New Jersey's child welfare system, which was wracked with problems over the years, appears to be improving its training and supervision of caseworkers but still needs to work on services to families, according to a new report
View full sizeAllison Blake, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, speaks at a press conference in this file photo from June 13.TRENTON — New Jersey’s child welfare system, which was wracked with problems over the years, appears to be improving its training and supervision of caseworkers but still needs to work on services to families, a new report concludes.
The report, which assesses the Division of Youth and Family Services’ gains and shortcomings after a massive reform ordered by a federal monitor eight years ago, cited caseworker and supervisor caseload, supervision and training as areas where DYFS has improved.
But the report, based on a survey of 524 DYFS employeess, said agency services are not available to families at convenient times or places and families do not have enough access to housing, transportation and employment. It also noted a need for bilingual caseworkers and community service providers that contract with DYFS. It was written by a panel of child advocacy groups and state child welfare agencies.
Allison Blake, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, which oversees DYFS, welcomed the findings and said her agency is already addressing several areas of concern.
"This is an important report for the Department of Children and Families because it creates another learning opportunity for us to improve upon the way we support our DYFS staff and families," Blake said in a statement. "The report reinforces that the areas for future action that we have focused attention on during the last several months are consistent with the needs identified by our staff."
The report based its findings on a survey conducted in March and April of caseworkers, supervisors and casework supervisors.
Caseworkers and their supervisors have smaller caseloads than in the past, according to the survey, with 78 percent of the responding caseworkers saying they oversee 12 or fewer families.
Caseworkers gave high marks to their supervisors, with a majority saying they are knowledgeable and reinforce the training curriculum.
But caseworkers and supervisors said the families they serve complain about a general lack of relevant services and financial assistance, long waiting lists for programs, no transportation to programs and services that are offered at inconvenient times and places.
The division also lacks a sufficient number of caseworkers and employees at agencies that provide the services who speak the languages the families understand, according to the report.
The caseworkers also gave low marks for how well the department prepares them for the difficult situations they face in the field, particularly when dealing with families who don’t want DYFS intervention.
"Training is definitely something on our radar," said Nancy Parello, spokeswoman for Advocates for Children of New Jersey and a member of the panel that conducted the survey and wrote the report. "They have been making a lot of changes to training but there is room for improvement."
Blake said her agency recently held a job fair as part of its effort to recruit more bilingual employees.