CPS does more harm than good says Judge in Calif.

Subject: Scathing report blasts San Mateo's HSA, Calif.
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 3/4/2004 9:31 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

San Mateo County Times


Report: Kids not a priority in the County
Independent committee finds at-risk children take back seat to image hype
By Malaika Fraley
STAFF WRITER


Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - REDWOOD CITY -- San Mateo County's Human Services
Agency is more concerned with image than it is with protecting at-risk
children, an independent committee said in a scathing report released Monday.

The report, ordered by Presiding Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum and County
Manager John Maltbie in March 2003, contains a long list of findings that
paints a picture of a dysfunctional child protective services, or CPS, program
that does more harm than good.

"(The Human Service Agency) expends precious time and resources on functions
which promote the agency's external image at the expense of attending to
internal agency operations which would ensure children's well-being," the
report says.

The report was written by the "Joint Court/County Committee to Review the
System for the Delivery of Child Protective Services in San Mateo County," made
up of judges and high-level social services professionals from outside the
County.

The committee interviewed a "broad spectrum of individuals and entities
interacting with the HSA in its role of delivering child protective services."
The report was completed Feb. 19 and released to the media late Monday.

The study includes recommendations to correct the system. The committee
suggests increased communication with the Human Service Agencies by law
enforcement and the Juvenile Court, and more support staff to over-taxed social
workers whose time is diverted from casework.

Due to the timing of the re- port's release, no one from the HSA could be
reached for comment Monday.

However, HSA Director Maureen said in a prepared state-ment, "The Human
Services Agency is committed to continuing to improve its services to children
and families. As one of five counties selected as an early implementer of
statewide Child Welfare Redesign, we will work with an oversight committee ...
to review and improve the continuum of services and supports available to our
most vulnerable children and families in San Mateo County."

Committee conclusions

Among other things, the committee found:

- There is a widespread lack of confidence the HSA's commitment to focusing on
the protection of at-risk children.

- Community outreach amd regionalizing the organization take priority over the
protection of children.

- The way resources are allocated undermines the HSA task of minimizing child
deaths and injuries.

- Case workers are consumed with work that should go to a non-existent support
staff, which takes away time that should go to providing services to children
and families.

- The HSA has been described as having "a brittle intolerance for differences
of opinion."

- "The relationship between the Juvenile Court and HSA has deteriorated
significantly, going from being too cozy to one of antagonism and mistrust."

- The Juvenile Court believes it is not receiving all relevant information in
many cases, which hinders its ability to make the best decisions for families
and children.

- The HSA offers inadequate training for social workers.

- The Child Death Review Panel fails to examine deaths of dependent children
who die outside the County. Contact staff writer Malaika Fraley at (650)
348-4337 or by e-mail at .



DESCRIPTORS; CASEWORKERS, CPS, CALIFORNIA, CAPTA, ASFA, SOCIAL WORK, FAMILY
LAW, ORGANIZATIONAL DYSFUNCTION, TAX WASTE, IMMUNITY