COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The chairman of a House budget-writing panel said Thursday he needs assurances the Department of Social Services’ plan for better protecting abused and neglected children will actually get the job done.
Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, told agency officials they need to seek enough money in their 2015-16 budget request to correct the problems that resulted in children’s deaths and improper placements.
He noted that former Director Lillian Koller told his panel repeatedly she needed no additional money or manpower, even while overwhelming caseloads and chronic high turnover led to poor decisions on children’s well-being. After Koller resigned in June, the agency sought more staff.
“We’ve got to make sure we prevent the tragedies we keep seeing, that you’re asking for the appropriate amount,” Smith told Amber Gillum, who’s been acting director since June. “For three years, I sat here and was told, ’I don’t need any more money. We don’t need caseworkers.’ … Rome was burning as they said everything was rosy.”
He wants a long list of questions answered at a February meeting of his Ways and Means subcommittee. By that time, the agency might have a new director.
Gov. Nikki Haley, who refused for months to fire Koller, announced last month her choice to replace Koller. Susan Alford, a former director at the Department of Juvenile Justice, faces a tough confirmation process in the Senate. It was a bi-partisan Senate panel’s investigation into DSS that eventually resulted in Koller’s departure.
The agency’s seeking $5.4 million next fiscal year from state taxes - $15.9 million total with federal money - to pay for 277 additional child welfare workers: 202 caseworkers, 67 assistants, four attorneys and four in human resources to speed up hiring. The goal is to reduce caseloads, which climbed above 100 children for some, and hire assistants who can take care of paperwork and free caseworkers’ time to visit children. Haley included the agency’s requests in her $6.9 billion budget proposal, released Monday.
The hiring process has been underway for months. Between June 1 and Tuesday, the agency hired 297 caseworkers, but 159 people left in that same period, for a net gain of 138 child welfare workers, Gillum said.
“I wish it was more, but it’s moving in the right direction,” she said.
The budget request also includes $1.8 million for raises. That would continue 10 percent raises that caseworkers and supervisors received last November - bringing their average pay to $34,600 and $40,700, respectively - and provide 5 percent raises for workers in other divisions not part of that boost.
Smith, an attorney who’s handled DSS cases, questioned whether 10 percent was enough to stem the high turnover.
“I want to make sure you have enough resources to retain your good caseworkers, to recruit quality caseworkers and retain them,” he said. “I know how overwhelmed these workers are. … I don’t think it’s the caseworkers’ fault, but their investigation is lacking because they’re just swamped over there.”
Other parts of DSS’ budget request includes:
-$405,100 in state money - $1.8 million total - to hire 35 caseworkers in the division charged with protecting disabled and elderly adults.
-$291,000 to develop a statewide database to better track reported child abuse and neglect.
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