Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic Policy Paper

In January 2000 Governor Barnes appointed a Child Protective Services Task Force to develop solutions to the crisis in Georgia's Child Protective Services System. In FY99, the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) received almost 70,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. The workers responsible for deciding whether and how to respond to these reports were paid a starting salary of $22,044.00. They made decisions and completed investigations related to the life and death of children without such basic resources as a statewide information system to track children and families, cellular phones or radios to call for help, or adequate placements for children removed from their homes. Thirty nine percent of these workers left their jobs in FY99; 44% left their jobs in FY00. In some counties, including Fulton, the turnover rate reached over 70% in FY99.¹

The Division of Family and Children Services is the state agency charged with protecting abused and neglected children from further harm. Child Protective Services (CPS) is the front line of defense for child victims. CPS workers decide whether and how to intervene when an allegation is made about child abuse. These decisions mean the difference between life and death for some children. Once an allegation is substantiated, the decisions of CPS and placement workers determine whether a child is to be protected and nurtured or to be further victimized by the perpetrator and the state system.

With so many vacancies in these critical positions, children are not adequately protected. Until there are enough people and enough tools to appropriately protect children, abused and neglected children in Georgia will continue to suffer and be further victimized by the system.

The Georgia General Assembly should appropriate funding to implement the recommendations of the CPS Task Force:

1. Stop the exodus of workers and fill all vacancies by raising the starting salary of caseworkers to a reasonable level using a pay structure that rewards workers with advanced degrees;

2. Save children's lives and reduce turnover by adding enough caseworkers to comply with national caseload standards;

3. Establish an integrated statewide information system for the confidential tracking of children who have been the subject of abuse or neglect allegations;

4. Provide workers with needed tools and resources, including appropriate representation in court and appropriate placement resources.