Rachael Hunter, policy director at the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, based in Harrisburg, said maintaining adequate staffing levels is “not a new issue.”
“County child welfare agencies have faced workforce recruitment and retention challenges for many years, and despite widespread recognition of the problem, there has been no comprehensive or concrete action taken to address the underlying causes,” she said.
For example, she said the state lacks a standardized process for connecting families to community-based providers, leaving county welfare agency employees strained as they’re forced to navigate multiple county service systems.
“Time and resources that could be dedicated to investigating and responding to allegations of abuse are instead spent addressing issues that are more appropriately handled through community-based supports,” she said. “Developing a coordinated statewide approach for diverting appropriate referrals and strengthening community-based services would help ensure families receive the right services at the right time while allowing child welfare agencies to focus on their core mission of protecting children from abuse and neglect.”