Reader comments
'93 suit credited for changes at DCFS

I agree that there have been many changes in the child welfare system since 1998. Adoption of the practice model was a significant step forward. Now, we just need the caseworkers to learn the practice model. I find, in my own practice in child welfare, that the VAST MAJORITY of the caseworkers know there is a practice model, but don't know that the practice model is something more than the one sentence "feel good" mottos hanging from banners in their meeting rooms. Few caseworkers have actually reviewed the practice guidelines, the policies DCFS created to implement the practice model principles. Until each caseworker has a hard copy of the practice guidelines on their desk, and they can turn to the section entitled Division and Worker Expectations or Special Needs Funding without googling key words, there will be no change in the real harm done to children when they are exposed to the consequences of the misguided and untrained caseworkers.

The practice model exists in theory only, application is nonexistent. DCFS invaded my home 6 months ago, denies my family the constitutional rights of legal representation and forced their way into my home without warrant or reason, because I �must be guilty if I need a lawyer�. Their own model states the work must have a plan for the family in the SAFE system mo longer than 30 days after the initial visit and we have yet to have a plan. The longer this agency can keep my family entangled in these false accusations the more money they can claim from the state and the more �care� they can claim they are providing. My attorney states we will probably need parenting classes to get out of the system, even though we have done nothing wrong, and we investigated the options in carbon county for these classes just to appease the worker. Due to the budget cuts in the state no offices are offering these classes in Carbon County so we are going to have to drive to Provo once a week for 12 weeks even though we have no formal plan or way out of the system.

"Since the lawsuit was filed, DCFS's budget has more than tripled, from $41 million to more than $153 million, and the number of caseworkers has grown from 282 to 612" this quote from the article says it all. This is about money and jobs for people who can't do anything productive, not about protecting children. We have tripled budget and staff which only means we have tripled the resources this rogue agency has to terrorize families, not that we have done anything good. The exposure to untrained workers has tripled, the misguided application of out of date polices or misunderstood polices has tripled and the number of families harmed by this agency has more than tripled with the onslaught of money for increased numbers of families in the system. as long as children in the system mean increased dollars for the agency there will never be motivation to weed out false accusations or actually provide treatment that will help families in need learn to function without DCFS involvement.