Report Title:

Child Protective Services

Description:

Establishes guidelines for Child Welfare Services social worker caseloads and implements a salary reclassification for Child Welfare Division social workers.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2858

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO social workers.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State has a duty to care for and protect children who are the victims of abuse and neglect. As a matter of public policy, the State assumes an obligation of the highest order to ensure their safety. High social worker caseloads reduce personal contact with children, placing them at greater risk of abuse and neglect.

Child welfare social workers must be able to engage families through face-to-face contacts, assess the safety of children at risk, monitor case progress, and ensure that essential services and support are provided. These goals cannot be met if social workers are unable to spend sufficient time with children, families, and caregivers. Studies of critical incidents involving child abuse and neglect frequently involve an overworked employee who did not have sufficient time to adequately assess or monitor the child’s situation.

Furthermore, child welfare offices are often inadequately staffed because of the high turnover rate of social workers in this field. A pay distinction between social workers of other agencies and those in child welfare would increase the department of human services' ability to retain child welfare social workers.

The purpose of this Act is to ensure the safety and well-being of all children who come to the attention of child protective services by standardizing social worker caseloads and increasing the salary range of child welfare social workers.

SECTION 2. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§346– Social worker caseloads and compensation. The department's child welfare services division shall base caseloads on the Child Welfare League of America Standards of Excellence for Services for Abused or Neglected Children and Their Families."

SECTION 3. The department of human resources development shall implement a reclassification of social workers in the child welfare services branch of the department of human services, by upgrading the current classification levels by two salary ranges.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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