By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Mike Beebe and state human services officials announced Friday that the Division of Children and Family Services will receive an additional $9.3 million to help speed up implementation of measures being taken to improve the state’s child welfare system.
Of the new funding, $4.5 million will come from federal stimulus funds; $800,000 is a reward from the federal adoption program for raising the rate of adoptions in the state; and the remaining $4 million from savings incurred by a lower federal matching funds rate, Department of Human Services spokeswoman Julie Munsell said.
“We’re really excited to announce this,” a smiling Deputy DHS Director Janie Huddleston said.
The one-time stimulus money, announced by the governor’s office, will be used to hire, earlier than expected, 163 new case workers and other staff to handle foster care cases.
The Legislature this year increased funding for DCFS by $15.5 million over the next two years for, among other things, hiring 113 new case workers and other staff this fiscal year and 50 next fiscal year.
“It’s essentially buying hours,” Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Friday. “These are staff over the biennium they can hire now. It allows them to get in sooner and go to work sooner.”
The remaining $4.8 million will be go into the division’s intensive family services program and to train staff in “structured decision-making,” so every case being worked will be handled the same way, Huddleston said.
“I think the message (from the governor) was, progress is great, but let’s do it faster,” Munsell said.
Last year, the state’s foster care system drew criticism following the deaths of four children in state custody and the conviction of a Northwest Arkansas man on charges he sexually abused foster children in his care.
Beebe ordered a top-to-bottom review of the system.
Huddleston said Friday the review is ongoing but caseworkers are “no longer in crisis mode” and plans are being implemented to improve management and performance.
DHS has already received $4.3 million in stimulus money to hire about 200 employees. Of those, 112 are temporary family support specialists. The jobs will last through the end of 2010, when the stimulus funding stops, Munsell said.
The stimulus money also is being used to purchase 30 new vehicles for DCFS case workers and 655 new notebook computers.
August 8th, 2009 at 9:12 am
They don’t need 9.3 million dollars. They need to STOP stealing good, healthy, well loved and cared for children. LET THE ALAMO CHILDREN GO HOME!!!!!
Stop trying to hunt down more children in the ministry. Those children were not abused or neglected and they NEED TO GO HOME!
ARKANSAS STOP STEALING ALAMO CHILDREN IN ORDER TO TRY TO MAKE YOUR DEPT LOOK GOOD! IT’S NOT! IT’S NOTHING BUT A CHILD STEALING ORGANIZATION WHO FAILS TO PROTECT CHILDREN. 29 DEATHS IN ARK FOSTER CARE!
People need to do some research on this inquisition group called CPS/DHS. They are not there to protect children. Those that are being abused and neglected by DHS are left there to die. They are not “marketable” to this organization and are not easily adopted out at a nice high price.
Good, healthy children are being stolen because they can make money through this system and even more when they are adopted out.
PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO THEM. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THIS!