California’s Little Hoover Commission this week called the state’s foster care system broken, costly and leaderless. And many in Riverside County would agree. The Desert Sun’s veteran courts reporter Christine Mahr spent the last year talking to families who have dealt with child welfare agencies, social workers and those who would reform the system. This is her special report that details the intricacies of this system in crisis.

REMOVAL FROM HOME
When the system decides a child's fate
A child’s removal from a home because of abuse or neglect allegations sets in motion a complicated chain of events.

It ends when either the child and parents are reunited or another permanent placement decision such as adoption is made.

Some families caught up in
that process complain about the way their cases are handled.


DIARY OF A SOCIAL WORKER

Social worker Blanca Alonzo is part of Child Protective Services’ Indio emergency response unit. She and other social workers rotate 24-hour on-call shifts to deal with calls about possible child abuse.

"I sleep with my pager and cell phone by my bed," Alonzo said.

Take a look at one day
in Alonzo's life
Need help?
Children’s Services Operations Bureau, 866-882-4637:  The bureau handles complaints about child welfare services agencies and social worker conduct.

California Ombudsman for Foster Care, Help Line 877-846-1602: An independent forum for the investigation and resolution of complaints made by or on behalf of children placed in foster care.
 


WATCHING OVER THE CHILDREN
Child Welfare Services: A federal program operated by states. In California, it is administered through the counties with state oversight. The overall goals of the program are protection of children from abuse and neglect.

California Department of Social Services: The state department responsible for programs aimed at providing aid and services for needy or vulnerable children and adults. It operates some programs and oversees others run by counties.

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services: County agency that administers public welfare and assistance programs for children and adults.

Child Protective Services: The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services division responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect and working to ensure the safety of endangered children.

Child Welfare Services Stakeholders Group: A group of more than 60 individuals and organizations brought together to review California’s existing child welfare system and make recommendation for its improvement. Its work began in 2000 and concludes this year. It was established through legislation signed by Gov. Gray Davis.

   

A TROUBLED SYSTEM
                                                                  JAY CALDERON / The Desert Sun

HEADING HOME — April Harris looks toward a brighter future with her children Tony Medina, 4, right, and Mallory, 2, middle. Harris recently got her kids back from child protective services and was heading back to her home in Las Vegas Thursday. SEE MORE PHOTOS

Stories by Christine Mahr
The Desert Sun

It’s a system set up to protect children from neglect and abuse by removing them from their homes and only returning them if they’re no longer in imminent danger.

But vocal critics, including families and child advocates, contend the child welfare system has become so complex and plagued with problems that children and families are being harmed.

<<Read the Full Story>>
  IN THEIR OWN WORDS
 Families share their experiences
Families frustrated with the child welfare system complain about shoddy investigations, arrogant social workers and failure of the system to keep children with families.

Several Riverside County families agreed to share their stories with The Desert Sun. Officials with the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services’ Child Protective Services division cited confidentiality laws and would not address specific complaints and allegations. The agency responds that in making placement decisions, their main consideration are the children and that placement would ensure their health and safety.
                                                              <<Read the Full Story>>
MORE THAN MONEY
Experts: It's a problem money alone can't fix
Finding enough trained and qualified social workers has become a challenge for child welfare agencies at the local, state and national levels.<<Read the Full Story>>
THE SYSTEM DOES DO GOOD
When the system works: Mendoncas' story
James and Judy Mendonca raised three children but their empty nest didn’t stay empty for long.

In August, the Mendoncas -- both in their 50s -- again took on full-time parenting responsibilities when they adopted their grandson who turned 4 in December.

While some families in the child welfare system complain about the way cases are handled, couples such as the Mendoncas say that system worked for them.<<Read the Full Story>>
HOW DID IT GET HERE
Child Welfare Services timeline
1961: Congress allows Aid to Families with Dependent Children payments to follow children into foster care, making foster care cheaper for states and counties and causing the foster care population to increase. <<Read the Full Timeline>>
LAWS OF CHILD WELFARE
Federal law provides adoption incentives
A 1997 federal law has fueled more controversy in an already-troubled child welfare system. <<Read the Full Story>>

RELATED WEB SITES

  • California Child Welfare Services Stakeholders Group reports
  • Federal reviews of states’ child welfare services programs
  • Riverside County Grand Jury reports on Child Protective Services
    Read the Little Hoover Commission’s report:
  • "Still In Our Hands: A Review of Efforts to Reform Foster Care in California"

    INFORMATION GRAPHICS
  • How the region measures up, Adoption incentives by county, Riverside County's finalized adoptions
       

    AGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS
     Several agencies are studying how to improve child welfare services.

    Riverside County Grand Jury
    Recommendations:     in a 2002 report, the need for:

  • Experienced, well-trained social workers.
  • At least 40 hours of training annually for social workers.
  • Supervisors should approve social workers’ court records only after adequately verifying evidence to ensure accuracy.
  • Objectivity in justifying a child’s removal from a home.
  • Uniform procedures and accountability among social workers.
    Actions taken:     County brings in the Child Welfare League of America to analyze what needs to be done to address issues raised by the grand jury.

    Child Welfare League
     Recommendations: The national children’s advocacy and lobbying group noted in a 2001 report to Riverside County supervisors the need for:
  • At least 200 more caseworkers.
  • More consistent assessments and investigations of abuse and neglect allegations.
    Actions taken:     Child welfare services officials give periodic updates on their progress to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. In their most recent report in December, they said they are:
  • Developing an accountability system including using a program checklist to ensure social workers comply with local, state and federal regulations.
  • Putting into place a system to increase responsiveness to complaints dealing with Child Protective Services.
  • Initiating a random audit of cases to independently verify whether social workers are conducting visits with children assigned to them.
  • Improving the emergency response system by expanding the training of professionals who report suspected abuse and neglect.
  • Training staff to make more accurate and valid decisions regarding referrals of neglect and abuse.

    Child Welfare Services Stakeholder Group
    The stakeholders group consists of parents, foster parents and former foster children as well as state and county welfare administrators. Recommendations:
  • Shared responsibility with other community agencies for child protection. Under the current system Child Protective Services has sole responsibility in handling child welfare cases. Child Protective Services would handle the most serious cases involving child welfare concerns while less serious cases would be diverted to community partners.
  • A team approach to decision-making in child abuse and neglect cases. In addition to Child Protective Services, agencies such as mental health, probation and law enforcement would be involving in decision-making.
  • Early intervention in cases where there is a risk of child abuse or neglect. Families would be referred to community services such as counseling and parenting or anger management classes.
  • Developing consistent and reliable standards for making decisions to ensure a child is in a safe situation. Decision-making standards currently vary from county to county.
  • Setting standards for ensuring health, education and other needs of children in foster care are met.
  • Establishing flexible and innovative hiring practices and incentives as part of an effort to attract and keep social workers.
  • Increasing support staff such as case aides, paralegals and clerical staff, leaving social workers with more time to carry out their responsibilities.
    Actions taken:     The state is in the review and implementation process.