DENVER – A blistering state audit that highlights flaws in Colorado’s child-welfare system has lawmakers vowing to make the issue a priority in the upcoming legislative session.
State auditors last week reported deficiencies with the Department of Human Services’ oversight of screening and assessing child abuse and neglect allegations.
The report recommended that the department improve its supervision of the child-welfare system in order to create uniform standards across counties.
Auditors analyzed referrals from 2013 from 19 counties, including La Plata County. The referrals represented allegations of child abuse or neglect in the state’s peculiar system in which counties administer human services but the state supervises the network.
Details from La Plata County were not released because the report focused on deficiencies with the state’s supervision. It is also difficult to study individual cases from specific counties because of privacy laws.
But overall, the audit found six instances in which counties have not clearly documented adherence to state laws or rules when deciding not to investigate reports of child abuse or neglect. Several examples of assessments not being completed in a timely fashion also were noted.
Counties are required to assess allegations of known or suspected child abuse or neglect.
The report points out that a key part of assessing a child’s safety and risk for maltreatment is interviews with the child. It found that those interviews are not routinely being conducted.
Child welfare received nearly 70,400 referrals of abuse and neglect, and it went on to further investigate about 41 percent of those referrals in 2013.
Auditors made 16 significant recommendations with sub-parts related to improving various aspects of the child-welfare system, including more complete referral screenings conducted faster.
The Department of Human Services has agreed with 31 recommendation sub-parts, partially agreed with six recommendation sub-parts and disagreed with 10 recommendation sub-parts.
Child-welfare officials say they continue to make progress.
“The Office of State Auditor’s report reaffirms the work already underway as part of the governor’s child-welfare plans,” said Reggie Bicha, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.
Gov. John Hickenlooper pushed new child-welfare plans in 2012 and 2013, known as “Keeping Kids Safe and Families Healthy.”
The reforms maintained the state-supervised, county-administered system. Human services officials believe counties have the clearest understanding of the needs of their local communities and available resources.
“I am proud to say that we have already accomplished many of the findings in the audit, and we are seeing system improvements as a result,” Bicha said.
The state points to using real-time data from counties to drive positive outcomes; new training lessons; greater collaboration with the community; reporting of egregious incidents; a new hotline that is set to launch in January; and preventive programs.
Child-welfare officials also point out that they are understaffed by about 30 percent.
But lawmakers worry that the progress has not been enough. They are already planning on making reform a priority in the upcoming session that begins in January. Before they discuss specific details, they would like more time to review the report.
Child welfare has been an ongoing issue at the state Legislature. But reform has come piecemeal.
In addition to the hotline created by lawmakers, they also required investigations of near fatalities and egregious incidents.
pmarcus@durangoherald.com