By Mary Welander
State Rep., D-114
Mary Welander
Every legislative committee has an agency or governing body over which they have cognizance and work with directly to create or reform policies. For example, the Education Committee has oversight over the state Department of Education. As vice chair of the Children’s Committee, it is our responsibility to oversee the Department of Children and Families.
With the multiple heartbreaking reports that have surfaced over the last 18 months or so, the latest being the tragic death of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia, it is clear that the state needs to take a serious look at DCF as a whole, as well as other systems in place that are intended to keep children safe.
When I say we need to look at DCF as a whole, I mean that very literally. As much as we may want to find one spot to place the blame to feel like we are closer to stopping these deaths and injuries from happening, the truth is that there is no one person, role or agency that shoulders all the blame. This is part of a larger systemic problem.
While we have recent federal and state level audits of DCF that can help pinpoint specific areas that need improvement, in my opinion we need to focus on the people. Again, I am being specific in my word choice. Yes, major changes are needed, but we also need to focus on the people who do this important work not just to find fault, but to find better ways to support them, and most importantly create better systems for them to work in.
More children and families are needing higher levels of support, which requires more people and resources. At the same time, the caseloads for every type of social worker and case worker are getting larger every year, exacerbating already high rates of staff turnover. Foster families are desperately needed, but existing foster families are not getting the support they need consistently, which leads to them exiting the system and the need growing even further. We need a better process of oversight and communication to ensure accountability for these children, but that can’t be done without more staff and stronger supports for current employees.
Additionally, the state needs to develop better communication practices between agencies such as SDE, the Department of Public Health and DCF. This will be a delicate process as we must protect the privacies of our students and families. But without reform of certain policies there are too many weak spots that can lead to tragedy. I hope we can all agree that keeping our kids safe in all situations is a universal priority, and that we are ready to do this needed work together.