Report Finds DCYF Wanting

By Josh Rogers on Monday, September 16, 2002.

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The latest Eric L. report finds the state division for children youth and family services continues to operate in non-compliance with the settlement terms of a 1991 class action lawsuit.

In its fourth and last report, the oversight panel said the department of children youth and family services isn?t doing enough to protect abused or neglected children. The finding didn?t seem to shock anyone. Not Plaintiff attorney Ron Lospenato.

'I think we anticipated that that was going to be the case.'

Not the DCYF?s Joseph Arcidiacono

'It?s not unexpected.'

And not children?s advocate Steve Varnum.

'Well, there?s nothing about it that?s very surprising.'

The Eric L. settlement called for sweeping changes in the way the New Hampshire handles abuse cases. Children?s Alliance policy director Steve Varnum says the state is falling short in the areas that are most crucial to protecting children.

'Timely and complete investigation of abuse and neglect, medical services, permanency planning for children who need to move from foster care to adoption or age out. Those three areas are very much at the heart of what the original lawsuit and what the agreement were all about.'

DCYF?s Joseph Arcidiacono doesn?t dispute such a characterization. But he says the division has made strides ? since the lawsuit was filed, and since the oversight panel issued its prior report last winter. Arcidiacono insists the real problem remains money and manpower. He says agency caseworkers are perennially swamped.

'We have 7500 investigations that occur every year. We have 65 workers doing those assessments so if you do the math it?s a tremendous number you each year that these workers have to investigate. Check with the police, the schools, the school nurse. Hospitals and so forth it?s a tremendous responsibility and a time consuming one.'

So time consuming, says, Arcidiacono, that the state department of health and human services estimates it needs another 62 workers for DCYF to live up to it?s mandates. Agency officials requested legislative approval for those new jobs back in July??But the fiscal committee tabled the matter and thus stalled possible acceptance of nearly 3.4 million dollars in federal funding. The matter is expected to be taken up again on when the fiscal committee meets on Wednesday. According to the Eric L. Plaintiff attorney, if the positions don?t come through, further legal action is a strong possibility.