SUPERVISORS ACCEPT PROGRESS REPORT ON FIXING CHILD WELFARE AGENCY

The Board of Supervisors has accepted a report indicating that measures to improve operations within the controversy-plagued Riverside County Child Services Department are being applied but will take time.

In a 5-0 vote without comment on Oct. 4, the board signed off on the Executive Office’s analysis and response to the 19-member Civil Grand Jury’s report from July identifying multiple areas that require action in CSD, a component of the Department of Public Social Services.

One of the chief concerns among jurors was the slow pace at which child welfare workers sometimes move in finding placement options for children in unsafe environments.

“Delays in placement or availability invariably create issues with the timing of removal, and in providing a safe environment for a child at a critical time,” according to the grand jury.

The investigative body interviewed CSD staffers who acknowledged that the “placement unit could work quicker.”

The Executive Office replied that “finding immediate placements due to the limited number of options, particularly for children with complex needs, is a challenge.”

However, the EO said that DPSS is working to increase the number of available foster families to expedite the placement process, and the agency has expanded emergency bed contracts to ensure temporary shelter is immediately available whenever necessary.

Another issue that ranked high on the jurors’ list was caseload management. In its findings, the grand jury noted that the average case worker is trying to juggle an average 40 cases on any given day. The preferred case ratio is 1:18.

The jury acknowledged the county has implemented strategies to lift the burden on agents, and according to the EO those efforts are continuing, with the use of a “line-of-sight dashboard to track workloads.”

Officials said case management will remain a key focus going forward.

According to the jurors, the annual turnover rate of 32 percent within the CSD signaled significant morale problems, as large numbers of child welfare employees make a permanent exit.

“DPSS agrees that a high turnover rate makes it difficult for management to effectively reduce caseloads,” the EO said.

Officials said changes in recruitment, salaries and culture were ongoing, with the aim of making the agency more appealing and valuable as a long-term career opportunity.