Data Effort Aims to Help Reduce Child Deaths
In the hope of reducing child fatalities in Texas, the department that oversees the state’s Child Protective Services division has ramped up its efforts to conduct predictive data analysis and reduce the turnover of CPS caseworkers, the agency’s commissioner told a state Senate panel Thursday.
“I don’t want to lose the fact that every child we lose is an individual,” John Specia, commissioner of Texas Family and Protective Services, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The panel met Thursday to address interim charges on Child Protective Services and women’s health.
Of the 804 child ...
Comments (7)
Ray Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
'Cause conservatives love children sooo much...
Scott Creasy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
First of all, CPS workers have case loads that can get up to 10-20 cases a worker. Then they have to be ON CALL for these cases in the event something goes wrong. They have to do house investigations without a firearm. Most of the time there is a police officer down the street they can call but they are hardly spared an officer to do the investigation. Furthermore, who wants to put in 60 hours a week only to make $36,000. If you want quality labor, have quality work conditions. I'm going to school to become an MSW and although I think I would be good at advocating for children as a social worker, I won't even consider it. Per capita income is 50k in the US, not 30k.
Stephen LaPoint via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Don't walk in the road......Walking in Roadway Where Sidewalk is Available...will cost you $136.oo Fine and they will arrest you with no time served !
E. Quote
Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, chairwoman of the committee, said the state should have a computer system that analyzes the factors in a child’s environment and can inform caseworkers on a child’s level of risk. “We can’t just keep putting in more money until we start doing something different,” she said.
Jane, that's a lame excuse, it is not the computer that is the problem. "R" a statistics software is free, SPSS or SAS is commercially available and not that expensive AND will run on a personal computer (I have R on mine at home). If you have a competent statistical analyst and can get data the 'factors' can be analyzed alone or in combination. Case data ought to be in your old computer's data system and court law enforcement data can likely be had for asking.
A directive from the Governor ought to get the project started. Put the money in 'boots on the ground'.
hans5162 hans
State agencies pay poorly. Republican politicians have made their careers attacking public employees. The are under-resourced and understaffed. I can't understand why they have high employee turnover. $36,000 these days barely puts you over the poverty line.
Case Mc via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I can say from personal experience that some of the cps management are just ugly people to work for.
Patricia Underwood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Working for CPS was extremely harmful for my family. I spent more time with other people's children than I did my own.