The Children, Youth, and Families Department has received criticism over the years for having an insufficient number of staff and foster families. Sec. Teresa Casados told lawmakers Tuesday that, while the department is improving, it needs more funding to make real progress.
CYFD entered into a settlement agreement more than four years ago, after lawyers and advocates for foster children reported poor conditions within the department.
The settlement agreement, known as “Kevin S.,” has targeted several problems but most especially a chronic lack of staffing at the department and foster children not having appropriate housing, most often sleeping at CYFD offices.
Casados told members of the Legislative Finance Committee that the workload is challenging and leads to a lot of burnout. The department is also struggling to recruit qualified staff with the necessary credentials. She argued increasing salaries could help with both.
"One of the largest issues that we have [is], when someone leaves, that caseload gets redistributed," she said. "And so, when I look at our caseloads, by this point you think they would be declining — they’re actually getting higher for those workers, even though we’re hiring people."
Since July, CYFD has hired 207 employees, including internal promotions and transfers, according to the department. Only 250 employees have a degree in social work and 129 are licensed.
The department is asking the Legislature for a little over $412 million, which is about a 6% increase. If its request is met, the department said it plans to fill around 100 vacant positions to meet the Kevin S. requirements, reduce the amount of children who have to sleep at its offices, and expand training for staff and cultural activities for children in its care.
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