Child Protective Services abysmally underfunded in Montana

This should be considered a crisis at this point.  The chronic underfunding of welfare agencies nationwide could use Montana CPS and the rest of the agencies under Dept. of Health and Human Services as a “poster child”.  I can’t really describe the depth of the situation, but this article gives a good glimpse.

Montana CPS workers face mountainous caseloads

 in fiscal year 2015 the division performed 8,908 investigations involving 12,897 children, up from 7,697 investigations involving 11,046 children a year before.

the number of children in foster care has gone up 75 percent in the past several years, as well as the number of cases filed in district courts. She blamed an increase in methamphetamine use and prescription drug abuse among parents.

The descriptions of horrific caseloads stress me out just reading them.  I have been told by one of the CPS employees that the legislature turns a deaf ear, and in fact, funding consistently drops.

I don’t agree with a lot of what CPS does, but I think a lot of it is because they don’t have time to look carefully at whether they really need to get involved with a case.  But often, they are REALLY needed!!  

Child Protective Services folks are on the front line of the war on poverty.  And they are not armed very well.