceeds the federal goal of how quickly children are reunified with their families.
We should not accept the child welfare status quo, but should work together to continue to improve the existing system. For quality child protection to be achieved, it takes a community effort and cannot solely be the responsibility of the child welfare system and the courts.
The child welfare system is not broken, but in fact, continues to improve. Each year the counties respond to nearly 80,000 reports of alleged child abuse or neglect.
From 1994 to 2009, there were over 16 assessments or audits of the child welfare system. Many would agree with The Denver Post that another child welfare study is not needed, but neither is a total system overhaul, as is recommended by the Governor’s Child Welfare Action Committee. In four recent community forums, the overwhelming community response to this recommendation was opposition. This is because it strips counties of local control, shifts costs, and damages local services to clients.
The Denver Post editorial suggests that, “questions need to be answered first, including proof as to how the changes would fix current problems, how much would it cost to transition to a new system and what the new system would cost to operate.”
Before conducting yet another study, it is important to note that no data or evidence has ever been presented that shows that a different type of organizational structure would improve child protection and reduce maltreatment. It is difficult to envision how much more it will cost taxpayers to move to and operate a different system. The recommendation seems ridiculous at a time that the state is closing mental health facilities, prematurely releasing prisoners, and cutting the state budget.
Colorado’s counties have worked hard to develop local programs to better serve Colorado’s children and families. It is ironic that the committee dropped the one recommendation that might have had a substantial impact on Colorado’s child welfare system: to conduct an assessment of child welfare workloads. No one has addressed this problem in 15 years. What matters most are the training and quality of the caseworkers who are asked to perform the very difficult job of protecting our children.
Anytime a child is maltreated or dies due to maltreatment, it is a tragedy for us all. County caseworkers always strive to do the right thing for children and families. We all can and should learn from not attaining appropriate standards and work collaboratively toward a better system for Colorado’s children and families.
There are numerous levels of accountability mechanisms already in place in the child protection system, which, if properly coordinated, can greatly assist in promoting quality improvement. It is time to let these systems work as they were designed.
Donald M. Cassata is director of the Adams County Human Services Department.
