Jonathan Shorman at the Topeka Capital Journal revealed today through investigative work that the state of Kansas is currently employing unlicensed investigators in order to research Child abuse cases as they come to the DCF. There are several reasons for this and one of the reasons that Shorman highlights is that the cost difference in pay may carry some weight. Unlicensed investigators have a cost to the state of $15.75 vs over $18 an hour for those with proper licensing and training.
http://cjonline.com/...
Kansas is using unlicensed workers to investigate suspected child abuse and neglect -- with the only formal education requirement that they have a high school diploma
The state angrily fired back that Shorman's report makes too much of the educational requirement, but refuses to refute the truth of the statement.
The state responds by noting that while their investigators may have only a high school diploma requirement, many have worked as police officers or in one way or another in the social management at some point in their career.
Kansas DCF has been embroiled in a series of controversies this year, most recently from their political advocacy against 'The left' for calling out their practices.
http://www.kansas.com/...
The Kansas Department for Children and Families, which helped draft the legislation, responded with posts on Facebook and Twitter criticizing “the left” and The Eagle. The text of the Facebook post on the agency’s page was also sent to The Eagle as a letter credited to secretary Phyllis Gilmore.
“While the left is actively mocking the State of Kansas for passing legislation that protects taxpayer dollars and encourages personal responsibility, these are the same individuals who have since 1996, stood in the way of progress, keeping low-income Kansans dependent on assistance,”
The discovery that individuals who are not properly trained to handle child abuse issues are becoming the norm isn't about political points. Kansas this year was struck by what doctors referred to as "one of the worst cases of child abuse I have ever seen".
When Mekhi Boone was seen in a Kansas City, Missouri hospital, a social worker told doctors that "there is not a 2 inch part of his body that doesn't have bruises. He was beat to death".
http://cjonline.com/...
When the school nurse examined him, Mekhi said he had fallen at home in the grass in the backyard. When asked how he fell, he said he was on the roof and jumped off.
Later that day, though, Mekhi opened up -- saying that he hated living with his father and that Davis had slapped him.
"He then showed them his stomach. When asked why he said it's when he gets in trouble and has to stand by the wall and then he said he gets slapped all over," the teacher wrote.
Mekhi's bruises and his comments were reported to the Kansas Intake/Investigation Protection System -- a DCF hotline, documents show.
The case, which faces a federal lawsuit over lack of action by DCF, who was repeatedly notified was a key point for legislators who looked to revise and change policy at DCF. The discovery that DCF is now resorting to untrained employees to chase child abuse claims.
Despite the large geographic area and population, the state of Kansas employs 378 social workers and 71 "Special Investigators". The Capital Journal outlines that as the social workers retire or resign they are replaced with the lower-cost special investigators, who do not have the formal training in the role.
Considering life or death of small children may be involved -- according to their own web postings -- the decision to go "low cost" isn't comforting, or, frankly, very pro-life.