We will use all resources to keep children safe

In his letter to the editor, Richard Wexler takes issue with our use of a predictive risk modeling tool, the AFST, to assist child welfare call screeningdecisions and hyperbolically speculates about an Orwellian future usage of another tool (March 20, “Many Problems With the Allegheny FamilyScreening Tool”).

Much exists on our website about the AFST intent and usage (search for “Allegheny County Human Services Family Screening Tool”). The tool simply augments the human decision whether to investigate a call alleging abuse or neglect by quickly distilling information already available to the call screener. It does not supplant the decision. It does not predict child abuse, and it certainly does not confound poverty with neglect.

We’re committed to helping vulnerable families. We assist them to access public benefits and have purposefully shifted our budget to support prevention efforts. Currently, almost a third of our child welfare budget supports programs designed to keep children safe and families successfullyable to care for them.

Yet, tragically, over half of the babies who died or nearly died of abuse or neglect over the past seven years never had the opportunity for child protection or supportive services. They had not been brought to CYF’s attention nor were connected to voluntary supportive services where assistance could have been offered. While these families obviously struggled, we know much of our prevention budget supports families not nearly as vulnerable. Clearly, this is unacceptable. Could we more effectively use data to align prevention resources with those most in need and create an approach that improveswell-being and reduces serious child abuse and neglect? We’ve talked about this for more than a year, initially at public meetings about AFST and more recently with theChildren’s Cabinet.

Our thoughts are very preliminary and will require much more community input. We think it makes sense for the new community-based approach to be stratified and voluntary: offering all families resources upon the birth of a child and those most in needgreater support.

Every one of our children deserves our collective best thinking. We are committed to using all resources, human and data, to keep our community’s children safe.

MARC CHERNA Director, Allegheny County Department of Human

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