Councilmember Wells Holds Special Meeting on 6-Month-Old Child Fatality; Urges Implementation of Child Welfare Safety Net Reform Plan  

On Monday, July 14, 2008, Councilmember Tommy Wells called upon the Mayor at a special meeting of the Committee on Human Services to implement his Child Welfare Safety Net Reform Plan proposed in May and to request the assistance of all District social workers to help alleviate the backlog of open investigations at the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA). 

“At a similar hearing three months ago, I thought this was an agency facing a crisis. I am now convinced this is an agency in crisis,” stated Councilmember Wells.

Today, the Committee held a special meeting to examine the recent fatality of a 6-month-old child who was the subject of an open investigation by CFSA. During the meeting, several issues and concerns were raised, including case management operations and the triage of investigations not completed within the mandated 30-day time period. Specifically cited was the impact this has on child safety and the adequacy of the agency’s management practices in response. 

As predicted, following the case of Benita Jacks earlier this year, CFSA experienced an unprecedented increase in reports of child abuse and neglect at a time when there were multiple vacancies within the agency, including six vacancies following the firings in the aftermath of the Jacks/Fogle fatalities. Councilmember Wells stated, “Following those deaths, I was assured by CFSA that additional funding was not an issue and despite a backlog in closing investigations, our children were being protected.  Once again today, CFSA attempted to assure me that improvements are being implemented at CFSA, but I remain very skeptical.” 

Wells added, “The firing of one social worker and placement of one supervisor on administrative leave does nothing to address the systemic problems that are hindering CFSA.  This is an agency in crisis and minor restructuring will do little to help.  The agency is in the middle of an emergency which requires that all District government resources be made available to the agency.  The situation is so extreme, I believe the Mayor should consider asking all District social workers, regardless of the agency they work in, to volunteer for overtime duties at CFSA to assist investigators by entering data, conducting field research, monitoring caseloads and meeting with CFSA social workers to discuss the difficulties that they are having with their cases.”

He continued, “I also call upon the Mayor to implement the “Repairing the Safety Net for At-Risk Children and Families Reform Plan.” Highlighted in the Committee on Human Services FY 2009 Budget Report, the plan was developed following the tragic deaths of the Jacks/Fogle children and outlines a comprehensive package of child welfare reforms aimed at ensuring families who are in crisis and need assistance have access to supports and services.

Among other reforms, the plan specifically calls for the expansion of the pre and post natal home visiting program, as well as creation of a differentiated response system to engage families known to the child welfare system and connect them to a full range of services without requiring a determination of maltreatment. Wells stated, “If a differential response system formally existed within CFSA, families with an initiated investigation on the backlogged list would be able to have access to services and supports throughout the investigation of child abuse or neglect.”

Additionally, the plan calls for CFSA to be responsible for ensuring that training is provided and accessible to all mandated reporters, guaranteeing that there is a full understanding of their responsibilities under the law and what information is needed when making a report. The Committee’s investigation determined that the reporting source was reluctant to release the location of the family, hindering the investigating social worker’s attempts to locate the family.  “Ensuring that reporting sources fully understand their responsibility to disclose certain pertinent information is vital to making sure that the investigating social worker has all the information on the family and child in question to follow through on an investigation,” stated Wells.

He concluded, “I will continue to aggressively advocate for full implementation of these initiatives. We have seen the results of a fragmented child welfare system and I don’t want to be here in another 6 months reviewing the death of another child. The Repairing the Safety Net for At-Risk Children and Families Reform Plan will facilitate a more responsive and effective safety net ensuring that every child is known and nurtured, families have help when they need it, and children and youth have healing when they are injured.”

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