Mississippi foster care kids untracked

Mississippi isn’t living up to its 2008 promise to implement an information and management system to track children in its custody. The attorney general’s attempt at an excuse was “He said many states lack an adequate computer tracking system.”

“Children’s Rights filed a 2004 lawsuit that resulted in the 2008 agreement.

The lawsuit alleged caseworkers were poorly trained and overworked and the state had a shortage of safe foster homes. Some of the state’s 3,500 foster children have been sexually abused and denied adequate medical care, the lawsuit said.

The five-year agreement requires the state meet yearly goals.

But Lowry [Children’s Rights spokesman] said of 119 requirements the state had met only eight when the complaint citation was filed last year.”

“Lowry said the state has failed to come up with a satisfactory work force and retention plan, failed to upgrade qualification guidelines for current staff and hasn’t trained workers in investigation of abuse and neglect.”

“Since 2008, 66 percent of the case workers and 15 percent of supervisors have been hired, Fortenberry said. The state has added more than 100 social workers.

The agreement, estimated at the time to cost $34 million, requires the state to hire more caseworkers and limit their workload to 14 cases at a time, increase its hiring standards and enhance medical and educational services for foster children.

A 24-hour hotline to report abuse had to be set up under the agreement, and DHS had to get accredited by the National Council of Accreditation.”

A doctor made the following illustrative comment on the newssite, “I have found DHS child abuse services to be a joke.

Here’s what happens.

As a professional with an obligation to report child abuse, I call DHS. At that point, I am out of the system.

I never get a phone call for information. I am not allowed to speak to anyone about the case. I cannot find out the results of the investigation. In fact, I can’t even find out if there is/was an investigation, or if anyone has visited the child. So, I have no way of ascertaining if anyone has even responded to the case, or if the child is still at risk.

If I’m responsible for the initiation, I’m responsible for follow-up. This occurs EVERY SINGLE TIME I file a request for investigation.

Privacy, for sure. Privacy from professionals who give a damn. That’s the only privacy issue the DHS cares about.

I’d be thrilled to talk to the director of DHS about this. I’ve had to make threats of going “public” in the past in order to get anything done with these folks.

It couldn’t be more dysfunctional if it tried. And children are probably dying or continuing their misery because of it.”

Mississippi foster care kids untracked
[Clarion Ledger 5/15/11 by Jimmie E. Gates]

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