We are Robert and Kathleen Raskin of Las Vegas, and today we would like to ask the State of Kentucky why their foster care numbers are unacceptably high? The average CPS caseworker in the state is handling 19 to 33 cases. There is no way the children involved in those cases are getting the care they need when the workers are stretched so thin, and this puts children who are wards of the state at serious risk.

It’s been a little over a month since House Bill 1 went into effect, which was meant to overhaul the foster care and adoption system. The average time it takes to reunite families who have been torn apart by the system has doubled in recent years, and this delay is causing psychological harm to children, especially when reunification therapy proves to not be nearly enough to undo the damage that has been done.

House Bill 1 established the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee, which is designed to give grandparents and other relatives who are caring for children who have been removed from their homes more rights. Under this bill, foster parents would also have more input into the process. With so many providers who aren’t qualified, it remains to be seen whether this move will help or harm children.

Recent budget increases of $14M are expected to allow the department to hire more workers and other personnel. Currently there are 230 new positions and 100 existing ones that need to be filled. With retention being a problem, simply filling the seats will not be enough. The department will have to improve conditions and policies if they want to attract new workers and keep them.