Posted on Wed, Sep. 13, 2006

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THREE-PRONG EFFORT IMPROVES AGENCY

S.C. works to offer better protection for kids

By Kim Aydlette

Re "S.C. kids let down," The Sun News editorial Aug. 27:

While I commend The Sun News' editorial board for being concerned for the welfare of our state's children, I think it's important to take a minute and correct misconceptions readers may have taken away from a recent editorial.

At the Department of Social Services, our work to improve the welfare of children in our state began well before the Legislative Audit Council issued its report. Our own information combined with federal reviews to tell us we were struggling with a number of challenges that have been problems historically in South Carolina and around the country.

In my written response to the LAC report, I outlined the three-prong approach to improvement in child welfare - not just child protective services - that have been under way for some time:

One prong involves resources. The LAC itself found that the five counties sampled needed 34 percent more staff. In the 2006-07 Executive Budget Gov. Mark Sanford included funding for DSS to bring all child welfare staffing to nationally recognized levels recommended by the Child Welfare League of America. This was funded by the General Assembly, and we are beginning the process of hiring and training 350 new staff.

However, Sanford's support for child welfare is not new. In 2004, his veto message discussed our funding crisis and warned that the legislature's decision to fund DSS at a level below his executive budget was "wrong and dangerous." We are grateful that the legislature funded the governor's executive budget proposal for DSS for 2006-07 and hope to continue our positive partnership with them this session.

The second prong involves improving policies and practices. The detailed Child and Family Services Review, completed in 2003, helped us to focus our efforts and mobilize partners in the child welfare system. South Carolina has just completed a two-year program improvement plan. The program improvement plan included revisions to policy and procedures, training, management oversight and new practice tools.

The federal Administration for Children and Families has informed us that South Carolina has met all national standards required under the plan, and 20 of 23 performance indicators.

We have until June 2007 to meet the remaining three performance indicators. DSS staff has shown an outstanding effort in reaching these goals during a period when our resources were reduced, not increased.

The third prong involves dealing with management issues. The agency was hit hard these past budget years, and that obviously affects performance.

However, some areas needing improvement are more properly addressed through new and better management policies and increased accountability between the local and state offices.

As noted by the LAC, this administration has instituted the central collection of extensive data to measure numerous key program indicators in each local office on a monthly basis.

Another management issue is that our caseworkers are paid below the Southeastern average salary, according to the State Office of Human Resources. I have addressed salaries in the 2007-08 budget request, with the governor's support.

The budget request also includes a small amount to use as performance-based incentives for direct services staff. Incentives were recommended by the LAC to improve performance at the local level.

Through internal work and a contract with the state Office of Human Resources, I am working to identify ways to create a much needed "career path" for child welfare workers through improved recruitment, hiring, training and supervision. We must build and sustain a workforce of well trained, experienced and dedicated staff to do this important work.

Readers may visit the LAC Web site, www.state.sc.us/sclac/, to read the full report. My written response to the report is included as an appendix and fully describes our plan to ensure that we will continue to improve how we protect children.