Does NH need to increase child protection staff?

According to a new report, the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) needs at least 35 more child assessment workers. 

The report is part of an ongoing evaluation of the ability of DCYF to protect children after two child abuse fatalities in 2014 and 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) requested an interim report on staffing levels to guide their requests for the upcoming state budget. The final report will be released in November 2016.

The interim report specifically found that the current number of 85 social workers is not enough to keep up with reports of child maltreatment. Social workers are generally able to address cases within the first 72 hours after they come in, but only one-fifth of case assessments are completed within deadlines. That means it takes months to determine if a child is really in danger or if a case can be closed. 

Adding more employees does not address the high turnover rate among social workers, however. According to Lorraine Bartlett, Director of DYCF, there was an almost 50% turnover rate in the last two years. In order to decrease the turnover rate, the state must consider the resources and pay available to social workers.

The final report will address other ways to improve the child assessment process.

Do you think the state needs more social workers to complete child assessments? How would you address the backlog of assessments? Let us know in the comments.