Report Title:

Child Protective Services; Standards and Compensation

Description:

Requires DHS to adopt the child welfare league of America standards and excellence for services of abused or neglected children and their families and upgrades the compensation range of child welfare social workers.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

3132

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to child protective services.

 

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 the children who are the victims of abuse and neglect, and as a matter of public policy the State assumes an obligation of the highest order to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, 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 supports are provided. This cannot be done if social workers are unable to spend sufficient time with children, families, and caregivers. Studies of critical incidents involving child abuse and neglect commonly involve an overworked employee who did not have sufficient time to adequately assess or monitor the child's situation. Contributing to the problem, high turnover rates of social workers result in understaffed offices. Pay distinction between social workers of other agencies and those in child welfare would increase the department of human service's ability to retain child welfare social workers.

The State must ensure the safety and well being for all children receiving assistance from child protective services. Achieving safety and permanency goals is more likely if caseloads enable social workers to have more frequent contact with children. Also, increasing the pay level will encourage recruitment and retention of these workers.

The purpose of this Act is to require the department to adopt the child welfare league of America standards of excellence for services for abused or neglected children and their families and to reclassify child welfare social workers regarding their compensation levels.

SECTION 2. Chapter 587, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§587-   Social worker caseloads and compensation. (a) The department shall adopt the child welfare league of America standards of excellence for services for abused or neglected children and their families.

(b) The department shall establish a reclassification of the child welfare social workers which shall result in a two salary range upgrade over current social worker classification levels."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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