Caring for and protecting children

UTICA>> Oneida County house 189 children in foster care at the end of 2015.

The Oneida County Department of Social Services (DSS) contracts with local organizations to ensure the safety of county children, adults and families.

In Oneida County, the Utica and Rome Child Protective Service Units and Child Advocacy Center (CAC) investigate allegations of child abuse. If those investigators determine a child is at immediate risk of harm, the caseworker must determine the immediate interventions necessary to protect the child according to a report prepared by DSS Commissioner Lucille Soldato.

Family reunification is a goal of the DSS All family members are offered supportive services aimed at resolving the circumstance that created the need for placement and to promote family reunification; however, the child’s safety is always at the forefront of agency policy.

According to Soldato’s report, “Safety of the children is always paramount in the service planning and though reunification of the family is the prioritized goal, concurrent permanency plans are also being developed in the event a child cannot be returned home safely in a timely manner. In these instances other permanent placement resources are assessed such as discharge to relatives, friends, other custodial arrangements, and adoption.”

In Utica, there were 2,417 cases

requiring investigation in 2015, leading to 283 family court petitions filed for custody of the child. Similarly, in Rome, 1,501 cases were investigated with 200 petitions for custody filed.

The CAC is a specialized unit that integrates law enforcement and casework practices, investigating the most serious allegations involving physical contact or sexual abuse. They investigated 400 cases, and filed 66 petitions.

Once a petition is filed, a judge determines whether or not a child should be placed in foster placement. While in placement, a child receives 24-hour familybased care and supervision as well as any other needed services to insure the child’s health and well being. At the end of 2015, 33 children still awaited adoption, and 14 adoptions had been finalized. The NYS child abuse hotline is 1-800-342-3720.